Ans. In the systems of Vedantha , Brahma Sutras of sage Baadarayana occupy the loftiest position. These sutras known as saariraka sutras distill the essence of Upanishadic teachings in a crisp aphoristic manner. There is also mention of the Brahma Sutra in the 13thchapter of Bhagvath Gita.
Bhagavan says
Rishibhir bahudha geetham chandhobhir vividhai prutak.
Brahma sutra padahscchaivah Ethumadbbhir vinischithai.
The truth about the kshetra /body and shetrajnaa/ soul has been sung by seers in various ways in various distinctive hymns and also in the well reasoned and conclusive works of the Brahma sutras.
The sutras have a magnificient crescendo and pattern as they move from the first to the fourth and final chapter. The first chapter brings out the coherent import of the Upanishads by elucidating the apparently doubtful import of certain pronouncements. The second chapter works out a philosophical defence of the vedantic standpoint in the context of adverse system of thought. The third chapter outlines the spiritual path way to the supreme goal of life while the Fourth chapter discusses the nature of that goal itself.
Thus we see that the first two chapters formulate the tattva or the nature of reality and the third deals with Hitha means or sadhna and the fourth chapter dwells on the Purushartha or the ultimate goal of life.
n other words the tattva or reality is the supreme soul, the Brahman. The Hita or the means is for the Bhaaddha Jeevan to recognize the Paramatman as the one with infinite perfections inspite of its immanance. The supreme Brahman is recognized in the third chapter, the fourth chapter evaluates the doctrines of Moksha and affirms that Moksha is the direct experience of Brahman with all the plentitude and eternity which only that experience can bring to the individual personality. It is the supreme exstasy of ”Llife in God.”
Vedanta sara is a very concise commentary on the Brahma sutra a little more elaborate is the Vedanta depa and an elaborate work on the same can be seen in Sri Bhasyam all works of sri Ramanuja charya.
Sri ramanuja charya summarises the teachings of Vedanta to the following effect;- Of the three ultimate entities known to philosophy the intelligent individual soul is essentially different from the non intelligent matter and the supreme Brahman. The essential differences thus existing between matter soul and Brahman are intrinsic and natural. God who is the supreme Brahman is the material and efficient cause of the Universe and the universe which is made up of matter and soul is the effect produced by him. Matter and soul form the body of god. And this body is capable of existing in a subtle as well as in the gross condition. God with his subtle body constitutes the universe in his casual condition and with his gross body he forms the created universe itself.
The individual sould enter into matter and there by make it live. Similarly god enters into matter and soul and gives them their powers and their specific characters. The universe without god is exactly analogous to matter without soul. And in the world as we know it. All things are what they are, because god has penetrated into them and rules and guides them all from within. So much so that all things are representatives of him.
Of all the Sanskrit commentaries of Brahma sutra Ramanujas is unique in one respect. He proved that the relation between Brahman on one side and the souls and matter on the other is same as that between soul and body. (sarira – sariribhava) thus all the scriptural texts on the bheda and bheda between them could be sensibily interpreted.
According to Sri Ramanuja bhakti yoga is the means for the realization of the self, and the attainment of Moksa which constitutes eternal bliss. It is synonymous with upasana (meditation). That Bhakti (devotion) results from viveka (discrimination) Vimoka (freedom) abhyasa (practice) Kriya (work) Kalyana (auspiciousness) ananasada (absence of weakness) and anuddharsa (absence of excessive merriment)
The Vedas basically consists of two parts. The purva bhaga (1st) deals with the ritualistic portion while the uttara bhaga (2nd) known as Vedanta consists of Upanishads.
The purva bhaga is called Purva Mimamsa or Karma Mimamsa and is propounded by Jaimini in the form of sutras. While the study of the nature of Brahman and other concepts of Vedanta are called uttara mimamsa consisting of the brahma sutras of badrarayana. Now these brahma sutras have been interpreted by many as sankara and Madhva etc according to their siddanthas while sri ramanujas commentaries is based on bhodhaayana vrutthi and is in accordance with Visistadvaita.
