dealing with the injunctions relating
to the performance of duties and actions), were intended for inferior
types of aspirants, whereas the teachings of the Upani@sads,
the jnanaka@n@da (those which declare the nature of ultimate
truth and reality), were intended only for superior aspirants who
had transcended the limits of sacrificial duties and actions, and
who had no desire for any earthly blessing or for any heavenly
joy. Throughout his commentary on the _Bhagavadgita_ S'a@nkara
tried to demonstrate that those who should follow the injunctions
of the Veda and perform Vedic deeds, such as sacrifices,
etc., belonged to a lower order. So long as they remained in
that order they had no right to follow the higher teachings of
the Upani@sads. They were but karmins (performers of scriptural
duties). When they succeeded in purging their minds of all
desires which led them to the performance of the Vedic injunctions,
the field of karmamarga (the path of duties), and wanted
to know the truth alone, they entered the jnanamarga (the way
of wisdom) and had no duties to perform. The study of Vedanta
was thus reserved for advanced persons who were no longer
inclined to the ordinary joys of life but wanted complete
emancipation. The qualifications necessary for a man intending
to study the Vedanta are (1) discerning knowledge about what is
eternal and what is transitory (_nityanityavastuviveka_), (2)
disinclination to the enjoyment of the pleasures of this world or of

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the after world (_ihamutraphalabhogaviraga_), (3) attainment of
peace, self-restraint, renunciation, patience, deep concentration
and faith (_s'amadamadisadhanasampat_) and desire for salvation
(_mumuk@sutva_). The person who had these qualifications should
study the Upani@sads, and as soon as he became convinced of the
truth about the identity of the self and the Brahman he attained
emancipation. When once a man realized that the self alone
was the reality and all else was maya, all injunctions ceased to
have any force with him. Thus, the path of duties (_karma_) and
the path of wisdom (_jnana_) were intended for different classes of
persons or adhikarins. There could be no joint performance of
Vedic duties and the seeking of the highest truth as taught in
the Upani@sads (_jnana-karma-samuccayabhava@h_). As against the
dualists he tried to show that the Upani@sads never favoured any
kind of dualistic interpretations. The main difference between
the Vedanta