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68 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES
“Janaka, emperor of Videha performed a sacrifice in which gifts were freely distributed (Brih. 3.1.1). I am going to perform a sacrifice sirs (Chh.
5.11.5). Now both Janaka and Asvapati were knowers of the Self. If by this knowledge of the Self they had attained Liberation, there was no need for them to perform sacrifices. But the two texts quoted show that they did perform sacrifices. This proves that it is through sacrificial acts alone that one attains Liberation and not through the knowledge of the Self as the Vedantins hold.”
Jaimini makes a positive assertion that the scriptures unmistakably declare [1] “that knowledge of the Self stands in a subordinate relation to sacrificial acts”. Jaimini justifies it because he says [2] “the two (knowledge and work) go together (with the departing soul to produce the results).” Jaimini refuses to give an independent position to Badarayana’s Jnanakanda. He takes his stand on two grounds.
First [3 ] : “Knowledge of the Self does not independently produce any result.”
Second [4 ] : According to the authority of the Vedas “Knowledge (of Self) stands in a subordinate relation to work.”
This is the position of Jaimini towards Badarayana’s Jnanakanda.
What is the position of Badarayana towards Jaimini and his Karma Kanda ? This is explained by Badarayana in Sutras 8 to 17.
The first position [5] taken up by Badarayana is that the Self spoken of by Jaimini is the limited self i.e., the soul is to be distinguished from the Supreme soul and that the Supreme soul is recognized by the Scriptures.
The second [6] position taken up by Badarayana is that the Vedas support both knowledge of Self as well as sacrifices.
The third [7] position taken up by Badarayana is that only those who believe in the Vedas are required to perform sacrifices. But those who follow the Upanishads are not bound by that injunction. As Shankaracharya explains :
“Those who have read the Vedas and known about the sacrifices are entitled to perform work (sacrifices). No work (sacrifice) is prescribed for those who have knowledge of the Self from the Upanishads. Such a knowledge is incompatible with work.”
1 See Badarayana Sutra 4.
2 See Badarayana Sutra 5.
3 See Badarayana Sutra 6 and Shankara’s commentory.
4 See Badarayana Sutra 7.
5 See Badarayana Sutra 8.
6 See Badarayana Sutra 9.
7 See Badarayana Sutra 12.