Notes on BSB I-i-1-1E

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Notes on BSB-I-I-1-1E

 

sadaashiva samaarambhaa.n sha~Nkaraachaarya madhyamam.h |

asmadaachaarya paryantaa.n vande guruparamparaam.h ||

 

I prostrate to the lineage of teachers starting from Lord Shiva who is

ever auspicious and with Bhagavaan Shankara in the middle and all the

way up to my own teacher.

 

vaatsalya ruupa.n triguNairatiitaM

aananda saandram amalairnidhaanam.h .|

shrii chinmayaananda guro praNiitaM

sadaa bhaje.aha.n tava paada pa~Nkajam.h ||

 

Who is the very embodiment of motherly affection who is beyond the

three guNa-s, who is full with bliss, and who is the very source of

purity who is the best among the teachers, Shree Chinmayaananda, to

his lotus feet I (sadaa) always prostrate.

----

samanvaya adhyaaya - I

spashhTa brahma li~Nga vaakya samanvaya paada- i

jij~naasaa adhikaraNa 1

suutra 1: athaato brahma jij~naasaa

 

 

ataH shabda vichaaraH-Discussion of meaning of 'ataH' word :

 

The literal meaning of the second word 'ataH' is 'therefore'. We know that

therefore always indicates a reason. Thus 'ataH' or therefore should be

preceded by some reason for Brahman inquiry to be conducted. Vyaasaachaarya

does not mention the reason since it is suutram where he has to be brief.

Hence we have to supply the reason or reasons and once reason is provided we

can say therefore Brahman inquiry should be done. Shankaracharya gives two

reasons, one is the negation of alternates and the second is to ascertain

the path of inquiry. The first reason is karma cannot give moksha and

puurvamiimaa.nsa deals mostly with karma. The second is brahmaj~naanam alone

gives moksha. Therefore Brahman inquiry should be done.

 

Let us take each reason in detail. First, karma cannot give moksha. Why is

it so? This aspect has been discussed in the last sections. It is

established through shruti, yukti (logic) and anubhava (experience)

pramaaNa. The well-known shruti statement is:

 

na karmaNaa na prajyayaa dhanena

tyaagena eke amR^itatvam aanashuH| (kaivalya upanishhat-I-3)

 

Neither by action, nor by progeny nor by wealth but by renunciation alone

the immortality can be obtained. Thus by karma moksha cannot be attained.

Shankara gives another shruti's statement taken from Ch. U. (VIII:i:6)

"... yatheha karma-jitaH lokaH kshiiyate evam eva amutra puNya-jitaH lokaH

kshiiyate |"

just as karmaphalam belonging to this world is anityam or impermanent, karma

phalam belonging to swargaadi loka-s, heavens etc., are also are

impermanent.

Hence-iha karma phalam anityam, paraloka karma phalam anityam, sarvam karma

phalam anityam - ataH nityamokshaH karmaphalam na bhavati |- The results of

actions here in this life are impermanent, the results of actions belonging

to next world are impermanent and results of all actions are impermanent,

hence moksha which is permanent and eternal cannot be the result of any

action, here and hereafter.

 

Action being finite can only give finite result and series of finite actions

can give only a series of finite results and sum of series of finite results

can only be finite but not infinite. This statement is mathematically

precise. Hence action cannot give eternal infinite result. This is shruti

pramaaNa, which is also logical.

 

Next yukti pramaaNa. Since karma itself anitya or impermanent, the anitya

karma can only produce anitya phalam or impermanent result. As the cause so

is the effect - karmaNaH anityatvaat karmaphalasyaapi anityatvam-. Why karma

anityam? It is -anityam-, impermanent because -kaaraka janyatvaat- - karma

is born out of ephemeral ingredients; the perishable man, the perishable

priest, the perishable materials, the perishable fire or agni. Hence anitya

kaaraka janyatvaat kriyaa api anityaa bhavati|. Since ephemeral impermanent

is the cause the result is also ephemeral and impermanent and cannot give

permanent eternal liberation.

 

 

Next anubahava pramaaNa. Our experience also shows that whatever is produced

out of work is also anityam. Civilization arose out of efforts but they all

disappeared into oblivion. Kings came, dynasties grew, empires were built

but they all got destroyed. None remained eternal. Thus from shruti, yukti

and anubhava, one can prove that karma does not give permanent eternal

happiness, moksha that one is seeking in all pursuits.

 

The second reason is brahmaj~naanam alone gives moksha. Again we prove this

using shruti pramaaNam, yukti pramaaNam and anubhava pramaaNam.

