Notes on BSB-I-i-1-1G

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Notes on BSB I-I-1-1G

 

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

 

 

We have completed analysis of all three words of suutra. However,

there is a fourth word which we have to supply to complete sentence.

The word is kartavyaa. kartavyaa means should be done. That is

inquiry should be done for aatmaj~naanam. Since the word is

implied,vyaasaachaarya omits the word for brevity. By using this

word, it is implied that there is a vidhi or a rule prescribed in

the upanishhads - aatmaa vaa are drashhTavyaH shrotavyaH , mantavyaH

, nididhyaasitavyaH - where the ending of each involve - tavyaH,

indicative of imperative mood meaning 'should be done'. The three

are replaced by one word 'kartavyaH'. kartavyaH should therefore be

understood as shrotavyaH , mantavyaH and nididhyaasitavyaH. Hence

one should do Brahman inquiry means one should do shravaNam , mananam

and nididhyaasanam.

 

Thus the final expanded meaning of the suutra is 'saadhana

chatushhTaya sampattyanantaram brahma-j~naanaaya vedaanta shravaNa ,

manana , nididhyaasanaani kartavyaani - yasmaat brahma-j~naanaat eva

mokshaH na tu karmaNaa '. That is 'after acquiring the four-fold

qualifications, one should do shravaNa , manana , nididyaasana of

Vedanta for the sake of brahma-j~naana because brahma-j~naanam alone

gives moksha, not karma'.

 

Now suppose anyone asks Vyaasaachaarya, 'what should I do?' Then

Vyaasaachaarya will ask a counter question - 'Have you already

acquired saadhana chatushhTaya sampatti - the four-fold

qualifications - in this life or in the past life?' - If you already

have like Nachiketa, then you can begin the inquiry into the nature

of Brahman using Vedanta as a tool. If not, my advice is to gain the

saadhana chatushhTaya sampatti by following the karma yoga and/or

bhakti yoga. This can be more easily done by following rules laid

down in puurvamiimaa.nsa for the karma and upaasanaa. If one has not

studied the puurvamiimaa.nsaa , then one can take the help of the

priests who have studied puurvamiimaa.nsaa and follow the rituals for

karma and upaasanaa. What is required is the saadhana chatushhTaya

sampatti, but how it is acquired is of less significance. Following

the strict rules laid down in puurvamiimaa.nsaa which involve do's

and don'ts one can gain mental discipline required that involve shama

, dama , etc. puurvamiimaa.nsaa helps but does not guarantee that

one will acquire the saadhana chatushhTaya sampatti. Karma yoga and

bhakti yoga are the most efficient methods to acquire the saadhana

chatushhTaya sampatti. We hear people complaining that "I have been

doing meditation and studying Vedanta for so many years and nothing

is happening to me?" - The problem is not with Vedanta but with the

lack of appropriate mental framework needed for the inquiry of

Brahman. It is like my studying the book on 'Quantum Mechanics' and

complain that I have not understood anything from that even though I

read it many times. It is not the fault of the book but lack of the

prerequisites to study the book. Hence Vyaasaachaarya advises us to

go back to our fundamentals and gain the prerequisite qualifications

so that when Brahman inquiry is done with that preparatory mind

through vedaanta vichaara , one can gain the knowledge of one's own

self.

 

Now the next question is, 'does that mean we should all stop Vedantic

study now?' Qualified people are very rare and the majority of us

are unqualified and therefore there is no use of continuing the study

of the 'Notes on Brahmasutra'. We should stop the notes on

Brahmasuutra and what we need now is the "Notes on Jaimini sutra" for

our study from the next week on.

 

The intention is not that. The idea is we should continue our study

of Vedanta while we continue to acquire, increase or intensify our

saadhana chatushhTaya sampatti. As the acquisition of saadhana

chatushhTaya sampatti intensifies, the study of Vedanta becomes more

and more relevant or significant or meaningful to our own

understanding of the nature of ourselves or Brahman. Without that,

it will become only an academic study. But even then, let it start

as an academic study. However, as I acquire slowly the four-fold

qualifications, even the so-called academic study will become very

relevant for my life. A causal approach becomes a serious approach

as the interest develops. A simple example is like a fellow who is

trying to connect an electric bulb to a receptacle. If the wires are

already 'live', as soon as the bulb makes a proper contact, it glows

instantly and the light emanated from the bulb removes the darkness

at the very instant the bulb made the contact. Suppose it is not a

live wire, since no electricity is passing through the wires.

