VedAnta-sUtras 1.1.1

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559 VedAnta sUtras divide into 4 chapters with 4 sections each

1.1.1 athAto brahma-jijnAsA

atha - now (human birth); ataH - ergo; inquiry into Brahman

1.1.2 janmAdy asya yataH

birth etc (sustenance, dissolution); of this (universe); from Whom

1.1.3 zAstra yonitvAt

scripture, revelation, upaniSad; as womb = source, cause of

1.1.4 tat tu samanvayAt

that - ViSNu - Veda's Main Object; but, removing doubt; by concordance: decision, interpretation

1.1.5 ixater nAzabdam

ixateH = because it is seen; na = not; azabdam = inexpressible

1.1.6 gaunaz cen nAtma zabdAt

gaunaH = saguNa, Brahman; ca = and; it = if; na = not; Atma-zabdAt = from word Atman

1.1.7 tan niSThasya moxopadezAt

tat = to that; of devoted; moxa = release; upadezAt = from teaching

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1.1.8 heyatvAvacanAc ca

heyatva - abandonment; avacanAt - not being said; and

1.1.9 svApyAt = for He merges into Himself (unlike saguN who merges elsewhere)

1.1.10 gati sAmAnyAt

gati-avagatiH = or knowledge, conception; from uniformity

1.1.11 zrutatvAc ca = from scripture; and

(showing Universal Creator NirguN Brahman is Salvation Giver)

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1.1.12 Anandamayo'bhyAsAt = full of bliss, due to repetition

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1.1.13 vikAra-zabdAn neti cen, na prAcuryyAt

modification-from word; not thus; cet = if; from abundance

Affix maya of Anandamaya denotes abundance, not modification

1.1.14 taddhetu vyapadezAt

that, cause; from declaration

Anandamaya is not jIva, for He is described as Ananda's cause.

1.1.15 mAntra-varNikam eva ca gIyate

He whom mantra portion describes; alone, even; and, is sung (by BrAhmaNa portion)

Moreover, Being described in text's Mantra section is again referred to as Anandamaya in above passage's subsequent section

1.1.16 netaro'nupapatteH

not other (jIva); due to impossibility, non-reasonableness

1.1.17 bheda vyapadezAt

difference; from declaration

1.1.18 kAmAc ca nAnumAnApexA

kAmAt = from desire; ca = and na = not AnumAna = inferred one: PradhAna; apexA = necessity

Due to wishing, Anandamaya is not PradhAna

 

 

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1.1.19 asminnasya ca tad-yogaM zAsti

asmin = in him/person called Anandamaya; asya = his, of him, of jIva; and that (fearlessness); union, teaches (zruti)

Anandamaya is not PradhAna, for additional reason that Zruti teaches 2-fold Yoga of jIva with it.

1.1.20 antas tad dharmmopadezAt

antar = being within (sun & eye); His attributes; from teaching

Zruti gives in this person's Sun & eye attributes which solely belong to God:

ergo this Person must be Brahman.

Being inside Sun & eye is ParamAtma, not jIva, for Supreme Brahman's attributes r taught therein.

1.1.21 bheda vyapadezAc cAnyaH

difference; from Declaration; and another, other than jIva

Above mentioned Being is other than jIva Being.

Because there's declaration of its being separate from jIva.

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1.1.22 AkAzas tal-lingAt

AkAza refers to Brahman, for Brahman's defining masks r found in this passage; due to characteristic mark

AkAza denotes Brahman, for Brahman's characteristic marks r found in above passage.

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1.1.23 ataeva prANaH = for this reason, hence too;

breath, life (PratyudAharaNa Sangati)

Word PrANa refers to Brahman, for reason similar to that given in preceding sUtra.

1.1.24 jyotiz caraNAbhidhAnAt

light (cited in Chandogya is Brahman); foot; due to mention

ChandogyopaniSad 2.13.7 refers to Brahman, NOT material light: it's described as having (4) feet.

1.1.25 chandobhidhAnAn neti cen, na tathA ceto'rpaNa nigadAt, tathAhi darzaNam

Gayatri metre; due to description; not thus; cen = if not thus; mind concentrating, giving; from teaching; thus/that being so, by such interpretation; because, only; consistent, rational, intelligible;

Phrase "Gayatri is all this" becomes intelligible when Gayatri is taken as symbol of God.

Metre called Gayatri is certainly not "all this".

25) If it be objected that term Jyotiz does NOT refer to Brahman, that it denotes metre Gayatri instead, we reply NOT SO!;

Gayatri is only for purposes of mind concentration in Brahman, who is meditated upon as Gayatri.

And by this explanation all becomes consistent--25.

Again sUtra 25:

chandobhidhAnAn neti cen, na tathA ceto'rpaNa nigadAt, tathAhi darzaNam

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1.1.26 bhUtAdi-pAda vyapadezopapattez caivam

beings, foot; of mention, declaration; due to possibility, reasonableness; and thus

And thus only is it possible to declare that entities (speech, Earth) are its feet.

1.1.27 upadeza-bhedAt, neti cet, nobhayasminn apy avirodhAt

teaching grammar, from difference; not if not in both; even, due to want of conflict or contradiction

Objection that former passage Brahman cannot be recognized in latter due to case termination difference is NOT valid, for in either case, there is no contradiction to recognition.

1.1.28 prANas tathAnugamAt

Breath/life is Brahman; appropriate to Him, thus, so; due to being understood

PrANa is Brahman: that being understood from connected consideration of passages referring to it.

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1.1.29 na vaktur AtmopadezAd iti ced, adhyAtma sambandha bhUmA hy asmin

not of speaker (Indra); of self, due to teaching; thus if; to Inner Supreme Self + His attributes; connection, reference; multitude, innumerable; plenty; because (we find); in this UpaniSad

If it be objected that Brahnman is NOT referred to here, because speaker refers to himself: we say not so.

We see in this passage, many connections with inner self (which is possible only if speaker is viewed as Brahman--29.

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1.1.30 zAstra-dRSTyA tUpadezo vAmadevavat

by scriptural viewpoint (organ & its function identical: eye & sight)

Similarly, jIva is called Lord though only God's organ. This expressive mode is called zAstra-dRSTyA; but teaching; like that of VAmadev

30) Indra's instructions about himself should be understood as spoken from that/his intuitive (or ecstatic) vantage point as in VAmadev's case.

METONYMY = figure of speech replacing one name with another name closely related

bottle = alcoholic drink; press = journalism; skirt = woman; Mozart = his musik; Oval Office = US Presidency

METONYM ~> SYNECDOCHE: hand for worker or vice-versa

Metonymic saying: "the pen is mightiewr than the sword."

contiguity vs similarity;

metonym is to metaphor as syntagm is to paradigm

And what to speak of antonomasia!

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1.1.31 jIva-mukhya-prANa lingAn, neti cen, nopAsA traividhyAd AzritatvAd iha tad yogAt

31) If it be said that Brahman alone is not meant there, for we find marks of individual soul/jIva & Chief vital air/Mukhya PrANa:

we say no; because then meditation taught would be 3-fold (absurd).

Ergo, marks of jIva & prANa should applied be to Brahman, for such application is met within other texts too, and of its being appropriate here too.

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NityAnanda GaurAnga Govinda RAdhArANI KRSNa RAma ViSNu

Thus end 31 Holy Brahma-sUtras = 1st adhyAya, 1st pAda

Personalist VaiSNav Commentary can be added later:

by anyone feeling up to it.