sribhashya-adhyaya-4-adhikaranas-1to5

[Guest guest]

sribhashya

 

 

 

adhyaya-4-padha-1

 

 

 

AvrtthyaDhikaraNam-4-1-1

 

 

 

suthra-1-AvrtthyasakrdhupadhesAth-4-1-1

 

 

 

Repetition (of meditation ) again and again because of teaching.

 

 

 

In the third adhyaya the meditation along with the means of it was

discussed. Now the results of meditation are considered in this adhyaya.

Before that some points regarding the nature of meditation are examined.

 

 

 

The texts emphasise the importance of meditation as a means of attaining

Brahman by 'brahmavidhApnOthi param, (Tait.2-1-1) one who knows Brahman

reaches the highest,' 'thamEva vidhithvA athimrthyumEthi, (Sve.3-8)

knowing Brahman one transcends death,'brahmavEdha brahmaiva bhavathi,

(Mund.3-2-9) he who knows Brahman becomes like Brahman, etc.The

question that now arises is whether this meditation is to be done

repeatedly or only once.

 

 

 

The poorvapakshin states that meditation done once is enough because in

the text 'brahmavidh brahmaiva bhavathi,' only knowledge alone is

mentioned and nothing is said about the repetition. Knowledge is not a

visible action instrumental for any result like that of beating the rice

grains till the husk is removed. The knowledge through meditation is

performed once only like the jyOthishtOma sacrifice done once as the

AraAdhana of the supreme person fetches the result of all

purushArThas.

 

 

 

The suthra refutes this view and says that meditation is to be repeated

again and again. This is according to the instruction of the sasthras as

the words knowing,vEdhana , contemplation ,DhyAna and meditation,

upAsana are used in the scriptural texts as synonyms. The text that

begins as 'manO brahma ithyupAseetha, (Chan.3-18) meditate the mind as

Brahman,' ends with 'bhAthi cha thapathi cha keerthyAyasasA

brahmavarchasEna sa Evam vEdha, he who knows thus, shines and warms with

fame and celebrity and with the holy effulgence born of sacred wisdom.'

Similarly the knowledge of Raikva is first referred to as 'yasthadhvEdha

tath sa vedha sa mayA Ethadhukthah' he who knows what he knows is thus

spoken by me,' and later as 'sAdhi mAm dhevathAm upAsthE, teach me the

deity whom you meditate on.' Thus in all the texts the words vedhana and

Dhyana are used synonymously.DHyAnam, defines Ramanuja, is chinthanam,

which is smrthisanthathiroopam, continous remembrance and not

smrthimAthram, just remembrance.UpAsana also has the same meaning,

EkAgrachitthavrtthinairanthryE pryOga dharsanath, concentration of mind

on an object with uninterrupted thought.Therefore as the words vEdhana,

DHyAna and upAsana are synonymous in the texts such as 'brahmavidh

brahmAiva bhavathi' the word 'vEdhana' etc only means repeated

meditation.

 

 

 

 

 

suthra-2-lingAccha-4-1-2

 

 

 

Because of inferential mark.

 

 

 

Here inferential mark means smrthi. In VishnupurANa It is said

'thadhrupaprathyayE chaika santhathischAnyanissprhA; thadDHyAnam

praTHmaih shadbhih angaih nishpAdhyathE thaTHA, the meditation on His

form is one continous remembrance without desirng anything

else;meditation on Him is thus generated by the six limbs of the yOga.'

So according to scriptures meditation is to be repeated again and

again.Thus ends the AvrtthyaDhikaraNam.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

AthmathvOpAsanADHikaraNam4-1-2

 

 

 

suthra-3-AthmEthi thu upagcchanthi grAhayanthi cha-4-1-3

 

 

 

Meditators worship Brahman as their self as apprehended from the

scripture.

 

 

 

To the question whether Brahman is meditated as one's self or as

different from oneself, the poorvapakshin replies that Brahaman is

worshipped as being different from oneself as proved by the suthra

'aDHikam thu bhEdhanirdhesAth,'(BS.2-1-22)

 

 

 

This view is refuted by the suthra by saying that Brahman is meditated

only as the self. As the individual self is to the body, Brahman is to

the individual self in the same way. This is how the devotees of ancient

times meditsted as shwn in the text 'thvam vA aham asmi bhagavO

dhEvathe aham vai thvamasi,Oh LOrd indeed You are me and I am You.'

This relationship is claimed by the devotee because it has been

apprehended so from the texts like 'ya Athmani thishTan Athmanah

antharah yamAthmA na vedha yasyAthmA sariram ya AtmAnam antharO

yamayathi sa tha AthmA antharyAmyamrthah, (Brhd.3-7-22) he who dwelling

within the Self is different from the Self, whom the Self does not know,

of whom the Self is the body, who rules the Self from within; he is thy

Self, the inner ruler, the immortal one,' 'sanmoolAh soumya imAh sarvAh

prajAh sadhAyathnAh sathprathishTAh, EthasdhAthmyam idham sarvam, In the

sath all these beings have their root, they dwell in the sath, they rest

in the sath- (Chan-6-8) all that exists has that as Self,' and 'sarvam

khalu idham brahma thajjalAn,(chan.3-14-1) all this is brahman,fromHim

they originate, in Him they merge back and by Him they are sustained.'

