Sribhashya of Ramanuja-JijnAsAdhikaraNam-1-1-1

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Sribhashya- paadha 1-adhikaraNa-1

 

 

 

JijnasaadhikaraNam

 

 

 

Suthra-1 ' aTHaatho brahma jijnaasaa '

 

 

 

Then,therefore the inquiry of Brahman.

 

 

 

Sri Ramanuja starts his SribhAshya with the words

 

'athra ayam aTHa shabdhah AnanthyaaryE bhavathi.'

 

 

 

Before we examine the meaning of these words we have to

understand a little of the structure of the vedas, each of which

basically consists of two parts. The purva bhaga, deals with the

ritualistic portion while the uttarabhaga , known as vedanta consists of

upanishads. The interpretation of the ritualistic texts and

clarification of the doubts therein is called PurvamimAmsa or

karmamimamsa and it was prepounded by Jaimini in the form of suthras

while the study of the nature of Brahman and other concepts of vedanta

is called UttharamimAmsa consisting of the Brahmasuthras of

BAdharAyaNa. Brahmasuthras have been interpreted by Sankara and Madhwa

according to their siddhanatha while tha commentary of Ramanuja is based

on Bhodhaayana vritthi and is in accordance with Visishtadvata.

 

 

 

Now coming to the sentence' athra ayam aTHa sabdhah AnanthryE

bhavathi,' means that the word 'aTHa' is used here in the sense of

'then', that is, 'after something.' The cryptic suthra should be

understood as follows.

 

Then,aTHa-after the study of purvamimamsa, therefore,athah-knowing that

the result of the rituals done for specific purpose are finite and

transitory,inquiry of Brahman, brahmajijnAsA-to be taken up because the

knowledge of the real nature of Brahman secures infinite and eternal

result, that is moksha. So the Ananthrya referred to ihere is after the

study of karmamimamsa.

 

 

 

Then ramanuja explains the word 'athah' thus:

 

 

 

'atha sabdhah vrtthasyahethubhAve.'

 

 

 

Vrttha refers to the meaning of 'aTHA' which is 'then' and the word

'atha' explains the reason for the previous word-meaning. If the aword

'atha' is removed,the suthra would meanthat the inquiry of Brahman is to

be taken then, but it would not justify the action of taking up the

inquiry without the word athah, meaning 'therefore', which implies the

need of the knowledge of Brahman because the knowledge rituals alone

will not secure the release from bondage.

 

 

 

Ramanuja explains as to why the study of Brahman comes after

that of karmakanda of the vedas. When the vedas are learned along with

their angas , the karmajnana aquired thereby produces results which are

of alpa, trivial and asthira , transitory. So to one who is desirous of

attaining moksha, sanjAtha mokshAbhilAshah, the inquiry of Brahman,

brahmajijnAsa, is anantharabhAvinee, subsequent to vedhAdhyayana.

 

 

 

Next Ramanuja analyses the word ' brahmajijnAsA.' It is jijnAsA,

desire to know Brahman, 'brahmaNah jijnAsA.' he word brahmaNah is in

genitive case denoting sambandha ,connection or relationship as in

'rAjnah puthrah,' the son of the king. but here the rule 'karmaNi

shashati' is applied and the word brahmaNah is used in the sense of an

object. It is because the act of knowing requires an object and by

knowing what is Brahman includes knowing about Brahman also.

 

 

 

A bhashya must have five requisites, namely,padhacchEdha,

splitting the words like separating the suthra as aTHa, atha, etc.,

padhArthkthivigrahah,etymological meaning of the words as in brahmNah

jijnAsA, vAkyayojanA, it must consist of full sentences, Akshepasya

samAdhAnam, reply to any possible objection and vyAkhyAnam, commentary

on the text. In Sribhashya also we see that according to the above

lakshana Ramanuja presupposes the possible objections from the opponent

and answers them after explaining about the word 'brahma.'

 

 

 

Ramanuja outlines the basic concept of visishtadvaita by his

explanation of the word 'brahma.' He says 'brahmasabdhEnacha

svabhAvathah nirasthanikhiladhoshah anavadhika athisaya asankhyEya

kalyANagunaganah Purushotthamah abhidheeyathE.' The word 'brahma' refers

to the supreme Purusha, NArAyaNa, who is naturally devoid of all

defects, (this eliminates other relalised,muktha, everfree, nitya,

souls), and possesses infinite,wonderful, inconceivable ausoicious

qualities. These words serve to deny the concept of nirguNabrahman.

Bythis statement he declares without any ambiguity that the word brahma

is synonymous with NArAyaNa, removing any doubt to the

contrary.(devathAntharavyAvrtthyarTHah-Sudarsanasuri.)

 

 

The adjectives anavadhika and asankhyeya with reference to His

wonderful, athisaya and infinite,anantha kalyANa gunagana, auspicious

qualities, show that they are inconceivable by vAk and manas. Avadhi is

limit and sankhya is number. His qualities are anavadhika ,not limited

by words or thiught and asankhyEya , countless, as Desika says in

YadhvAbhyudhaya,

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Sribhashya- paadha 1-adhikaraNa-1

 

 

 

JijnasaadhikaraNam

 

 

 

Suthra-1 ' aTHaatho brahma jijnaasaa '

 

 

 

Then,therefore the inquiry of Brahman.

