Brahma Sutras; Shankara Bhasyam pt1

[Guest guest]

Pranams,

I shall in the following weeks, time-permitting, and God-willing,

present some notes from the Brahma Sutras; Shankara bhashyams.

These are based on the lectures of Pujya Guruji Swami

Paramarthananda-ji as well as Swami Dayananda-ji.

 

These are not meant to be a scholarly exposition by any means.

They are also being uploaded simultaneously onto my blog

 

http://poornamadam.blogspot.com/

 

 

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

 

agnâna timirândasya gnânânjanashalâkayâ |

chakshurunmîlitam yêna tasmai srî guravê namaha ||

 

I bow to the divine Guru,

who by the application of the collyrium of knowledge,

opens the eyes of one blinded

by the disease of ignorance.

Shankaram ShankarAchAryam KEshavam BAdarAyanam

SUtrabhAshya kritau vandE Bhagavantau punah punah

 

 

Vedanta philosophy acknowledges the Prasthana Trayi as its three

authoritative primary sources. The texts comprising the Prasthana

Trayi are the Upanishads, the Bhagavadgita and the Brahma Sutra. The

Upanishads are the sruti prasthana, the revealed texts (sruti - that

which is heard); the Bhagavadgita is the smriti prasthana, composed by

sages based on their understanding of the Vedas (smriti - that which

is remembered); the Brahma Sutra is the nyaya prasthana, the logical

text that sets forth the philosophy systematically (nyaya -

logic/order). No study of Vedanta is considered complete without a

close examination of the Prasthana Trayi.

 

While the Upanishads and the Bhagavadgita are authoritative Vedanta

texts, it is in the Brahma Sutra that the teachings of Vedanta are set

forth in a systematic and logical order. The Brahma Sutra is known by

many names: it is also called the Vedanta Sutra, Uttara-mimamsa Sutra,

Shariraka Sutra and the Bhikshu Sutra. Indian tradition identifies

Badrayana, the author of the Brahma Sutra, with Vyasa, the compiler of

the Vedas.

 

[The term Badarayana interestingly means the person dwelling in the

forest of badri (berry) trees – refers to a person leading a life of

austerity.]

 

The Upanishads seem to be full of contradictions at first. They do not

contain consistent system of thought. Sri Vyasa systematised the

thoughts or philosophy of the Upanishads in his Brahma Sutras. The

Sutras reconcile the conflicting statements of the Upanishads. In

reality there are no conflicts for the thinker. Sutras are concise

aphorisms. They give the essence of the arguments on a topic. Maximum

of thought is compressed or condensed into these Sutras in as few

words as possible.

 

AlpAksharam asandigdhaM sAravad vishvatomukham

 

Astobhyam anavadyaM cha sUtraM sUtravido viduH

 

Those learned in the sUtra-s define a sUtra as follows : pithy (using

fewest possible words), unambiguous, laying out all the essential

aspects of each topic, and dealing with all aspects of the question,

free of repetitiveness and flaw (both grammatical and logical).

 

The work consists of 4 Adhyayas (chapters), 16 Padas (sections), 223

Adhikaranas (topics) and 555 Sutras (aphorisms). The first chapter

(Samanvayadhyaya) unifies Brahman, the second (Avirodhadhyaya) refutes

other philosophies, the third (Sadhanadhyaya) deals with practice

(Sadhana) to attain Brahman and the fourth (Phaladhyaya) treats of

fruits of Self-realisation. Each chapter contains four Padas. Each

Pada contains Adhikaranas. Each Adhikarana has separate question to

discuss. The first five Adhikaranas of the first chapter are very,

very important.

 

 

Of commentaries on the Brahma Sutram, Shankara's commentary stands

pre-eminent in elaborating advaita vedanta according to his tradition,

or sampradaya. [The Bhashya of Sri Sankara on Brahma Sutras is known

as Sariraka Bhashya. His school of thought is Kevala Advaita. The

Bhashya of Sri Ramanuja who founded the Visishtadvaita School is

called Sri Bhashya. The commentary of Sri Nimbarkacharya is known as

Vedanta- parijata-saurabha. Sri Vallabhacharya expounded his system of

philosophy of Suddhadvaita (pure monism) and his commentary on the

Brahma Sutras is known as Anu Bhashya.]

 

General introduction:

 

There is a Vedic vidhi –Svadhyayo adhyetavya : One's own Veda has to

be studied.

 

Similarly there is another vidhi – " AtmavAre Shrotavya Mantavya.. " we

have a vedic vidhi.

 

What is special about this vidhi? The answer is that for this

particular vidhi we need vichara or enquiry. Unlike the karmakanda

portion where the vidhis purely involve karma, in order to gain

something, wheras here the vidhi is with regards to oneself.

 

Now, atma is oneself. It is prasiddha. Everyone knows himself as " I

am " IN fact it the ONLY thing that is universally known. What does

Vedanta have to do with knowledge of oneself.

 

The answer is that the Atma is both known and unknown – both prasiddha

and aprasiddha. An example of something that the shastras deal with

that is completely unknown - is Svarga (heaven) for example –

knowledge about this can never be the subject of enquiry.

 

What can be enquired into is always something that is somewhat known

but not completely known.

 

In the case of Atma – being the asmat-pratyaya – or I-sense – its

knowledge is samanyata as I am " aham asmi " but unfortunately is also

viparitah as " I am sukhi, I am dukhi, I am samsari " etc In other

words, there is never any lack of cognition about myself as " I am " but

what I take myself to be is erroneous. Hence alone Atma is " fit " to be

an object of enquiry.

 

" OK, let us grant that Atma is an object of enquiry. Fine. What does

Shastra have anything to do with this? If I want to know about Svarga

or Brahmaloka – I can look at what Shastra says. You are telling me my

knowledge about myself is viparita – I don't think it is but suppose I

accept that – now what does Shastra have anything to do with this? If

I need to know myself, then I need to do something to better know

myself. You are telling me I don't know myself and you are suggesting

I go read a book to find out! "

 

- this is a common doubt.

 

Atma is to be gained exclusively through the Shastra –

Atma-shastraikyagmayatvat "

 

This is an extremely crucial point that will be borne out in the study

of this scripture.

 

While the pramAta or knower is equipped or capable of knowing

everything else in this Universe, to know his own swaroopam he is

helpless. Why? Not because he is incapable, but because he simply

lacks the tools. There is no other means of knowing the Atma. So if he

goes on enquiring " who am I " or keeps on meditating upon " who am I "

without the help of the Shastra, there is never going to be any answer.

 

Atma cannot give him an answer - for the Atma there is never any

ignorance – there is neither a quest nor an answer. The only gateway

for this poor pramata is the Mother Shruti.

 

Hence when they say it is available for mind, available for pramana it

does not mean Atma is beyond mind – in fact nothing is beyond Atma! –

 

Between the pramatr-swaroopa the Atma and the pramana – the Shastra

there is a Pratipadya-pratipadaka sambandha. Hence the text of

Vedanta, being the pramana, becomes an object of enquiry.

 

(To be continued..)

 

Hari OM

Shri Gurubhyoh namah

Shyam

[Guest guest]

I have made significant additions to my introduction, in an effort to

make it more complete and composite.

 

The updated version has been uploaded at:

http://poornamadam.blogspot.com/2008/03/brahma-sutra-shankara-bhashya.html

 

Hari OM

Shyam