 

 

 

All concepts are based on Brahman and all words ultimaiely denote

Brahman as shown by the text 'thvam va aham asmi bhagavO' etc.thus when

the relationship between Brahman and the self is understood there will

be no contradiction between the texts that teach the unity and

difference. The difference is like that of individual self and the

body.and the non-differenc is due to Brahman being the inner self of the

individual self.Thus ends AthmathvOpAsanADhikaraNam.

 

 

 

 

 

PratheekAdhikaraNam-4-1-3

 

 

 

suthra-4-na pratheekE na hi sah-4-1-4

 

 

 

The self should not be meditated on the symbol because it is not the

self.

 

 

 

In the meditations such as 'manO brahma ithupAseetha' (Chan.3-18-1)there

is a doubt as to whether the symbols should be meditated as the self.

The poorvapakshin affirms this view because meditation on the symbol is

that of Brahman who is the inner self of the meditator.

 

 

 

The suthra refutes this view as the self of the meditator is brahman and

not the symbol. The meditation is symbolic as what is not Brahman is

meditated as Brahman.

 

 

 

 

 

suthra-5-brahmadhrshtih uthkarshAth-4-3-5

 

 

 

The symbol is to be viewed as Brahman because of superiority.

 

 

 

To the objection of the opponent that the symbols like mind cannot be

viewed as Brahman because of their limited power and therefore only

Brahman is to be meditated through symbols.

 

 

 

The suthra refutes this view. The mind etc can be viewed as Brahman

because they are inferior and not vice versa. That is, Brahman cannot be

viewed as mind. It is like viewing the a servant as the king which is

appropriate but not viewing the king as the servant .This is the end of

pratheekAdhikaraNam.

 

 

 

 

 

AdhithyAdhimathyaDHikaraNam-4-1-4

 

 

 

AdhithyAdhimathayascha anga upapatthEh-

 

4-1-6

 

 

 

And subsidiary such as udhgeetha has to be viewed as Adhithya etc

because it is consistent.

 

 

 

In the text 'yamEvAsou thapathi thamudhgeetham upAseetha,' one should

meditate upon him who shines, that is Adhithya, as the udhgeetha,' the

question is whether Adhithya should be viewed as udhgeetha which is

subsidiary to the sacrifice or vice versa. the opponent says that as

already established in the previous suthra that the inferior should be

viewed as the superior, udhgeetha which is susidiary to the sacrifice is

the means of attaining the fruit and hence superior and hence adhithya

should be viewed as udhgeetha.

 

 

 

The suthra refutes this view. The udhgeetha should be viewed as Adhithya

because it is consistent. Adhithya and other deities are superior

because the sacrificial acts are done to propitiate them in bringing

about fruits So udhgeetha which is susidiary to sacrifice is inferior

and thereore it is to be viewed as Adhithya.Thus ends

AdhithyAdhimathyaDHikaraNam.

 

 

 

 

 

AseenAdhikaraNam-4-1-5

 

 

 

suthra-7-Aseenah sambhavAth-4-1-7

 

 

 

Sitting because of possibility.

 

 

 

After establishing that the meditation is the means of attaining release

and that it has to be repeatedly done, now the discussion turns to the

manner of practising it .

 

The opponent says as there is no rule about the posture, it can be

practised in any posture like sitting, standing walking or lying down.

 

 

 

This view is dismissed by the suthra because mental concentration is

only possible while sitting only and this should be the posture adopted

when one is meditating. Standing and walking requires some effort while

lying down will induce sleep.

 

 

 

suthra-8-DHyanAccha-4-1-8

 

 

 

And on account of meditation.

 

 

 

As meditation has been described to be constant remembrance of one

subject uninterrupted by other thoughts and it is enjoined by text

'nidhiDHyAsithavyah, the self should be meditated upon.'

 

 

 

 

 

suthra-9-achalathvam chApekshya-4-1-9

 

 

 

Immovability is neceesary for meditation.

 

 

 

Meditation is mentioned with reference to AkAsa, earth etc. in the text

'DHyatheeva prthivee,DHyAyatheeva anthriksham, DHyatheeva dhyouh,

DhyAtheeva Apah, DHyAyatheeva parvathAh, (Chan.7-6-1) AkAsa meditates as

it were, earth meditates as ie were, heaven meditates as it were, waters

meditates as it were, mountains meditates as it were ,' to denote

immobility of meditation which implies sitting only.

 

 

 

 

 

suthra-10- smaranthi cha-4-1-10

 

 

 

The smrthi also declares so.

 

 

 

In the Gita we have the specification for meditation as 'suchou dhEsE

prathishTApya sTHiram Asanam Athmanah---thathraikAgram manah

krthva,having established a clean spot and a firm seat there one should

meditate with mind concentrated on single object,'etc.

 

 

 

suthra-11-yathraikAgrathA thathra avisEshAth-4-1-11

 

 

 

Wherever concentration of mind (is possible), there the meditation to

be done; there being no specification.

 

For meditation the only requirement is that the place should be

conducive to concentration. The text 'samou suchou sarkarAvahni

vAlukAvivarjithE, in a level and clean place without pebbles fire and

sand,' is only for the purpose of choosing a quiet and conducive place

for concentration.Thus ends the AseenADHikaraNam.