Sri Ramanuja outlines the basic concept of visistadvaita by explaining the word “Brahma” He says the word Brahma refers to the supreme Purusha NARAYANA who is naturally devoid of all defects, (this eliminates other realized mukta, everfree nitya souls) and possesses infinite wonderful inconceivable auspicious qualities. These words serve to deny the concept of nirgunabrahman. By this statement he declares without any ambiguity that the word Brahman is synonymous with NARAYANA.
The adjectives ANAVADHIKA and ASANKHYEYA with reference to his wonderful ATHISAYA and infinite ANANTHA KALYANA GUNA, auspicious qualities show that they are inconceivable by VAK and MANAS. Avadhi is limit and sankya is number. HIS qualities are ANAVADHIKA not limited by words or thought and ASANKHYEYA countless. As Vedanta Desika describes in Yadhavabhyudhayam.
YadhekaikaguNa pratuthah nigama vandhina yath avatha varananeasya. The Vedas proceeding to describe HIM as he is become exhausted by the time they finish relating about even any one of his qualities.
Ramanuja then proceeds to show that the word Brahman can only mean nothing but SARVESWARA. Brahma sabdha is derived from the root “BRH” to mean greatness,i.e. that which by nature possesses the greatness to an infinite degree as in the case of the word “Bhagavat” which denotes only the lord.
Another reason for the word Brahman denoting sarveswara is given by Sri Ramanuja as “THAPATHRAYATHURAIH AMRUTHATHVAYA SAEVA JIJNASYAH” the ills of samsara are due to thethree thapaar, suffering due to fate due to no reason ADHIDHAIVIKA due to other beings and natural elements. ADHIBOUTIKA and due to our own physical and mental conflicts for which our own actions are responsible. ADHYATHMIKA. The remedy is possible only by the grace of god.
Ramanuja ends the samanvayadhikarana saying that the texts like YATHOVA IMANI BHOOTHANI JAYNTE etc, teach the existence of Brahman as being the cause of the world free from all imperfections and endowed with infinite auspicious qualities and of the nature of unparalleled bliss.
Bhagavan says
Rishibhir bahudha geetham chandhobhir vividhai prutak.
Brahma sutra padahscchaivah Ethumadbbhir vinischithai.
The truth about the kshetra /body and shetrajnaa/ soul has been sung by seers in various ways in various distinctive hymns and also in the well reasoned and conclusive works of the Brahma sutras.
The sutras have a magnificient crescendo and pattern as they move from the first to the fourth and final chapter. The first chapter brings out the coherent import of the Upanishads by elucidating the apparently doubtful import of certain pronouncements. The second chapter works out a philosophical defence of the vedantic standpoint in the context of adverse system of thought. The third chapter outlines the spiritual path way to the supreme goal of life while the Fourth chapter discusses the nature of that goal itself.
Thus we see that the first two chapters formulate the tattva or the nature of reality and the third deals with Hitha means or sadhna and the fourth chapter dwells on the Purushartha or the ultimate goal of life.
n other words the tattva or reality is the supreme soul, the Brahman. The Hita or the means is for the Bhaaddha Jeevan to recognize the Paramatman as the one with infinite perfections inspite of its immanance. The supreme Brahman is recognized in the third chapter, the fourth chapter evaluates the doctrines of Moksha and affirms that Moksha is the direct experience of Brahman with all the plentitude and eternity which only that experience can bring to the individual personality. It is the supreme exstasy of ”Llife in God.”
Vedanta sara is a very concise commentary on the Brahma sutra a little more elaborate is the Vedanta depa and an elaborate work on the same can be seen in Sri Bhasyam all works of sri Ramanuja charya.
Sri ramanuja charya summarises the teachings of Vedanta to the following effect;- Of the three ultimate entities known to philosophy the intelligent individual soul is essentially different from the non intelligent matter and the supreme Brahman. The essential differences thus existing between matter soul and Brahman are intrinsic and natural. God who is the supreme Brahman is the material and efficient cause of the Universe and the universe which is made up of matter and soul is the effect produced by him. Matter and soul form the body of god. And this body is capable of existing in a subtle as well as in the gross condition. God with his subtle body constitutes the universe in his casual condition and with his gross body he forms the created universe itself.
