Śaṅkaraon Brahma Sūtra 3.4.36
Advaita Vedānta
Sūtra
अन्तरा चापि तु तद्दृष्टेः
antarā cāpi tu taddṛṣṭeḥ
Sūtra translation
But also (persons standing) between (are qualified for knowledge) ; for that is seen (in scrip- ture).
A doubt arises whether persons in want who do not possess means, &c., and therefore are not able to enter one or the other of the Ai'ramas, standing between as it were, are qualified for knowledge or not.—They are not qualified, the purvapakshin maintains. For we have ascertained that the works incumbent on the diTamas are the cause of knowledge, and those persons have no opportunity to perform those works.—To this the Sutrakara replies, ‘ But also between.’ Even a person who because he does not belong to an dirama stands between, as it were, is qualified for knowledge. ‘ For that is seen.’ For we meet with scriptural passages declaring that persons of that class—such as Raikva and the daughter of Va^aknu—possessed the knowledge of Brahman ( IV, 1 ; Ill, 6, 8).