Vedarthasangraha of Ramanuja - 29- Import of the srutitexts.3. sadheva somya id

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29. Import of sruti texts continued 3. sadheva soumya idham agra aaseeth

 

"sadheva soumya idham agra aaseeth ekameva adhvitheeyam," ithyathra "sadheva", "ekameva,"ithi

avaDhaaraNadhvayena, "adhvitheeyam" ithyanenacha sanmaathraathireki

sajaatheeyavijaatheeyaaH, sarve viSeshaaH nishiDhyantha ithi pratheeyathe ithi

cheth, naithadhevam.

 

Ramanuja now

examines another text from sadhvidhya, namely "sadheva soumya idham agra aaseeth ekam eva adhvitheeyam", meaning, sath alone

existed in the beginning one only without a second, and explains the terms. He

rejects the contention that the terms sadheva, ekam eva, and adhvitheeyam, negate all else, sajaatheeya and vijaatheeya apart from the pure

Being.

 

The opponent

argues that the terms, sath, the pure Being existed alone eva idham agra aaseeth, ekam eva without a second

, adhvitheeyam, negate all entities otjher than Brahman, both similar, sajaatheeya and different, vijaatheeya. That is by saying sath only the existence of any other entity is

negated, ekam eva negates any other

similar entity and adhvitheeyam negates any other entity different from it.

Ramanuja refutes this saying naithadhevam, it is not so

 

Kaaryakaaranabhaava avasThaa dhvayaavasThithasya ekasya vasthunaH

ekaavasThasya jnaanena avasThaanthara avasThithasyaapi vasthvaikyena

jnaathathaam dhrshtaanthena dharSayithvaa,Svethakethoh aprajnaatham sarvasya

brahmakaaraNathvam vakthum " sadheva soumya idham" ithyaarabDham."

 

It means that when the one entity which is the cause is entering

into another state as the effect, the knowledge of both as the cause and the

effect gives the understanding that both are

the same entity. This is illustrated by the example of mud and its

effects. Thus to Svethakethu who was ignorant of the truth that Brahman is the

cause of all, the instruction starts with the statement "sadheva soumya idham agra aaseeth."

 

"idham agre sadheva aaseeth" ithi. agra

ithi kaala viseshaH. idham Sabdhavaachyasya prapanchasya sadhaapatthiroopaam

kriyaam,sathdhravyathaam cha vadhathi. "ekameva"ithi cha asya naanaa naama

roopa vikaara prahaaNam.ethasmin prathipaadhithe asya jagathaH sadhupaadhaanathaa

prathipaadhithaa bhavathi.anyathra upaadhaanakaaranasya

svayathirikthaaDhshtaathrapekshaadharsane api sarvavilakshaNathvaath asya

sarvajnasya brahmaNaH sarva sakthiyogaH na virudDha ithi, adhviitheeya padham

aDhishaathrantharamnivaarayathi.sarvasakthiyukthathvaadheva brahmaNah kaaschana

SruthayH praThamam upaadhaana kaaraNathvam prathipaadhya, nimitthakaaraNam api thadheva

ithi prathipaadhayanthi, yaTheyam sruthiH.

 

Ramanuja now

explains the terms.

 

"idham agre sadheva aaseeth" ithi. agra

ithi kaala viseshaH. idham Sabdhavaachyasya prapanchasya sadhaapatthiroopaam

kriyaam,sathdhravyathaam cha vadhathi.

 

In the statement ,

"idham agre sadheva

aaseeth, sath only was this, in the beginning, the word agre denotes a

specific period of time. It refers to the world, denoted by idham, this, which is the effect, kaarya, of sath, Brahman, the dhravya, like the mud,which is the

cause.

 

In simple words, it means that the world idham was sath

only in the beginning from which it follows that the world.

 

"ekameva"ithi cha asya naanaa naama

roopa vikaara prahaaNam

 

ekameva, one only

denotes that the various names and forms, which were not existent in the

beginning.

 

ethasmin prathipaadhithe asya jagathaH sadhupaadhaanathaa prathipaadhithaa

bhavathi.

 

when this is affirmed

the sath or Brhaman is known as the material cause of this world.

 

anyathra upaadhaanakaaranasya svavyathiriktha aDhshtaathrapekshaa dharsane

api

 

In other

instances material cause is known to depend on another efficient cause.

 

That is, clay

being the material cause of pot it cannot create the pot without an efficient

cause, namely the potter.

 

sarvavilakshaNathvaath asya sarvajnasya brahmaNaH sarva sakthiyogaH na

virudDha ithi, adhviitheeya padham aDhishaathrantharam nivaarayathi

 

But with

reference to Brahman the term adhvitheeyam negates

any other efficient couse and this is not contrary to the usual concept of the

material casue and efficient cause being different because Brahman is unlike

all else being one only without a second and is omniscient and omnipotent.

 

sarvasakthiyukthathvaadheva brahmaNah kaaschana SruthayaH praThamam upaadhaana

kaaraNathvam prathipaadhya, nimitthakaaraNam api thadheva ithi prathipaadhayanthi,

yaTheyam sruthiH.

 

Based on the

omnipotence of Brahman, some texts denote Brahman as the material cause at first

and subsequently state that Brahman is

the efficient cause.This text also does the same.