The individual sould enter into matter and there by make it live. Similarly god enters into matter and soul and gives them their powers and their specific characters. The universe without god is exactly analogous to matter without soul. And in the world as we know it. All things are what they are, because god has penetrated into them and rules and guides them all from within. So much so that all things are representatives of him.
Of all the Sanskrit commentaries of Brahma sutra Ramanujas is unique in one respect. He proved that the relation between Brahman on one side and the souls and matter on the other is same as that between soul and body. (sarira – sariribhava) thus all the scriptural texts on the bheda and bheda between them could be sensibily interpreted.
According to Sri Ramanuja bhakti yoga is the means for the realization of the self, and the attainment of Moksa which constitutes eternal bliss. It is synonymous with upasana (meditation). That Bhakti (devotion) results from viveka (discrimination) Vimoka (freedom) abhyasa (practice) Kriya (work) Kalyana (auspiciousness) ananasada (absence of weakness) and anuddharsa (absence of excessive merriment)
The Vedas basically consists of two parts. The purva bhaga (1st) deals with the ritualistic portion while the uttara bhaga (2nd) known as Vedanta consists of Upanishads.
The purva bhaga is called Purva Mimamsa or Karma Mimamsa and is propounded by Jaimini in the form of sutras. While the study of the nature of Brahman and other concepts of Vedanta are called uttara mimamsa consisting of the brahma sutras of badrarayana. Now these brahma sutras have been interpreted by many as sankara and Madhva etc according to their siddanthas while sri ramanujas commentaries is based on bhodhaayana vrutthi and is in accordance with Visistadvaita.
Sri Ramanuja outlines the basic concept of visistadvaita by explaining the word “Brahma” He says the word Brahma refers to the supreme Purusha NARAYANA who is naturally devoid of all defects, (this eliminates other realized mukta, everfree nitya souls) and possesses infinite wonderful inconceivable auspicious qualities. These words serve to deny the concept of nirgunabrahman. By this statement he declares without any ambiguity that the word Brahman is synonymous with NARAYANA.
The adjectives ANAVADHIKA and ASANKHYEYA with reference to his wonderful ATHISAYA and infinite ANANTHA KALYANA GUNA, auspicious qualities show that they are inconceivable by VAK and MANAS. Avadhi is limit and sankya is number. HIS qualities are ANAVADHIKA not limited by words or thought and ASANKHYEYA countless. As Vedanta Desika describes in Yadhavabhyudhayam.
YadhekaikaguNa pratuthah nigama vandhina yath avatha varananeasya. The Vedas proceeding to describe HIM as he is become exhausted by the time they finish relating about even any one of his qualities.
Ramanuja then proceeds to show that the word Brahman can only mean nothing but SARVESWARA. Brahma sabdha is derived from the root “BRH” to mean greatness,i.e. that which by nature possesses the greatness to an infinite degree as in the case of the word “Bhagavat” which denotes only the lord.
Another reason for the word Brahman denoting sarveswara is given by Sri Ramanuja as “THAPATHRAYATHURAIH AMRUTHATHVAYA SAEVA JIJNASYAH” the ills of samsara are due to thethree thapaar, suffering due to fate due to no reason ADHIDHAIVIKA due to other beings and natural elements. ADHIBOUTIKA and due to our own physical and mental conflicts for which our own actions are responsible. ADHYATHMIKA. The remedy is possible only by the grace of god.
Ramanuja ends the samanvayadhikarana saying that the texts like YATHOVA IMANI BHOOTHANI JAYNTE etc, teach the existence of Brahman as being the cause of the world free from all imperfections and endowed with infinite auspicious qualities and of the nature of unparalleled bliss.