 

 

 

Sri Ramanuja starts his SribhAshya with the words

 

'athra ayam aTHa shabdhah AnanthyaaryE bhavathi.'

 

 

 

Before we examine the meaning of these words we have to

understand a little of the structure of the vedas, each of which

basically consists of two parts. The purva bhaga, deals with the

ritualistic portion while the uttarabhaga , known as vedanta consists of

upanishads. The interpretation of the ritualistic texts and

clarification of the doubts therein is called PurvamimAmsa or

karmamimamsa and it was prepounded by Jaimini in the form of suthras

while the study of the nature of Brahman and other concepts of vedanta

is called UttharamimAmsa consisting of the Brahmasuthras of

BAdharAyaNa. Brahmasuthras have been interpreted by Sankara and Madhwa

according to their siddhanatha while tha commentary of Ramanuja is based

on Bhodhaayana vritthi and is in accordance with Visishtadvata.

 

 

 

Now coming to the sentence' athra ayam aTHa sabdhah AnanthryE

bhavathi,' means that the word 'aTHa' is used here in the sense of

'then', that is, 'after something.' The cryptic suthra should be

understood as follows.

 

Then,aTHa-after the study of purvamimamsa, therefore,athah-knowing that

the result of the rituals done for specific purpose are finite and

transitory,inquiry of Brahman, brahmajijnAsA-to be taken up because the

knowledge of the real nature of Brahman secures infinite and eternal

result, that is moksha. So the Ananthrya referred to ihere is after the

study of karmamimamsa.

 

 

 

Then ramanuja explains the word 'athah' thus:

 

 

 

'atha sabdhah vrtthasyahethubhAve.'

 

 

 

Vrttha refers to the meaning of 'aTHA' which is 'then' and the word

'atha' explains the reason for the previous word-meaning. If the aword

'atha' is removed,the suthra would meanthat the inquiry of Brahman is to

be taken then, but it would not justify the action of taking up the

inquiry without the word athah, meaning 'therefore', which implies the

need of the knowledge of Brahman because the knowledge rituals alone

will not secure the release from bondage.

 

 

 

Ramanuja explains as to why the study of Brahman comes after

that of karmakanda of the vedas. When the vedas are learned along with

their angas , the karmajnana aquired thereby produces results which are

of alpa, trivial and asthira , transitory. So to one who is desirous of

attaining moksha, sanjAtha mokshAbhilAshah, the inquiry of Brahman,

brahmajijnAsa, is anantharabhAvinee, subsequent to vedhAdhyayana.

 

 

 

Next Ramanuja analyses the word ' brahmajijnAsA.' It is jijnAsA,

desire to know Brahman, 'brahmaNah jijnAsA.' he word brahmaNah is in

genitive case denoting sambandha ,connection or relationship as in

'rAjnah puthrah,' the son of the king. but here the rule 'karmaNi

shashati' is applied and the word brahmaNah is used in the sense of an

object. It is because the act of knowing requires an object and by

knowing what is Brahman includes knowing about Brahman also.

 

 

 

A bhashya must have five requisites, namely,padhacchEdha,

splitting the words like separating the suthra as aTHa, atha, etc.,

padhArthkthivigrahah,etymological meaning of the words as in brahmNah

jijnAsA, vAkyayojanA, it must consist of full sentences, Akshepasya

samAdhAnam, reply to any possible objection and vyAkhyAnam, commentary

on the text. In Sribhashya also we see that according to the above

lakshana Ramanuja presupposes the possible objections from the opponent

and answers them after explaining about the word 'brahma.'

 

 

 

Ramanuja outlines the basic concept of visishtadvaita by his

explanation of the word 'brahma.' He says 'brahmasabdhEnacha

svabhAvathah nirasthanikhiladhoshah anavadhika athisaya asankhyEya

kalyANagunaganah Purushotthamah abhidheeyathE.' The word 'brahma' refers

to the supreme Purusha, NArAyaNa, who is naturally devoid of all

defects, (this eliminates other relalised,muktha, everfree, nitya,

souls), and possesses infinite,wonderful, inconceivable ausoicious

qualities. These words serve to deny the concept of nirguNabrahman.

Bythis statement he declares without any ambiguity that the word brahma

is synonymous with NArAyaNa, removing any doubt to the

contrary.(devathAntharavyAvrtthyarTHah-Sudarsanasuri.)

 

 

The adjectives anavadhika and asankhyeya with reference to His

wonderful, athisaya and infinite,anantha kalyANa gunagana, auspicious

qualities, show that they are inconceivable by vAk and manas. Avadhi is

limit and sankhya is number. His qualities are anavadhika ,not limited

by words or thiught and asankhyEya , countless, as Desika says in

YadhvAbhyudhaya,