sribhashya of Ramanuja-jijnasadhikaranam continued

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The PurvamimAmsa sastram discusses the purusharthas beginning with

the suthra 'aTHatho dharmajijnasa,' and it is precedent to the

UttharamimAmsa in as much as, in order to understand the

asthiraphalathva one has to study the sastra and follow the

injunctions. So the UttharamimAmsa forms the latter part of study of

vedas and hence forms one whole with the purvamimAmsa.

 

Ramanuja elaborates on the krama, the order of study of the

vedas by saying, ' thaTHA hi-praTHamam thaavath "svaaDHyaayo

adhyEthavyah" ithi adhyayanEnaivasvADHyAya

sabdhavAchyavedhAkyAkshararAsEh grahaNamviDHeeyathE.' First the vedas

are learnt after upanayanam by word of mouth , that is chanting with

svaras. The proper time of aDHyayana is denoted by "ashtavarsham

brAhmaNam upanayeetha ;tham aDhyApayEth." A brahmin should be

sanctified with upanayana at eight years of age and should start the

aDHyayana. So aDHyayana means learning the chanting of the vedas from

the acharya. The result of the vedaDHyayana is self evident as given

by the manthras japas etc. The meanings of the vedic texts are learnt

in due course along with the vedaAngas.

 

The next step is to realise that the results of the

ritualistic karma are transient and the aspirant turns to the

Upanishads for attaining permanent well-being through the enquiry of

UttaramimAmsA, also known as sAreerakamimAmsa.

 

The vedanta texts such as " thadyathEha karmachitho lokah

ksheeyathE EvamEva amuthra punyachithah lokah ksheeyathe"(chandogya-8-

1-6), Just as this world entered through one's karma is transitory so

also are the worlds attained through punyaphala, affirm the

transient and finite nature of the karmaphala. In the Baghavatgita

the Lord says, 'ksheenE punyE martyalokam visanthi,' when the

acquired merit through karma enjoined in the vedas is exausted the

jiva returns to the earth, the karmaloka. Only by brahmajnana the

cycle of birth and death can be got rid off. The texts "brahmavid

aApnothi param", (Taitt.Ana.1) "napunarmrthyavE thdhEkam pasyathi"

(chan.7-26-2) and the like are asserting that one who knows brahman

reaches the ultimate and afterthe perception of the one ultimate

reality never resorts back to mortality.

 

Here the objection of the advaitin that since the study of

the vedas makes one realise that the result of karma is transient

and finite, the study of UttharamimAmsA could be pursued straight

away without following the course of karmakanda. Ramanuja answers

that it is not so.The mere knowledge of brahman by study of vedanta

is not enough to secure liberation. The inquiry into the nature of

brahman, after clearing the doubts and misconceptions through deep

study and practice and contemplation alone can result in

brahmajnana . So too mere study of the karmakanda of the vedas will

not result in the knowledge of the ephemeral and limited nature of

the karmaphala. That is, one has to learn through experience as

otherwise mere teaching will make one realise the impermanence of the

world. But we see that it is not so in practice. To know whether

something is conducive to welfare or not ,one has to know what it is

in order to get convinced beyond doubt