श्रीमद्भगवद्गीता गीतार्थ संग्रहोपेता xxxvi Jun brts Juo ei vilgozolVI buA bune siderurov basaul The Vedanta tradition is ordinarily available only for the Dvijas (i.e. the members of the Brahmana, Ksatriya and Vaisya castes-In fact, members of the first two castes only) and not for the Sudras. No doubt by citing the examples of Vidura and Dharma- vyadha of the MB, Sankara accepts that the Südras are also eligible for the Vedanta- philosophy, but taught through the Epics and the Puranas etc.¹ And we know that the BG forms part of the Epic. Yet writers like Bhaskara have gone to the extent of deny- ing the women in general, and the communities of the merchants and the Sudras even the philosophy of the BG and its goal, viz. Mokşa." bus (aböyceerde vo However, in Kashmir tradition we observe a change in this policy after the days of Bhaskara. For, Ramakantha tells us in many words that the teachings of the BG are meant for all those who are endowed caftor with the qualities and virtues listed in the verses etc. and he does not refer to any caste rest- riction. This change might have been due to the wap ton 1. See Sankara's observation while concluding his gloss on the BS, I, iii, 38. BOLTA 2. Maybe this is another reason for Ag.'s selecting the BG among the Prasthanatraya to comment on. 3. See Bhaskara's intro (Ed. op. cit., p. 14) and his gloss on ch. IX, 33-34. 24: Ch. XVI. 1-3. See Ramakan ha's observation thereon. Sec also his Sarvatobhadra, intro (Ed.op.cit., p. 12).