Connecting the bulb will not make much difference in terms of

removing the darkness in the room. However that action is not in

vain. One can go back and slowly turn the switch on to pass the

electric current through the wires. The switch is like the modern

'dimmer switch'. Nothing will happen even after switch is on. One

has to turn slowly to higher power to get the light from the bulb.

The previously connected bulb, which was not glowing up to now, will

start glowing to its full glory, the moment the wires become fully

alive. He does not have to reconnect the bulb again. Vedanta

knowledge is like fixing the bulb needed to remove the darkness. If

the saadhanaa chatushhTaya sampatti is already there, then Vedanta

knowledge will help glow the light of knowledge that removes the

darkness of the ignorance. If not, gaining the Vedanta knowledge

will not be a waste; it helps slowly as we acquire the saadhana

chatushhTaya sampatti through karma and bhakti yoga. As our mind

becomes purer and purer by karma and bhakti yoga, the light of

Vedantic knowledge will intensify to convert j~naanam into vij~naanam

, praj~naa into sthirapraj~naa , paroksha j~naanam into aparoksha

j~naanam, pratibandhaka j~naanam into apratibandhaka j~naanam. Hence

we can continue our Vedantic study and the weekly Notes on

Brahmasutra and continue our aashrama dharma also, that is our

obligatory duties at various levels including personal, family and

society levels. Thus on one side we should refine our qualifications

and on the other side shravaNa , manana and nididhyaasana should

continue.

 

With this the word analysis of the first suutra is completed.

 

Next will be the conclusion of the first suutra with odds and ends!

--

K. Sadananda

Code 6323

Naval Research Laboratory

Washington D.C. 20375

Voice (202)767-2117

Fax:(202)767-2623

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

I understand the following from this Sutra. Please

correct me if I am wrong.

 

1. The root cause of ignorance is lack of enquiry on

the part of one possessing sadhana chatushta or lack

of capacity for enquiry on one not possessing sadhana

chatushta.

 

2. The word of sages (in particular Sri Ramana

Maharshi) is that this enquiry is like a stick that is

used for burning a funeral pyre such that it itself is

also burnt. This would mean that on enquiry, the

enquirer dissappears.

 

3. Using the definition of (2) in (1), this would

imply that Sadahana Chatushta means a capacity for a

one pointed flow of awareness towards one Self without

reversal.

 

If the above points are true, then a person possessing

Sadahana Chatushta need not go through all these

innumerable Shlokas. Any one Shloka must be enough to

kindle the fire in him to destruction (or

Emancipation). Thus the very fact that we have so many

Sutras , implies that it is for a person not

possessing Sadhana Chatushta.

 

Regards,

Anand

 

 

> We have completed analysis of all three words of

> suutra. However,

> there is a fourth word which we have to supply to

> complete sentence.

> The word is kartavyaa. kartavyaa means should be

> done. That is

> inquiry should be done for aatmaj~naanam. Since the

> word is

> implied,vyaasaachaarya omits the word for brevity.

> By using this

> word, it is implied that there is a vidhi or a rule

> prescribed in

> the upanishhads - aatmaa vaa are drashhTavyaH

> shrotavyaH , mantavyaH

> , nididhyaasitavyaH - where the ending of each

> involve - tavyaH,

> indicative of imperative mood meaning 'should be

> done'. The three

> are replaced by one word 'kartavyaH'. kartavyaH

> should therefore be

> understood as shrotavyaH , mantavyaH and

> nididhyaasitavyaH. Hence

> one should do Brahman inquiry means one should do

> shravaNam , mananam

> and nididhyaasanam.

 

 

 

 

 

Thousands of Stores. Millions of Products.

