History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v7.c91.33

v7.c91.33

1468a स्त्रीशूद्रद्विजबन्धूनां त्रयी न श्रुतिगोचरा । ० ० ०तस्माद्भारतमाख्यानं कृपया मुनिना कृतम् ॥ भागवत I. 4. 25 q. by परिभाषाप्रकाश p. 37, which remarks वेदकार्यकारित्वाच्चेन्माद्भारतस्य वेदकार्यात्मज्ञानकारित्वसिद्धिः स्त्रीशूद्रद्विजवन्धूना न वेदश्रवणं मतम् । तेषामेव हितार्थाय पुराणानि कृतानि च । देवीभागवत I. 3. 21. शङ्कराचार्य is careful to point out on Vedāntasūtra I. 3. 38 that śūdras have no *adhikāra* for brahmavidyā based on the study of the Veda. But he does not deny to the śūdras the knowledge of the Self altogether He refers to the instances of Vidura and Dharmavyādha that were possessed of the knowledge of *brahma* due to the effects of their former lives, states that they would secure the result of brahmajñāna (viz moksa, final liberation from *samsāra*), that śūdras have the right to learn from the Mahābhārata and Purānas as stated in 'he should read to the four varnas' and that in that way they might secure knowledge of brahma and moksa. "येषां पुनः पूर्वकृतसंस्कारवशाद्विदुरधर्मव्याधप्रभृतीनां ज्ञानोत्पत्तिस्तेषां न शक्यते फलप्राप्तिः प्रतिषेद्धं ज्ञानस्यैकान्तिकफलत्वात् । 'श्रावयेच्चतुरो वर्णान्' इति चेतिहासपुराणाधिगमे चातुर्वर्ण्यस्याधिकारस्मरणात् । वेदपूर्वकस्तु नास्त्यधिकारः शूद्राणामिति स्थितम् ॥ भाष्य on वे. सू I. 3. 38. On वे सू. III. 4 36 शङ्कराचार्य refers to the woman वाचक्नवी as one who had the knowledge of brahma 'रैक्क-वाचक्नवीप्रभृतीनामेवंभूतानामपि ब्रह्मवित्त्वश्रुत्युपलब्धेः ।. गार्गी वाचक्नवी figures as a great seeker after *brahma* in the Br. Up. III. 6. 1, III. 8. 1 and 12. The महाभारत says that what it dilates upon as to the पुरुषार्थs, धर्म, अर्थ, काम and मोक्ष, is found elsewhere and that what it does not contain on those subjects can be found nowhere else and that the Mahābhārata should be listened to by him who desires moksa, by brāhmanas, kings and pregnant women (Svargārohanaparva 5. 50-51).