Sri Sadhguro Pahimam Parama Dayalu Rakshamam

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Dear Members

" Hindu Dharma " is a book published by Bharatiya Vidya

Bhavan which contains English translation of two volumes of the Tamil

Book " Deivatthin Kural " ; which is a collection of invaluable and

engrossing speeches of Sri Sri Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswathi

MahaSwamiji.

 

http://kamakoti.org/hindudharma/part5/chap31.htm

 

The Brahmasutra

 

I

said that every doctrine or system has a sutra (text consisting

of aphoristic statements), a bhasya (commentary) and a vartika

(elucidation of the commentary). The systems founded by Sankara,

Ramanuja, Madhva, Srikantha (acarya of Saiva-Sidhanta) belong to

Vedanta. All these acaryas cite the authority of the Vedas in

support of their respective doctrines and they have chosen the

same ten Upanisads to comment upon according to their different

philosophical perceptions. The Upanisads are not in the form of

sutras; yet for the Vedantic system they must be regarded as

having the same " place " (or force) as the sutras.

 

How

is a sutra to be understood? It must state truths in an extremely

terse form. What is expressed in the least possible number of

words to convey an idea or truth is a sutra, an aphorism.

According to this definition the Upanisads cannot be said to be

sutras. However, there does exist a basic text for all Vedantic

schools in the form of sutras. This is the Brahmasutra.

 

In

the Brahmasutra, on which there are commentaries according to the

various philosophical schools, Vyasa presents in an extremely

terse form the substance of the ten (principal) Upanisads. Since

he dwelt under the badari tree (jujube) he came to be called

" Badarayana " and his work became well-known as

" Badarayana-sutra " . Who or what is man (the individual

self)? What is the nature of the world (jagat) in which he lives?

And what is the truth underlying all this? The Brahmasutra, which

is a basic text of all Vedantic schools, seeks to answer these

fundamental questions. Vyasa does not project his personal views

in his work. All he does is to make a penetrating study of the

science of Vedanta that is already constituted by the Upanisads.

Since it is an inquiry into the Upanisads which form the latter

part of the Vedas, the Brahmasutra is called

" Uttaramimamsa "

 

There

are 555 sutras in the Brahmasutra which is divided into four

chapters, each consisting of four padas (or " feet " ).

Altogether there are 192 sections or " adhikaranas " in

it. The Brahmasutra is also called " Bhiksu-sutra " since

it deals with sannyasa, the final goal of the seeker. And,

because it is all about the Self in the body, it has another

name, " Sariraka " .

 

" Sutra "

literally means a rope or string. The word occurs in the term

" mangala-sutra " , the thread worn by the bride at her

wedding. Keeping the meaning of thread or string in mind, our

Acarya has made a pun on the word in his commentary:

" Vedanta-vakya-kusuma-grathanarthatvat sutranam " . If

the flowers that are Upanisads in the tree called the Vedas are

strewn all over the earth, how can we gather them to make a

garland? Our Acarya remarks that in the Brahmasutra the flowers

are the Upanisads are strung together to form a garland.

 

All

Hindu philosophical systems are based on the Brahmasutra, but the

Brahmasutra itself is based on the Upanisads. That is why it has

become customary to describe all Vedic schools of thought as

" Upanisadic systems " . When Westerners keep extolling

our philosophy, chanting, " Vedanta! Vedanta! " , they

have in mind the Upanisads. If a person turns against the petty

pleasures of this world and makes a remark suggestive of jnana,

people tell him, " Arre, are you mouthing Vedanta? "

 

If

the Vedas were personified as Purusa, the Upanisads would be his

head or crown. That is why these texts are called

" Sruti-siras " .

AYA JAYA SANKARA HARA HARA SANKARA

 

Thwameva Maathaa Cha Pithaa Thwameva Thwameva Bhandhuscha Sakhaa Thwameva

Thwameva Vidhyaa Dhravinam Thwameva Thwameva Sarvam Mama Dheva Dheva.