/

[Guest guest]

advaitin , Shree Anand Natarajan wrote:

>

> If the above points are true, then a person possessing

> Sadahana Chatushta need not go through all these

> innumerable Shlokas. Any one Shloka must be enough to

> kindle the fire in him to destruction (or

> Emancipation). Thus the very fact that we have so many

> Sutras , implies that it is for a person not

> possessing Sadhana Chatushta.

>

Namaste.

In our radio-receivers for example, we receive one frequency that we

tune to,though there is a multitude of them in space. Though one

frequency is enough for a person, but, to tune to that, a lot of soul

searching needs to be done. Each person, in my humble opinion, has a

unique frequency where he/she tunes and it is not known clearly as to

where one tunes.

Hence, in my opinion, many Shlokas are for the benefit of different

individuals who may tune differently to different Shlokas.

 

We may also, most humbly be reminded further from Sri Shakara's

verse#66 of Vivekachudamani - "Therefore, strive by all means in your

power to be free."

 

With Love,

Raghava

[Guest guest]

Thanks Anand for your input. Here my understanding.

>

>1. The root cause of ignorance is lack of enquiry on

>the part of one possessing sadhana chatushta or lack

>of capacity for enquiry on one not possessing sadhana

>chatushta.

 

There are two parts in you statement - let us separate as Case A and

Case B for the purpose of this discussion.

 

1. Let us also examine your statements in sequence. First, ignorance

is causeless in the sense it is beginningless. Hence one can not say

that the cause of ignorance ... since it implies that it is caused by

something which is its cause and ignorance is its effect. - lack of

inquiry is due to two fold - 1. lack of understanding the nature of

the problem - hence the adhyaasa bhaashyam of Shankara. 2. lack of

appropriate or valid means of inquiry - due to lack of right teacher

or lack of understanding of the correct import of the scriptures,

hence brahmasuutra. When Sadhana chatushhTayam is there, then it is

granted that it is Lord's responsibility to provide the above two. A

right teacher by definition will direct his student appropriately,

since the student has the shradda. Hence for the case A in one, the

salvation is almost guaranteed - one way or the other. It was said

that - a teacher toTapuri went in search of his student, Shree

Ramakrishna Paramahamsa to teach about the advaitic state of the

reality.

 

Case B - One can interpret the way you have put it. Actually lack of

Sadhna chatushhTayam is due to the pressure of the vasana-s - likes

and dislikes. It is like a smoker who knows the smoking is bad but

however much he tries hard, it is difficult for him to quit. One can

say he did not have the intense mumukshutvam - that it true - the

reason he does not have is due to pressure of his vaassana - This is

the impurity and to cleanse oneself from these impurities - yoga will

help - hence yogo shastra - Bhagavad Geeta - here the study of the

scriptures, meditation etc would help to get that purity - It is like

what Ramana calls in Upadesha saara - sarala chintanam virala tat

param - The mediation in the beginning could be virala chintanam -

starts and stops - but slowly it evolves into sarala chintanam like

aajya dhaaraya strotasaa samam - like the flow of ghee or river -

with sneha bhaava and consistency and continuity. The lack of

capacity includes all of the above - lack of appropriate effort, lack

of understanding of the problem, lack of commitment, lack of proper

teacher and guidance etc. - due to predominance of rajo and tamo

guNa-s.

>2. The word of sages (in particular Sri Ramana

>Maharshi) is that this enquiry is like a stick that is

>used for burning a funeral pyre such that it itself is

>also burnt. This would mean that on enquiry, the

>enquirer dissappears.

 

Absolutely right - the inquiry is by the intellect and one leaps out

of intellect to beyond the intellect. There is a beautifual sloka in

Atma bodha of Shankara -

..., kR^itvaa j~naanam swayam nasyet, jalam kaTaka renu vat||

they used to use kaTaka nut powder to purify the water for drinking.

The nut powder due to its surface tension spreads around and slowly

absorbs water and forming a sludge slowly sinks into the bottom

taking along with it all the dirt in the water. The water is free

from the impurities and kaTaka nut powder as well. Shankara says

j~nanam that we are taking about does it purpose and gets annihilated

in the process. - It is like using a needle to remove the thorn, both

are out of the body in the final analysis - another example - pole

vault - pole is left behind once its purpose is over.

