vedartha sangraha of Ramanuja- 16. Brahman the sole cause of the world

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16.Brahman as the sole cause

 

nikhilaajagudhudhayavibhava

vilayaadhikaarNabhootham-sathyasankalpathvaadhiaprimitha guNa udhaarasaagaram

kim brahama thvayaaSrutham ithi haardho bhaaavaH

thasya nikhilakaaraNathayaa kaaraNam eva

naanaasamsThaana viSesha samsThitham kaaryam ithi uchyatha ithi karaNa bhootha

sookshma chidachith vasthu Sareeraka brahmavijna anena kaaryabhootham akhilam

jagath vijnaatham bhavathi ithi hrdhi niDhaaya yena aSrutham Srutham bhavathi amatham matham avijnaatham

vijnaatham syaath ithi prshtavaan pithaa

 

The implication of the question, yena

aSrutham Srutham bhavathi etc., is explained by Ramanuja

thus:

 

nikhila jagadhudhaya vibhava vilayaadhi

kaarNabhootham-sathyasankalpathvaadhi aparimitha guNa udhaarasaagaram kim

brahma thvayaaSrutham ithi haardho bhaaavaH

 

The idea in the mind of

the father in asking the question was whether the son has heard about Brahman

cause of origination , sustenance and annihilation of the universe and who is

the ocean of limitless and generous qualities such as infallible will etc.

 

The real meaning of the question yena

Srutham

etc. is this:

The real nature of

Brahman being beyond comprehension, it has to be heard through the instruction

of the guru which is Srutham, that all the universe is ensouled by Brahman who

is the material as well as efficient cause. Then through contemplation, matham, the truth of this

becomes established in the mind, and the Brahman as the material and efficient

cause of the universe is understood, vijnaatham.

 

When the Brahman is understood

to be the sole cause of the origination, sustenance and annihilation of the

universe of sentient and insentient beings, His qualities such as sathya

sankalpathva etc. are understood. The omnipotence, sarva Sakthithva, is denoted by Brahman

being the material cause, just like the mud or gold having the power to become

all the objects made of mud or gold respectively.

 

The omniscience sarvajnathva is known from Brahman

being the efficient cause of all. To have the efficiency of creating everything

Brahman must be all-knowing. Sathya kaamathva and sathya sankalpathva mean unfailing wish and

infallible will respectively.This is denoted in the passage taken for

consideration, where the words "it

willed to become many" `thath aikshatha bahusyaam prajaayayaa,' occur later.

 

thasya nikhilakaaraNathayaa kaaraNam eva

naanaasamsThaana viSesha samsThitham kaaryam ithi uchyatha ithi

 

The Brahman being the sole cause of all, the cause

it self comes to be known as the effect by assuming various forms.

 

karaNa bhootha sookshma chidachith vasthu Sareeraka

brahmavijnaanena kaaryabhootham akhilam jagath vijnaatham bhavathi ithi hrdhi

niDhaaya

 

Hence by knowing the Brahman the cause of all

beings sentient and u insentient which are His body and which remain in Him in

their subtle form in the causal state, the knowledge of the effect , namely the

whole universe becomes known. Having this in his mind,

 

yena

aSrutham Srutham bhavathi amatham matham

avijnaatham vijnaatham syaath ithi prshtavaan pithaa

 

the father asked whether the son had asked his guru

about that by which what is unheard

becomes heard, what is un-thought of

becomes thought of what is unknown becomes known.

 

thadhethath sakalasya vasthujaathasya

ekakaaraNathvam pithrhrdhinihitham ajaanan puthraH parasparavilakshaNeshu

vasthushu anyasya vijaanena thadhanyavijaanasya aghatamaanthaam

budDhvaaparichodhayathi kaTham nu bhagavthaH tha aadheSaH ithi.

 

 

The son without knowing notion of one cause for all

beings in the mind of his father , considering the impropriety

of acquiring the knowledge of one fro that of the other when the two are

mutually exclusive, questions the father what could be the meaning of that

instruction, (that by knowing one everything becomes known)

 

To Svethakethu who was ignorant of the knowledge of

Brahman the world with imperfections and the Brahman who is blemishless seem to be totally different from each other.

Hence he fails to understand the statement of his father `by knowing which

everything else becomes known ,' with reference to Brahman

 

 

punaH thadheva hrdhi nihitham jnaanaanandha amalathvaikasvaroopam

aparicchedhyamaahaathmyam sathyasankalpathvamiSraiH anavaDhika athiSaya

asankhyeya kalyaaNa guNa gaNaiH jushtam

 

Again the father spoke, having in mind the idea of Brahman as follows:

Brahman is the embodiment of knowledge, purity and

bliss, His glory cannot be defined, and Brahman is endowed with countless and

wonderful auspicious qualities such as infallible will etc.

 

avikaarasvaroopam param brahma eva naamaroopavibhaaga

anarha sookshma chidhachith vasthu sareeram

 

The Supreme Brahman alone who is immutable and in

the causal state the sentient and insentient forming its body in their subtle

form,

 

svaleelaayai

svasankalpena anantha vichithra sThira thrasa roopam jagath samsThaanam

svaamSena avasThitham ithi

 

by His own will and

for His own pleasure supports the amazing world of innumerable movable

and immovable beings by a part of Him.