The rituals mentioned in the Karmakanda of Vedas are sought to be negated in the Jnanakanda, which is also part of the same scripture.+

Sage Sankara pointed out that those rituals could in no way bring about wisdom, much less Moksha.

The rituals mentioned in the Karmakanda of Vedas are sought to be negated in the Jnanakanda, which is also part of the same scripture. While Karmakanda enjoins upon you the worship of various deities and lays down the rules for the same, Jnanakanda constituted by the Upanishads ridicules worshipers of deities as dim-witted people no better than the beast.

Sage Sankara says: ~ 11. As regards the rituals, the person who performs rituals and aspires for rewards will view himself in terms of the caste into which he is born, his age, the stage of his life, his standing in society, etc. In addition, he is required to perform rituals all through his life. However, the Self has none of those attributes or tags. Hence, the person who superimposes all those attributes on the changeless, eternal Self and identifies Self with the body is confusing one for the other; and is, therefore, an ignorant person. The scriptures dealing with rituals, rewards, etc. are therefore addressed to an ignorant person. (Adhyasa Bhashya)

Sage Sankara says: ~ 11.1 ~The scriptures dealing with rituals, rewards, etc. are, therefore, he says, addressed to an ignorant person. (Adhyasa Bhashya)

Sage Sankara says: ~11.2. In short, a person who engages in rituals with the notion “I am an agent, doer, thinker”, according to Sage Sankara, is ignorant, as his behavior implies a distinct, separate doer/agent/knower; and an object that is to be done/achieved/known. That duality is Avidya, an error that can be removed by Vidya. (Adhyasa Bhashya)

Sage Sankara viewed this as a distortion of the Upanishad ideals. In order to play down the prominence given to rituals by the Mimamsakas, Sage Sankara relied on the idea of Avidya He bracketed the ritualistic approach with Avidya and called it an “error”.

Thus, Advaitic orthodoxy has to be discarded in order to realize the ‘Self’ hidden by the ‘I’, which is ignorance.

Sage Sankara states wisdom (Vidya) can eliminate ignorance (Avidya); but the ignorance it eliminates is not real, because it has no existence of its own. Once the error is removed, the Brahman (God in truth) will reveal on its own accord.

Remember:~

Even the arguments that religions have been followed since time immemorial makes no difference to them, because if people have believed a false thing over millions of years, the length of time does not prove it true.

All the million years are within the universe, which is a dualistic illusion or Maya.

Religion is nothing to do with ultimate truth of Brahman. If one is seeking truth, then he has to be free from all the religious beliefs and dogmas. The religion is based on the ego (you), whereas, the ultimate truth is based on the Soul, the Self.

Whatever is based on the ego is an illusion, and whatever is based on the Soul is ultimate reality or Brahman. Thus, the religion has to be bifurcated from spirituality to realize the truth hidden by the illusory form, the time and the space.

The Advaitic orthodoxy is nothing to do with the ultimate truth or Brahman. The Advaitic orthodoxy considers, the birth, life, death, rebirth, heaven, hell, sin, karma and the world as a reality, whereas Sage Sankara declares the world in which we exist is mere an illusion. If the world is an illusion, then the birth, life, death, rebirth, heaven, hell, sin, karma and the world, is bound to be an illusion.

Without Sage Sankara, there is no Advaita (non-duality). Since it was mixed up with orthodoxy, there is a lot of confusion.

Sage Sankara’s quotes (selected verified) are quoted in my blogs and postings to show what Sage Sankara meant and ‘what is blocking the seekers from realizing the ultimate truth or Brahman.

There are so many non-dualistic masters of the east and also from the west who expound Advaitic or non-dualistic knowledge, but none of them are helpful to reach the ultimate end.

According to Advaita Vedanta, the Veda addresses itself to two kinds of audiences - the ordinary ones who desire the transitory heaven and other pleasures obtained as a result of ritual sacrifices, and the most advanced seeker who seeks to know Brahman.

Thus, the purva mimam.sa, with its emphasis on the karma kanda of the Vedas, is meant for the first audience, to help lead its followers along the way. However, the Vedanta, with its emphasis on the jnana kanda, is meant for those who wish to go beyond such transient pleasures.

Sage Sankara's commentary to Brahma Sutras shows that the Gnani "should pass through life", not run away from life and should take a middle course between seeking worldly honor and worldly abasement. (Chap.3.4.50)

Sage Sankara varied his practical advice and doctrinal teaching according to the people he was amongst. He never advised them to give up their particular religion or beliefs or metaphysics completely; he only told them to give up the worst features of abuse: at the same time, he showed just one step forward towards the truth. Sage Sankara was extremely precise and careful in his choice of words.

Sage Sankara' gave religious, ritual or dogmatic instruction to the mass, but pure philosophy only to the few who could rise to it. Hence, the interpretation of his writings by commentators is often confusing because they mix up the two viewpoints. Thus, they may assert that ritual is a means of realizing Brahman, which is absurd.

Sage Sankara says in the commentary in Vedanta Sutra that what is accepted without proper inquiry will not lead a person to the final goal. On the contrary, such acceptance will result only in evil, in something which is detrimental to our spiritual progress.

Seeker of truth should not believe blindly in traditional Advaitic orthodoxy without verifying all the facts from every angle. The orthodoxy has nothing to with spirituality, which based on the Soul or spirit. One has to reflect through reasoning over and over again without getting tired of the process. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar