Guest guest Posted March 26, 2001 Report Share Posted March 26, 2001 ----------- Notes on BSB I-i-4-1E 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 samanvaya adhikaraNam.h .-4 suutra: tat tu samanvayaat.h .-1E Notes on BSB I-I-4-1E Now siddhaanta - Shankara's refutation of the above puurvapaksha. We will go point by point. 1. Taking puurvapakshi's argument that all siddhabodhaka vaakyams lead to knowledge, which is useless, while kaaryabodhaka vaakyams lead to action which, is useful, Shankara says yes you are right. But it is only a general rule, but there are exceptions to the rule. By reading about tennis or swimming, I do not get much benefit. Only by playing or swimming, I get the benefit. Hence the general rule is kevala j~naanam na purushhaartha saadhakam. However, there are several cases where kevala j~naanam or mere knowledge alone without requiring any action gives the benefit. Wherever there is a problem caused by ignorance, then mere knowledge alone can solve the problem. In the case of disease, the problem is not centered on ignorance, but some germs etc and therefore the solution to the problem involves taking an antidote to the germs or antibiotic. But for ignorance caused problems the knowledge alone is the solution. Our famous example is rajjusarpavat, fear arising from the error of superimposed snake. Bhaya kampaadikam sarvam are caused by the snake which appears to be there only because of ignorance of rope, rajju aj~naanam. What homa one needs to perform to get rid of the snake? No karma is required, no upaasanaa is required, what is required is rope-knowledge. rajju j~naanaat rajju aj~naana nivR^ittiH , rajju aj~naana nivR^ityaa sarpa adhyaasa nivR^ittiH, sarpa adhyaasa nivR^ityaa bhayakampaadi nivR^ittiH . By the knowledge of the rope, the knowledge of the existence of serpent is gone, by that the associated fear etc is gone. Therefore in all such cases kevala j~naana maatrena purushaartha siddhiH , only knowledge alone accomplished the result and not the action. Therefore sidhhabodhaka vaakyaani pramaaNaani, saprayojanatvaat, naayam sarpaH iti vaakyavat. Since they produce results they are useful and hence are pramaaNa vaakyam-s just as in the rope-snake example. Hence whenever the problems are centered on ignorance, then the siddhabodhaka vaakyam are directly useful and hence are pramaaNa-s. If the problems are not centered on ignorance then siddhabodhaka vaakyam-s need to be connected to kaaryabodhaka vaakyam for them to give useful result. Hence one cannot apply a general rule. Now the question is do the vedaanta vaakyam-s come under this exceptional category giving benefit directly or they must be connected to kaaryabodhaka vaakyam-s as the puurvapakshii-s claim. A vedaantin claims that all the siddhabodhaka vaakyam come under the exceptional cases giving directly the utility prayojanam-s. For this Vedanta itself is the pramaaNa since it makes it very clear that j~naana maatreNa moksha phalam bhavati. One need not join this knowledge with any kaaryabodhaka vaakyam since knowledge alone can give the moksha which is the purushhaartha. Where it is said? Almost in every upanishad this is mentioned. 1. Ishavasya Upanishad- shloka 7 yasmin sarvaaNi bhuutaani aatmaa eva abhuut vijaanataH | tatra ko mohaH kaH shoka ekatvam anupashyataH || When a person clearly knows the aatmaa which is the substratum of everything after that mere knowledge where is the grief and where is the delusion? Hence j~naana maatreNa shoka moha niv^ittiH, sa.nsaara niv^ittiH, moksha praaptiH | By mere knowledge grief, delusion and sa.nsaara are gone, one gets liberated. 2 Kena Upanishad - shloka 2-4 pratibodha-viditam matam amR^itatvam hi vindate | aatmanaa vindate viiryam vidyayaa vindate amR^itam.h || with the emphasis on vidyayaa vindate amR^itam, kevala j~naanamaatreNa (by mere knowledge) a person attains immortality. 3. Katha upanishad shloka 2-2-12 eko vashii sarva-bhuuta-antara-aatmaa ekam biijam bahudhaa yaH karoti | tam aatmastham ye anupashyanti dhiiraaH teshhaa.n sukha.n shaashvatam na itareshhaam.h || The one who clearly recognizes (anupasyanti) Brahman as the very aatman, they will have eternal happiness and there is no other way than through this knowledge ( na itareshhaam). 4. Prashna Upanishad: The upanishad teacher, pippalaada, says in the end: 6-6 ....tam vedyaM purushha.n veda yathaa maa vo mR^ityuH parivivyathaaH iti | After knowing Brahman(purushham) there will not be any suffering due to death etc. One attains immortality. The students in the end after learning, prostrate to the teacher and prayerfully say: 6-8 ... asmaakam avidyaayaaH paraM paaraM taarayasi iti | namaH parama R^ishhibhyo namaH parama R^ishhibhyaH || Thus thanking the teacher they indicate that through knowledge they have gained the Supreme. 5. Mundaka uanishad: 3-2-9 sa yo ha vai tat paramaM brahma veda brahma eva bhavati| na asya abrahma-vit kule bhavati | tarati shoka.n | tarati paapmaanam | guhaa-granthibhyo vimuktaH amR^itaH bhavati || Knower of Brahman becomes Brahman. In his lineage everyone will have knowledge of Brahman. He is liberated from all the sorrows and all the sins. Free from all ignorance, he attains liberation from death. 6. Mandukya Upanishad: mantra 12 sa.nvishati aatmanaa aatmaanam yaH evam veda | One, saH, knows the aatmaa (paramaatmaa) by oneself (aatmanaa) yaH evam veda - by knowledge alone. 7. Taittiriya Upanishad - Brahmanandavalli - 1-1 brahmavit aapnoti param.h | tat eshha abhyuktaa | satyam j~naanam anantam brahma | yo veda nihitam guhaayaam parame vyoman saH ashnute sarvaan kaamaan saha| - thus yaH veda nihitam guhaayaam, the one who knows Brahman as the aatmaa in the heart fulfils all the purushhaartha-s. 8. Aitareya Upanishad: 3-1-3 sarvam tat praj~naa-netram.h | praj~naane pratishhThitam.h | praj~naa-netraH lokaH | praj~naa pratishhThaa | praj~naanaM brahma | This every thing is nothing but the vision of the consciousness or knowledge. It is established in consciousness. It is the projection of the consciousness. It is nothing but consciousness. 9. Chandogya Upanishad 7:1:3 tarati shokam aatmavit - the knower of aatma crosses over all the sorrows - no need to do any action. 10. Brihadaranyaka Upanishad : janaka-yaaj~navalkya sa.nvaadana- 4-4-12 aatmaanam chet vijaaniiyaat ayam asmi iti puurushhaH | kim ichchhan kasya kaamaaya shariiram anusa.njvaret.h || For the one who has known the aatmaa, there-afterwards, what desire he has, what action he has to do, and what suffering he will have to undergo in life? - meaning none. (This mantra has been exhaustively commented on by Shri Vidyaranya in his Panchadasi, 3-298) 11. Kaivalya Upanishad: 10. sarva-bhuutastham aatmaanam sarva-bhuutaani cha aatmani | sampashyan brahma parama.n yaati na anyena hetunaa || By merely knowing Brahman he attains moksha and by no other means (The first line is repeated in Bhagavad Giita 6-31. The second line is different - iikshyate yoga-yukta-aatmaa sarvatra sama darshanaH |) 12. Purusha-suukta: 7. veda aham etaM purushaM mahaantam | aaditya-varna.n tamasaH tu paare | sarvaani ruupaani vichitya dhiiraH | ..... tam evam vidvaan amR^ita iha bhavati | na anyaH panthaaH ayanaaya vidyate | 13. A slightly different version in Shvetashvatara Upanishad 3-8 veda aham etam purushhaM mahaantam aaditya-varNam tamasaH parastaat.h | tam eva viditvaa atimR^ityum eti naanyaH panthaaH vidyate ayanaaya || knowing this Brahman alone who is resplendent like the sun and which is beyond darkness of ignorance, one transcends death. There is no other path than knowledge. These are only examples taken one from each of the main upanishads. There are many in each. >From smR^iti pramaaNa- Gita B.G 5-15,16 aj~naanna aavR^itam j~naanam tena muhyanti jantavaH || j~naanena tu tat aj~naanam yeshhaam naashitam aatmanaH | teshaam aadityavat j~naanam prakaashayati tat param.h || All the problems are caused by ignorance therefore what is required is only j~naanam. Thus both shruti pramaaNam and smR^iti pramaaNam declare that the problem of human suffering is centered on ignorance and for such kind of problems knowledge is the only solution and not action. Hence Vedanta is siddha bodhaka vaakyam and it produces knowledge and that mere knowledge we get purushaartha. Therefore vedaanta vaakyaani pramaaNa bhuutaani. This is response to the first point of the puurvapakshii. ******** Notes on Brahmasuutra-s are now stored in a folder and can be accessed at advaitinNotes+on+Brahmasuutra/ for personal study. ***Copyright Protection - These notes are copyright protected. *** -- K. Sadananda Code 6323 Naval Research Laboratory Washington D.C. 20375 Voice (202)767-2117 Fax:(202)767-2623 ---------------------- aadityavat = like the sun aadityavarnam = sun-like color [lustre] aatmaivaa.abhuudvijaanataH| = aatmaa eva aatmanaa = by oneself aatmastham = abiding in the Soul aatmavit = knower of Brahman Aitareya = name of one of the major upanishads amR^itam = immortal amR^itatvam = immortality anupashyataH = seeing anusa.njvaret = suffer asmaakam = our asya = of this avidyaayaaH = areas of ignorance ayamasmiiti = [ayam asmi iti] ayanaaya = for carrying bhavati| = becomes bhaya = fear bhayakampaadi =[bhaya + kampa + aadi] fear and trembling and other Brahmanandavalli = the section on Beatitude (Bliss of Brahman) brahmavidaapnoti = [brahmavit aapnoti] the knower of Brahman attains brahmavitkule = in the lineage of a knower of Brahman ched = [chet] if darshanaH = the school of Philosophy dhiiraaH = the wise guhaagranthibhyo = guhaayaam = in the cave hetunaa = for the purpose of homa = a fire ritual ichchhan = wishing iikshyate = perceives Ishavasya = one of the major upanishads itareshhaam = of others j~naanaat = by the knowledge of j~naanamaatrena = by knowledge alone jantavaH = creatures kaamaan = desires kaamaaya = for the sake of desire karoti = does kasya = whose kathopanishhat = Katha upanishad kim = what Mandukya = one of the major upanishads mahaantam = to the great one etam = to this moha = delusion mR^ityuH = death muNDakopanishhat = Mundaka upanishad naashita = destructive naavR^itam = [na + aavR^itam] not covered by naayam = [na + ayam] not this namaH = obeisance netro = [netraH] eye nihitam = placed niv^ittiH = removal; renunciation nivR^ityaa = by the removal paapmaanam = to the sinful paaram = ultimate paare = beyond Panchadasi = a 14th century advaitic composition advaitic work [15 chapters] panthaaH = paths param = supreme parama = the ultimate paramaatma = the Supreme Spirit parastaat = beyond parivyathaa = affliction pashyan = seeing pippalaada = name of a Rishi [Prashna upanishad] praaptiH = attainment praj~naanam = Consciousness praj~naanetram = wisdom-eye prakaashayati = illuminates Prashna = one of the major upanishads Pratibodha-vidhitam = through every state of cognition pratishhTitam = standing on, located in purushhaartha = the goals and duties of life purushham = to the Supreme Spirit purushhasuuktam = a Rigvedic section, eulogising the Supreme Spirit puurvapakshii = the objector R^ishibhyaH = to the Sages rajjusarpavat = like the snake seen in a rope ruupaani = forms saadhakam = to the aspirant sam = a prefix, usually denoting goodness saa.nvaadana = dialogue saprayojanatvaat = by reason of usefulness sarpaH = serpent sarvaan = to all sarvaaNi = all sarva-bhuuta-antaraatmaa = the Spirit abiding in all creatures sarva-bhuutastha = abiding in all sarvatra = everywhere shaashvatam = perennial shariiram = the body shoka = sorrow shruti = the Vedas siddhiH = perfection siddhabodhaka = shloka = verse smR^iti = scriptures sukham = happiness Shvetashvatara = one of the important upanishads taarayasi = carries across [death] tamasaH = darkness, ignorance tena = by it teshaam = their upaasanaa = devotion vaakyam = spoken statement, sentence vaakyavat = like the statement vashii = dependent vedantin = a follower of Vedanta philosophy vichitra = different Vidyaranya = author of the advaitis work, Panchadashi vidyate = exists vidyayaa = by knowledge viiryam = energy, zeal, heroism vijaaniiyaat = let one understand vindate = understands vishati = enters yasmin = in which yoga-yukta-aatmaa = one whose individual spirit is in union with the Supreme Get email at your own domain with Mail. http://personal.mail./ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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