First shruti pramaaNam:

Shankara quotes from tittiriiya upanishhat (II-i-1) - brahmavit aapnoti

param| - knower of Brahman gains the supreme. From mundaka upanishhat

(III-ii-9)- sa yo ha vai tat paramam brahmaveda brahmaiva bhavati - knower

of Brahman becomes Brahman. From purusha suuktam: tamevam vidvaan amR^ita

iha bhavati| naanyaH panthaa ayanaaya vidyate| Knowing Him only immortality

can be obtained even in this life. There is no other path for liberation.

>From Kaivalya upanishhat-I:10: sarva bhuutastham aatmaana.n sarva bhuutaani

ca aatmani | sampashyan brahma paramam yaati na anyena hetunaa || By

knowledge of oneself alone in all beings and all beings in oneself alone,

one attains the supreme Brahman, not by any other means. (a somewhat similar

statement occurs in Bhagavad-Gita.6-29)

 

Thus there are several shruti pramaaNa.

 

Now yukti pramaaNa. Moksha means sa.nsaara nivR^itti - liberation means

freedom from sa.nsaara. Freedom from sa.nsaara can only come through

knowledge only because sa.nsaara is adhyastam, is due to an error (Please

refer to adhyaasa bhaashhya). sa.nsaara will go only by knowledge, because

it is adhyaasa or superimposition, like rope-snake case'. How do we destroy

the superimposed snake or false snake? We cannot destroy using a stick or

GaruDa mantra or Irula tribes men (who catch snakes). It can only be

eliminated only by one method that is by j~naana maatrena -by knowledge

alone since it is a superimposition or error. Similarly the sa.nsaara, as it

is also due an error or adhyaasa. How do we say that sa.nsaara is adhyaasa?

Shankarachaarya says you have to go back and study Ch. III again as this was

discussed exhaustively there. He says only to explain this word 'ataH' - the

whole adhyaasa bhaashhya was written.

 

Next anubhava [or experience] pramaaNa. Any superimposed problem goes only

by knowledge as we see in the case of rope-snake, mirage water. This is our

experience - rajju-sarpa janya bhaya kampaadikam rajju j~naanena nashyati |-

A person who was frightened out of rope-snake has got fear, shivering,

sweat, thus suffering from sa.nsaara caused by the rope-snake. He gets out

of these fears and the associated sa.nsaara once he learns that it is only a

rope. Similarly the problems in the dream are superimpositions and we find

all the dream sa.nsaara goes once awakened to the knowledge of reality. -yat

saakshat kurute prabodha samaye |- Thus by knowledge alone many of the

superimposition problems go. After listening to this, one fellow asked -

sir, superimposed snake will go by knowledge gained by shedding the light,

but if it is a real snake it will not go. Similarly the superimposed

sa.nsaara can go by Vedanta knowledge but if there is a real sa.nsaara, it

will not go! (This is one of the arguments of the Dwaitins since for them

experience is real and sa.nsaara is an intense experience). The answer is in

the case of snake there is a possibility of real snake and a false snake but

in the case of sa.nsaara there is only a false sa.nsaara and no real

sa.nsaara - for this read Shankara's answer for puurvapakshi's arguments in

Ch. III. There is no real sa.nsaara at all. The absolute reality is one and

that is Brahman - ekam eva advitiiyam, one without second. Hence any second,

including sa.nsaara can only be an adhyaasa or error. Hence sa.nsaara cannot

be real.

 

na nirodhaH na cha utpattiH na baddhaH na cha saadhakaH |

na mumukshuH na vai muktaH iti eshhaa paramaarthataa || [Mandukya-Karika

II:32]

In reality there is neither obstruction for liberation, nor birth, nor

bondage, nor a seeker of moksha, none liberated - Just the supreme

transcendental truth.

 

 

Thus by shruti, yukti and anubhava pramaaNa we have established that only by

knowledge alone one can gain moksha or freedom from limitations. By the

shruti, yukti and anubhava pramaaNa we have also established that karma

cannot give moksha - 'ataH', therefore, -brahma jij~naasaa kartavyaa-, the

inquiry into the nature of Brahman should be done. Thus, the word -ataH-

directly signifies -therefore- implying the reasons for the study of Vedanta

and indirectly signifies the -prayojanam- or purpose of the study as

required in the anubandha chatushhTayam.

 

With this the -ataH shabda vichaara- or the inquiry into the meaning of the

word -ataH- is completed.

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