Brahman.  No meditation or worship or action of any kind was required; but one reached absolute wisdom and emancipation when the truth dawned on him that the Brahman or self was the ultimate reality.  The teachings of the other parts of the Vedas, the karmaka@n@da (those 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 as expounded by Gau@dapada and as explained by S’a@nkara consists in this, that S’a@nkara tried as best he could to dissociate the distinctive Buddhist traits found in the exposition of the former and to formulate