>

>3. Using the definition of (2) in (1), this would

>imply that Sadahana Chatushta means a capacity for a

>one pointed flow of awareness towards one Self without

>reversal.

 

Sadhana chatushhTaya implies the capacity to do what is required. But

what is required has to come from appropriate inquiry - According to

advaita it is realization of one self with the total self. According

dwaita and vishishhTadvaita it means different things. Hence

appropriate inquiry is required once sadhana chatushhTaya is there.

That is, the nature of the goal or nature of the problem has to be

understood correctly and that is not guaranteed by just having

Sadhana chatushTayam - Hence the scripture says - tat vij~naanartham

guru meva abhigatchchhet samit paaniH shrotriam brahmanishhTam- the

advise is for that knowledge approach a teacher with humility who is

well versed in the scriptures and who himself is established in the

Brahma j~naana.

>If the above points are true, then a person possessing

>Sadahana Chatushta need not go through all these

>innumerable Shlokas. Any one Shloka must be enough to

>kindle the fire in him to destruction (or

>Emancipation). Thus the very fact that we have so many

>Sutras , implies that it is for a person not

>possessing Sadhana Chatushta.

 

Sadhana ChatushhTayam only provides purity of the mind and desire for

moksha etc. and not knowledge. The notions about oneself - is the

conditioning of the mind by prior input or experience - He has to get

rid of the prior incorrect notions - it is not the number of slokas

nor the amount of time - All the scriptures say soon you will reach

that state. Until a conviction about the nature of the goal develops

the mind will not be able drop the wrong notions. It took three years

for Nisargadatta maharaj after he received the teaching from his

teacher - According to Vedanta, when one drops off all the wrong

notions it is instantaneous - a teaching of 'you are that' is enough.

Here this can be a circular argument -what the last notes say that

inquiry along with sadhana should go on till the result is achieved.

Inquiry helps in acquiring the sadhana chatushhTayua sampatti since

one can get slowly convinced about the nature of the problem and

means for it and sadhana chatushhTayam helps in the intensity of

inquiry. Hence it is a snow-ball effect - How many slokas etc is

irrelevant - as many slokas and as much inquiry to get fully

established in that state - Hence Ramana calls as - dR^iDaiva nishhTa

- firm establishment in that state of understanding. Slokas are only

to facilitate the inquiry - but inquiry is by the mind and intellect

not by slokas. Inquiry is more important than number of slokas.

Breahmasuutra only provides a samannvaya of various statements of

the scriptures so that a coherent picture is provided for the mind to

inquire into. Number of suutra-s etc are irrelevant - a firm

conviction in the mind and the nature of the problem and means to

accomplish that has to be understood. To arrive at that only is the

purpose of Brahmasuutra. For those who already have it -

Brahmasuutra only provides a confirmation of that. For those who

have wrong notions about the goal and the reality, Brahmasuutra helps

to set things right. Again it is not a substitute for a teacher -

hence suutras as well as other scriptures have to be studied under

the guidance of a teacher.

 

Hari Om!

Sadananda

 

 

>Regards,

> Anand

>

--

K. Sadananda

Code 6323

Naval Research Laboratory

Washington D.C. 20375

Voice (202)767-2117

Fax:(202)767-2623

[Guest guest]

HariH Om,

>

> 1. Let us also examine your statements in sequence.

> First, ignorance

> is causeless in the sense it is beginningless.

> Hence one can not say

> that the cause of ignorance ... since it implies

> that it is caused by

> something which is its cause and ignorance is its

> effect. - lack of

> inquiry is due to two fold - 1. lack of

> understanding the nature of

> the problem - hence the adhyaasa bhaashyam of

> Shankara. 2. lack of

> appropriate or valid means of inquiry - due to lack

> of right teacher

> or lack of understanding of the correct import of

> the scriptures,

> hence brahmasuutra.

