sribhashya -adhyaya3-padha-3 adhikarana20

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poorvavikalpADHikaranam-3-3-20

 

suthra-44-poorvavikalpah prakaraNAth syAth kriyA mAnasavath-3-3-44

 

Mental fires are alternative to physical fires due to the context and

hence actions as in the case ofmAnasa cups.

 

In the agnirahasya section of the vajasanEyaka certain fires are

mentioned as built by the mind such as manschithah, built of mind,

vAkchithah, built of speeh, prANachithah, built of prANa etc.The

question is whether these mental fires, due to the context which is of

performance of the rites of fire, denote action or meditation. THis

suthra and the next ,being of the nature of poorvapaksha presents the

view that the mental fires are mentioned as the alternatives of physical

fires which are referred to earlier as being built by bricks.It is

similar to the rite in soma sacrifice where on the twelfth day a cu of

soma is mentally offered. Hence these mental fires also form a part of

the action connected with the sacrificial rites as the real fire built

by bricks.

 

 

 

suthra-45-athidesAccha-3-3-45

 

On account of transfer.

 

There is a transfer of the altars of mind known from the text 'thEshAm

Ekaika EvathAvAn yAvAn asoupoorvah,(sathapatha br.10-5-1to3) of these

each one is as great as the previous one( the altar built by bricks)

where the powers are transferred from the previous one to the menta

fires. Hence these are auxiliary to the main performance.The next suthra

refutes this view.

 

 

 

suthra-46-vidhyaivas thu nirDHAraNAth dharsanAccha-3-3-46

 

But it is meditationonly because of assertion and what is seen.

 

The suthra refutes the view that the mental fires are a part of the

performance of the sacrifice as the fire made of bricks by saying that

it is only meditation. The text 'thE haithE vidhyAchitha Eva,they are

built by knowledge only,' declares that it is a mental act such as

meditation. Also it could be seen that the themind,speech ,eyes etc.

cannot be piled up like bricks.Moreover the text 'thE mansA EVa

aDHeeyantha,manasA Eshu grahA agrhyantha, manasA asthuvantha, manasA

asamsan,' in the same section , which means that the fires are

established, built up ,the soma cups were taken up and by mind they are

chanted and recited, shows that htese fires are part of mental act of

sacrifice.Therefore it is an act of meditation.

 

suthra-47-sruthyAdhibaleeyasthAvAccha na bAdhah-3-3-47

 

Since there is a greater power to the scriptures than that of context,

the latter cannot sublate what is declared by the former.

 

According to the rules of Mimamasasathra sruthi, linga, vAkya and

prakaraNa,direct scriptural text, inferential mark, the syntactical

connection and the context are of decreasing importance in that order.In

this instance the scriptural proof consists in the statement 'thE haithE

vidhyAchitha Eva, they are built by knowledge only,' which means that

the act of sacrifice is mental being of the form of vidhya. There is the

linga, inferential sign 'thAn haithAn Evam vidhE sarvadhA sarvANi

bhoothAni chinvanthyapi svapathE, all beings at all times build them

(the mental fires) for him who knows this, evenwhile he is asleep.' The

syntactical connection ,vAkya consists in the connecting word

'EvamvidhE,for him who knows this, and 'chinvanthi, they build.' The

construction by all beings at all times cannot possibly refer to the

physical act of sacrifice and hence it denotes only a mental performance

ie. meditation.

 

 

 

suthra-48-anubanDHAdhibhyah prajnAnthara prthakthvavath dhrshtascha

thadhuktham-3-3-48

 

On account of ingradients as in the case of separaeness of other

meditations.

 

The ingradients for a sacrifice such as soma vessels, hymns and

recitations etc are all described as being mental.'manasAEshu grahA

agrhyantha manasA asthuvantha manasA asamsan, by mind the soma vessels

were held, by mind the hymns are chanted and by the mind the manthras

are recited etc,' prove this. As dhaharavidhya is separate than the

sacrifice mentioned therein this mental sacrifice is also different from

the physical act of sacrifice.

 

The text 'thEshAmEkaika Eva thAvan yAvAn asou poorvah, of these each one

is as great as the previous one,' shows an extended application of the

results of act of sacrifice represented by the fire built with bricks

to the mental fires also, says the opponent , and hence these are part

of the previous sacrifice. This view is refuted by the next suthra.

 

suthra-49-na sAmAnyath apyupalabDHEh mrthyuvath na hi lOkApatthihi

 

Not so as the extension can be obtained through similarity as in the

case of death."The person in yonder orb" does not occupy the world of

death.

 

The suthra means that though the result may be the same the intermediate

poerations need not be the same. In the expression 'sa Esha Eva mrthyuh

ya Esha Ethasmin mandalE purushah'(satha.10-3-6.3) "the person in yonder

orb is death" there is only similarity in the power of destruction and

does not mean that the person mentioned is in the land of death.Here

also the act of sacrifice with respect to fire made of bricks is said to

be of equal potenct as that of mental fires.There is no need to assume

their connection with the actual sacrifice.

 

 

 

suthra-50-parENa cha sabdhasya thAdhviDHyam bhooyasthvAthqnubanDhah-

 

3-3-50

 

>From other text also the said nature of the word (being vidhya only) is

established. The connection with the previous one is due to plurality.

 

 

 

>From the subsequent brAhmaNa text (satha.10-5-4.1) it is known that only

meditation is enjoined by the mention of the mental fires. The text is

'ayam vA va lOka EshO agnih chithah;thasya Apa Eva parisrithah,this

altar of fire built with brick is that(world);the waters (of the sea)

are its enclosing stones.' Further it is said 'sa yO haithadhEvam vedha

lOkamprNAm Evambhootham Ethath sarvam abhisampadhyathE, he who knows

this fire as filling this space, has all things come to him.' So the

meditation is enjoined wit aseparate result of its own. Similarly in

vaisvAnara vidhya another meditation is njoined. Therefore the text on

anirahasya does not refer to sacrificial action.

 

This gives rise to the doubt as to why are these meditations in

agnirahasy instead of in the upanishadic section of BrhadhAraNyaka. The

answer is given as bhooyasthvAththvanubnDhah, because of the abundance

of ingradients which are to be imagined with respect to the mental

sacrifice it is included along with the fire built by bricks.That is the

details of the sacrifice as the physical one with the fire made of

bricks are to be thought of in the meditation which is a mental

sacrifice and hence the proximity to the physical one.Here ends the

poorvavikalpADHikaraNam.