Vedartha sangraha of Ramanuja- 6.vedic texts and their implications

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Ramanuja cites the passages from

the vedic texts which deal with the above topics.

 

thath thavam asi- That thou Art(Chan.6.9.4)

 

According to ramanuja the text

thath thavam asi does not imply total identity but only the sareera sareeri bhava

of Brahman and the individual self. This he elucidates in a later passage.

 

ayam aathmaa brahma- This

Self is Brahman(Brhd.6.4.5)

 

Denotes that Brahman is the real Self.

 

ya aathmani thishTan aathmanaH antharaH yam aathmaa na vedha , yasya

aathmnaa Sareeram ya aathmaanam antharo yamayathi, sat tha aathmaa antharyami

amrthaH – He who being inside the Self whom the Self does not know whose

body is the Self, who controls the Self from within, That is the real Self the inner Self and immortal. (Brhd.Madh.

5.7)

 

This clearly brings our the

visishtaadhvaitha siddhantha that Brahamanis the inner self of all.

 

esha sarvabhoothaantharaathmaa apahatha paapmaadhivyo dheva eko

naaraayaNaH- He is the inner Self of

all, free from all imperfections, the sole Lord

Narayana (subala-7)

 

Narayana being the inner Self is

not affected by the imperfections of the jeevathma, the embodied self.

 

tham

etham vedha anuvachanena braahmaNaa vividhishanthi, yajnena dhaanena thapasaa

anaaSakena – Brahmanas( those who seek Brahman) wish to know Him through

the study of the Vedas, sacrifices, charities, austerities and

fasting.(Brhd.6.4.22)

 

The disciplines mentioned enjoin

the varnasrama dharma which when done as an offering to the Lord, produces jnana through which the Lord Narayana is known.

 

brahmavidh aapnothi param- The

knower of Brahma attains the Supreme.(Thaitt.2.1)

 

The jnana that comes from dhyana

upasana etc. aalone is the means of salvation, moksha saadhanam.

 

tham evam vidhvaan amrtha iha bhavathi, naanyaH panThaa vidhyathe ayanaaya

–

 

One who knows Him thus become

immortal while being here. There is no other path to this goal.(purusha suktham

7)

 

This reiterates what has beensaid

above.

 

Ithyaadhikam- and so on.