bhAdita- B.S.B 2-1 -14

[Guest guest]

Our Beloved Prabhuji writes :

 

( Frankly, I donot have any English version brahmasUtra to give a

good and formal translation of the bhAshya vAkya-s. Normally, I

follow my parama guruji's Kannada vyAkhyAna & write my understanding

of the same in my *own* English:-)) This commentary can be found in

2-1-14 of vEdAnta sUtra > (In 'araMbhaNAdhikaraNaM' first sUtra

tadananyatvaM .... )

 

Dennisji and others :

 

Subbuji also gave reference to this now famous verse from B.S.B 2-1-

14 . HERE IT IS :

 

Swami kRISHNANANDAJI TRANSLATES IT THUS :

 

Arambhanadhikaranam: Topic 6 (Sutras 14-20)

 

 

The world (effect) is non-different from Brahman (the cause)

 

 

Tadananyatvamarambhanasabdadibhyah II.1.14 (148)

 

The non-difference of them (i.e., of cause and effect) results from

such terms as 'origin' and the like.

 

Tat: (its, of the universe); Ananyatvam: non-difference;

Arambhana sabdadibhyah: from words like 'origin', etc.

 

That the effect is not different from the cause is shown

here.

 

In Sutra 13, the Sutrakara spoke from the point of view of

Parinamavada and refuted the objection raised by the opponent that

Brahman cannot be the material cause as it contradicts perception.

In Parinamavada, Brahman actually undergoes transformation or

modification. Now the same objection is overthrown from the view

point of Vivartavada. In Vivartavada there is only apparent

modification. Rope appears as a snake. It is not transformed into an

actual snake. This is the doctrine of Advaita of Sri Sankara.

 

In the previous Sutra the simile of the ocean and the waves

was stated, accepting the apparent variety of objects. But in

reality, cause and effect are one even now. This is clear from the

word 'Arambhana' (beginning), just as by knowing a lump of clay, all

clay will be known. Name is only a verbal modification. The true

being is only clay. A pot is only clay even now. Similarly, the

world is only Brahman even now. It is wrong to say that oneness and

manifoldness are both true as in the case of ocean and waves, etc.

The word 'eva' in 'Mrittiketyeva' shows that all diversity is

unreal. The soul is declared to be one with Brahman.

 

The objector or Purvapakshin says: 'If there is only one

Truth viz., Brahman, the diverse objects of perception will be

negated. The ethical injunction will become useless. All the texts

embodying injunctions and prohibitions will lose their purport if

the distinction on which their validity depends does not really

exist. Moreover, the science of liberation of the soul will have no

reality, if the distinction of teacher and the student on which it

depends is not real. There would be no bondage and hence no

liberation. As the science of the soul itself is unreal, it cannot

lead to the Reality. If the doctrine of release is untrue, how can

we maintain the truth of the absolute unity of the Self?

 

But these objects have no force because the whole phenomenal

existence is regarded as true as long as the knowledge of Brahman

has not arisen, just as the dream creatures are regarded to be true

till the waking state arrives. When we wake up after dreams, we know

the dream world to be false but the knowledge of dreams is not

false. Moreover, even dreams sometimes forebode the imminent reality

of death. The reality of realisation of Brahman cannot be said to be

illusory because it destroys ignorance and leads to the cessation of

illusion.

*****************************************************************

 

To Read the entire text , pl go to

 

http://www.swami-krishnananda.org/bs_3/bs_3-3-04.

 

GO TO CHAPTER 2 AND THEN SCROLL DOWN !

 

*********************************************************************

how i wish our beloved Subbuji were here to explain all this to us .

He is well versed in Samskritam and has a good command over English

to explain all this to us .

 

Helen of troy's beauty launched a thousand ships and led to the

Trojan war ! innocent word bAdhA' has lauched a thousand posts and

this war on 'words' continues to haunt us and still the end is not

in sight! i guess all is fair in Love and vedanta!

 

anyway , was it Robert Frost who said " Poetry is what is lost in

TRANSLATION " To paraphrase ,Shankara's Advaita is what is lost in

translation!

 

i don't know why our Anandaji is not coming to our rescue on this

subject , he is the one who can give real meaning and depth to this

word 'bAdhA' - ..... FOR SOME REASON, Anandaji is very silent.

 

love and regards

 

ps Michaelji , the one word which has the same meaning in all

languages is Mother ! Compassion, thy name is Mother ! Sometimes ,

she can be cruelly compassionate as well ! ( her sword of

discipline - tough love)