History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v3.c46.44

v3.c46.44

I. 2. 23, I. 3. 8-9 and 12. The position of the Vedāntasūtra (in III. 4. 27-31) is that the seeker after eternal truth must be endowed with restraint of senses and quiescence of mind and he cannot act just as he pleases (ŚabdaścātoSkāmakāre) and spurn all rules of morality. Śaṁkarācārya on Vedānta-sūtra II. 3. 48 and other places makes this position perfectly clear. Viśvarūpa on Yāj. III. 66 states that even ascetics of the paramahaṁsa type are not allowed (by Yāj. and other sages) to behave as they please. The Par. M. (I. part 2, pp. 172-176) says that the paramahaṁsa should have only one daṇḍa and argues that paramahaṁsas are of two kinds viz. *vidvat* (those who have already realized *brahman*) and *vividiṣu* (those who are eager seekers after realization) and relies on Bṛ. Up. III. 5. 1 for the former and Bṛ. Up. IV. 4. 22 and Jābālopaniṣad for the latter. Yājñavalkya is an example of *vidvat-sannyāsa*, which leads to *jīvanmukti* (i. e. release even when the body still persists), while the latter (*vividiṣā-sannyāsa*) leads to release after the body is no more (i. e. videha-mukti). Vide Jīvan-muktiviveka p. 4 ff.