[Advaita-l] Jagadguru Speaks: Adhere to the Sastras and Attain Sreyas

[S Jayanarayanan]

(Around the beginning of the month, a nugget of Wisdom from the Jagadguru may be posted
on the Chaturamnaya list : http://lists.advaita-vedanta.org/cgi-bin/listinfo/chaturamnaya )
 
 
Man's actions in the world are governed by his inherent nature 
(svabhava or prakriti). Even the greatest of jnanis will conduct himself 
in accordance with his nature. This is what the Lord says in the Gita: 
 
सदृदां चेष्टते स्वस्याः प्रकृतेः ज्ञानवानपि ।
 
Sri Sankara Bhagavatpada has very beautifully described the 
meaning of the word ‘prakriti’ in this verse as:
 
प्रकृतिः नाम पूर्वकृतधर्माधर्मादिसंस्काराः वर्तमानजन्मादौ अभिव्यत्ताः सा प्रकृतिः।
 
Prakriti constitutes the dharmic and adharmic impressions of past 
lives that become manifest in the present life. 
 
It is in conjunction with this that everyone's karmas will ensue 
and continue. In this regard, some may pose the question: "If all the 
affairs of the world happen in accordance with one's svabhava, how 
can one be held responsible for his actions?" The Sastras caution 
man precisely against this. 
 
इन्द्रियस्येन्द्रियस्यार्थे रागद्वेषौ व्यवस्थितौ ।
तयोर्न वशमागच्छेत्तौ ह्यस्य परिपन्थिनौ ||
 
The senses that hanker after sense objects are inherently driven by 
likes (ragas) and dislikes (dveshas) which are indeed the greatest 
obstacles in man’s path. Therefore, man must never get trapped in 
their clutches. Despite our likes and dislikes arising out of our own 
svabhava (nature), it is only the sastras which reveal to us the good 
and the bad. Therefore, it is imperative that we always live in 
accordance with sastraic injunctions. 
 
शास्त्रार्थे प्रवृत्तः पूर्वमेव रागद्वेषयोः वदा नागच्छेत्‌ ।
 
Thus, a person who has learnt the tenets of the sastras from a Guru 
will live in harmony with all and attain Sreyas (higher good).