vedarthasangraha of Ramanuja-5.The aim of vedantavakyas

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5.Aim of the vedanta vakysas of the upanishads

 

asya

jeevaathmanoH-anaadhyavishyaasamchitha-puNyapaaparoopa-karmapravaahahethuka-brahmaadhi-sura-nara-thiryak-sThaavaraathmaka-chathurviDha

dheha-praveSakrtha-thaththath-aathmaabhimaana-janitha-avarjaneeya-bhavabhayavidhvamsanaaya

dhehaathiriktha –aathmasvaroopa-thathsvabhaava-thadhantharyamibhootha

paramaathma svaroopa-thathsvabhaava-thadhupaasana-thathphalabhootha

aathmasvaroopaavirbhaava-poorvaka- anavaDhika-athiSaya-aanandhabrahmaanubhavajnaapane

pravrttham hi vedhaanthavaakyajaatham.

 

asya jeevaathmanoH- of the individual self

 

anaadhi avidhyaa samchitha- who has collected through the

beginning-less ignorance

 

puNyapaaparoopakarmapravaahahethuka- resulting in the flow of karma

of the nature of both puNya and papa, merit and sin

 

brahmaadhi-sura-nara-thiryak-sThaavaraathmaka-chathurviDhadheha-praveSakrtha- which causes the entry into the bodies of

deva, human, animal and plants

 

thaththath-aathmaabhimaana-janitha avarjaneeya-bhavabhayavidhvamsanaaya

–

resulting in the attachment of

that body inhabited at that time and creates the fear of the ills of samsara,

which can be destroyed

 

 

dhehaathiriktha –aathmasvaroopa-thathsvabhaava- only through the

knowledge of the Self which is beyond the embodiment and its nature

 

thadhantharyamibhootha paramaathma svaroopa-thathsvabhaava- Knowing about the Lord who is the inner self and His nature

 

thadhupaasana-thathphalabhootha aathmasvaroopa aavirbhaava-poorvaka- realizing

the Self through the worship of Him which will result in the manifestation of

the real self

 

anavaDhika-athiSaya-aanandhabrahma anubhavajnaapane pravrttham hi

vedhaanthavaakyajaatham

 

and the experience of infinite

and wonderful bliss of Brahman is the purport of the vedantavakyas.

 

Ramanuja explains the purport of the Vedanta vakyas

such as tahthathvam asi etc. in this passage. As a result of beginning-less ignorance the individual soul

accumulates karma which gives rise to merit and demerit. According to the

nature of karma the soul gets embodies in various bodies ranging from deva, the

highest order of beings who have dominance of punyakarma down to plant life,

the lowest rung of evolution. The individual gets attached to the respective

bodies and undergoes the ills of samsara. This gives rise to fear from samsara

and the individual soul strives to get free of the cycle of birth and death. For

this the knowledge of the real nature of the soul and that of the Supreme Self,

Brahman, who is the inner self is to be understood by contemplating on and the

worship of the Supreme self. By

this the real Self manifests and the

experience of the infinite bliss of Brahman is experienced. . The Vedanta

vakyas denote only this by the mahavakyas such as thath thavam asi.

 

The word upasana means

contemplation and worship, including all forms of worship kaayikam, physical,

like observing austerities and rituals, vaachika , like singing His praise,

namasankeerthana and dhyana , the continous stream of thought directed on the

Lord like the dripping of oil, thailadhaaravath, which is maanasika.

 

The karma consists of both punya

and papa. The ignorance avidhya is the cause of both. Even punya is to be got

rid of like papa as it also gives rise to further embodiment. By the

identification with the body, the attachment arises which induces further karma. Thus the fear of the ills

of samsara, like old age, disease and death, is unavoidable, To be free from it

the contemplation etc. on the Supreme self is necessary. This leads to the

manifestation of Brahman resuting in the experience of the infinite and wonderful

bliss of Brahman. This iks enjoined by the vedantic passages such as `thathavamasi.'