 

Would it not be better to say Maya or the creative

aspect of Brahman is beginingless and not ignorance.

Srimad Bhagavad Gita says,

"Avyakthadeeni bhuthani Vyaktha Madhyaani bharatha.

Avyaktha nidhanayeva. Tatra ka paridevana."

 

" All beings are unmanifest in the beginning, manifest

in the middle and unmanifest in the end. Therefore

what is the cause for distress?".

 

Therefore the Shakthi that brings about this

"manifestation" is beginingless and causeless, but

this apparent "manifestation" itself has a beginning

and end for that particular "manifestation".

> When Sadhana chatushhTayam is

> there, then it is

> granted that it is Lord's responsibility to provide

> the above two. A

> right teacher by definition will direct his student

> appropriately,

> since the student has the shradda. Hence for the

> case A in one, the

> salvation is almost guaranteed - one way or the

> other. It was said

> that - a teacher toTapuri went in search of his

> student, Shree

> Ramakrishna Paramahamsa to teach about the advaitic

> state of the

> reality.

 

I agree that Satvika Shraddha implies qualification or

sadhana chatushTa. Srimad Bhagavat Gita says,

"Idham the nathapaskaya nabhakthaya kadachana.

na cha ashushrooshave vachyam na cha mam

yobhyasooyathe."

 

"This teaching of mine should not be disclosed by you

to one devoid of austerities, not devoted, unheedful

of spiritual pursuits or to one who is envious of me".

 

This seems to be the qualification needed for the

study of the Bhagavat Gita. It is interesting to note

that this is told after the Gita and not before it as

in the Brahmasutras.

 

Regards,

Anand

 

 

 

 

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[Guest guest]

>Anand:

>Would it not be better to say Maya or the creative

>aspect of Brahman is beginingless and not ignorance.

>Srimad Bhagavad Gita says,

> "Avyakthadeeni bhuthani Vyaktha Madhyaani bharatha.

>Avyaktha nidhanayeva. Tatra ka paridevana."

 

Maya and avidya are the same - one from perspective of Iswara and the

other from Jiiva

anaadyavidya anirvaachya kaaranopaadi ruchyate| - Shankara - Atmabodha

 

Maya: avyakta naamnii paramesha shaktii

anaadyavidyaa triguNaatmakaa para

kaaryaanumeya shdhiyaiva maaya

yaya jagat sarva midam prasuuyate - VivekachuDamani (not

sure about the sloka number)

 

It is of the nature of unmanifested and power of the Lord,

beginingless ignorance of the nature of three guNa-s - the wise know

that it is the cause from which the whole world is projected.

 

The following sloka after this discusses about the nature of Maya -

sannapya sanna ubhayaatmikaano .... etc.

 

Ignorance cannot have beginning - if it has, then before it began one

has knowledge. one who has knowledge cannot become ignorant -

Ignorance although has no beginning has an end when the knowledge

occurs. This is not illogical - When did my ignorance of chemistry

started - if I ask - it has to be beginningless and I can loose the

ignorance of Chemistry when I learn about chemistry.

 

Technically it is called 'praagaabhaava apratibodhakam avidya' -

Counter to its previous non-existence - a round about way of saying

that it it beginningless.

 

By the by - there is a significant criticism of this avidya concept

by Shree Ramanuja in his Shree Bhaashyam which is his commentary on

Brahmasuutra. We will take that up when we are through with the

Shankara Bhaashyam.

 

>

>This seems to be the qualification needed for the

>study of the Bhagavat Gita. It is interesting to note

>that this is told after the Gita and not before it as

>in the Brahmasutras.

 

Remember Geta occurs in the middle of another text - the very first

chapter of Geeta prepares the student and when he surrenders to the

lord - then only the teaching starts not before.

 

In all other texts anubandha chatushhTayam is always there in the

first two slokas - discussing who is qualified to study the text or

to whom the text is written.

 

 

Hari Om

Sadananda

>

>Regards,

> Anand

>

--

K. Sadananda

Code 6323

Naval Research Laboratory

Washington D.C. 20375

Voice (202)767-2117

Fax:(202)767-2623