What does Paramacharya of Kanchi say about achieving moksha? How is it achievable for a person who hasn't done Veda Parayana?

Question

I would like to know the ways told by Kanchi Kamakoti peetham's 68th peethadhipathi Paramacharya Sri Chandrashekharendra Saraswati Swamigal on ways of achieving Moksha.

What does Paramacharya of Kanchi say about achieving moksha?

How is it achievable for a person who hasn't done Veda Parayana?

Answer 1

Sri Chandrashekharendra Saraswati aka 'the Mahaperiyavar', says to follow our Dharma, and dispense our Karma to the best of our capabilities.

Part 21 (Ch. 7) - From Work to Worklessness, Hindu Dharma

It is this manner that the sastras have kept us bound, ordering us to do this and that. It is for our benefit as well as the world's, says Sri Krsna,that we must live according to the tenets of the sastras: "Tasmatcchastram prmanam te karyakarya-vyvasthitau" (the sastras are the authority as to what you must do and must not).

Slowly and slowly, thus, on the dharmika-marga, with attainment of jnana, we attain Moksha

Part 21 (Ch. 3) - 'Samsare Kim Saram ?', Hindu Dharma

We should not, however, remain always in the same state as the one in which we find ourselves today, indifferent to everything. At the same time, when our bag of sins still to be emptied, we cannot thirst for the supreme knowledge. Instead, let us keep doing our duty hoping that we will realise the supreme knowledge, if not now, after many a birth. Let us adhere to the dharma prescribed by the Vedas. If we do so, we will proceed gradually to the supreme jnana. Now we are aware only of outward matters and outward disguises. So let us start with the outward rites of our religion and the outward symbols and signs.** By degrees then let us go to the inner reality through the different stages from that of the tender fruit to the fruit that is mellow and sweet.**

JNANA AND MOKSHA, The Message for All

Right conduct or seela, which is necessary for the realisation of Siva, has to be acquired through the process of anushtaana, discipline, etc. All these-actions done in a spirit of dedication to God, enable us to keep our hearts clean and single pointed (chitha suthii and ekaagrata). It is only in such a heart that God presents himself. We secure a good reflection only in a clean and steady mirror. Everything must be burnt in the fire of jnana. If we regressively trace the cause of things, we will find that one eternal substance is the sole and universal cause of all the variety and multiplicity of this world. It is to symbolize that Ultimate that we put on tiruman, signifying the earth, that is the source of all animal and vegetable life or vibhuti, the substratum of all material objects. The tiruman worn vertically tells us to strive to reach the heights of spirituality. The vibhuti smeared all over the body reminds us that everything is Siva Mayam. To obtain the grace of God, karmaanushtaana, seela, upaasana and jnana are necessary. We must acquire these means to moksha and foster them in our children. Thus we will obtain the grace of the Supreme Mother and be happy here and hereafter. Doing our appointed task, filled with love, let us burn all our troubles and desires in the fire of jnana and be happy in the consciousness of abiding grace of the Supreme.

So, the starting point for a person, who hasn't done Veda Parayana, according to Mahaperiyavar, would be to live up to the task we have been assigned at birth.

This, combined with Karma-Yoga and absolute surrender unto the Supreme (Sharanagati), thus, maybe a suitable path for one who lacks Vedic adhikara.

SURRENDER TO GOD, Acharya's Call (Part 1)

There are two aspects to this freedom from sin. One is absolution from sins already committed (Paapanaasam) and the other is non-commission of sins hereafter, by purifying our mind and making it free from evil thoughts (Paapa buddhi). The former can be achieved by absolutely surrendering oneself to God, realising that He alone is our Saviour, nothing happens without His knowledge, and that whatever happens to us, good or bad, is by His will and only for our ultimate good. Resigning oneself to the dispensation of God is the essence of absolute surrender or Saranaagati. We will be free from evil thoughts hereafter only by Bhakti or devotion, that is to say, by devoting every free moment of ours to His thought or repeating His names or listening to His glories.

...

In the Gita, Sri Krishna has given an assurance that He will absolve from sin those who surrender themselves to Him. The Lord says

Sarva dharmaan parityajya maamekam saranam vraja;
Aham tvaa sarvapaapebhyo mokshayishyaami maa suchah.

Sri Krishna asks Arjuna not to grieve telling him "I will free you from all sins (Sarvapaapebhyo mokshayishyaami), if you give up all other Dharma (Sarva Dharmaan parityajya), and surrender to Me absolutely (Maamekam Saranam Vraja)". In this context, the import of the expression, Sarva Dharman Parityajya has to be understood correctly. The emphasis of the Gita is on each man performing his prescribed duties in a spirit of dedication. Therefore, the call to " give up Dharma" cannot be a message of inaction. Sri Krishna wants Arjuna, and through Arjuna all of us, to do the duties pertaining to our station in life. But what He wants us to give up is the notion that the performance of these duties will by itself lead us to the cherished goal. Sri Krishna wants us to perform our Dharma, giving up the notion that they are the be-all and end-all of life, and surrender ourselves to Him without reservation.

To summarize, in a sentence, doing our Karma as per the Dharma, in conjunction with total surrender unto the Supreme is the way to go for an aspirant of Moksha.