After establishing that Brahman shown as the cause of the world by sruthi texts like YATHO VA IMANI BHOOTHANI JAYNTE, the enquiry of Brahman who is omniscient possessing infinite auspicious qualities has been affirmed by the first four sutras. Now the view of the Sankya school of philosophy who ascribe the casuality of the world through inference, to the inanimate pradhana, the primordial nature is taken up for refutation. In the chandogya text Sadheva soumya idham agra aseeth ekameva adhruiitheeyam thadhaikshatha bahusyam prajaayeyanthattheioarjatha “SATH” being alone was in the beginning it willed to become many and created fire. The word being is defined as Brahman by the vedantic schools. But here the opponents. Sankya raises a doubt as to weether the word “SATH” referes to the pradhana inferred as the cause of the world.
The view of Sankya is as follows:- All this world except the sentient self is made up of prakrithi which is constituted of three gunas satthva rajas and thamas. When the three gunas are in equilibrium (Samayavastha) there is no creation, but the primordial prakrithi exists in its unmanifest state. This is denoted by the word Satth in the chandogya passage. Then (in the oroximity of purusha, the individual self) the gunas start combining and the evolution when, from mahat or buddhi till the gross elements takes place. Proving it willed to become many.
Sankhyan justifies his stand by saying “Kara Nabhootha dravyasya avst thanthara aparthirena karyatha” The effect is non difference from the cause. The fact that the world came from prakrthi is proved by subsequent text “Vacharambha Nam Vikarah nama dhayam mrthikethyena satyam” that is the mud alone is true and its various forms like pot or other forms are only modifications citing gold ornaments or materials made of iron where the gold alone or iron alone is true others are only forms of the one.
This above view Ramanuja refutes by the sutra “eekshath err Asabdhath” Pradhana which is Anum anikam, established through inference and not a valid testimony is not mentioned by the sruthi as the cause of the world, because of the uso of the verb “eeksh to will: in the passage in connection with the activity of “Sath” “the being” the action of willing can be ascribed only to a sentient entity which the pradhana is not. Therefore the term “Sath” can denote only the omniscient omnipotent supreme person The Brahman. In all places where creation is mentioned we find texts like saeekshatha lokannu srija ithi saiman lokan asrjatha and sa eekshan chakre sa pranam asrjatha. He created them and he willed to create the worlds and he willed and created the vital air. It is true says ramanuja that the effect must be of the nature of the cause. That is why the omniscient, omnipotent supreme being of infalliable will, the inner self of all is cited as the cause with the sentient and the insentient beings in their subtle state forming his sarira this is illustrated by the “parasya sakthih vividhaiva srooyathe svabh avikee jnana balkriya cha”.
Namely His supreme power is manifold and His action, power and knowledge is His inherent nature and
“yasya avyaktham sariram. Yasya aksharam sariram, yasya mrthyus sariram esha sarva boothantharathma” namely of whom the unmanifest is the body, of whom the imperishable is the body, of whom death is the body. He is the inner self of all.
The argument that the promissory statement and the example given point out only to pradhana as the cause of the world through inference is refuted by Ramanuja saying that there is no reason given for the inference to make it valid. The example given is only to confirm the possibility of ekavijanena sarva vijnanam the knowledge of every thing by knowing about one thing.which is the effect of the cause like everything else.
The next suthra is in answer to the argument of the opponent that the word eekshatha, willed can be taken, not in the primary sense, but in the secondary sense, gouna as in the case of the expressions like thathEja Aikshatha thA Apah Aikshantha. The fire willed and the water willed. In which the activity f the sentient being is ascribed to the non sentient figuratively. Thus the action of willing can refer to pradhana also
Sutra 6. GounASCHATH Na Atman asabdhath. It is not secondary due to the word Atman being used. This sutra refutes the argument that the eekshaNa the act of seeing can refer to pradhana taken in the secondary sense, the later text Aithadh Athmyam idham sarvam sa athma, all this is ensouled by that which is the self of every thing refers to that which denoted by the word sath As the insentient pradhana cannot be termed as the sentient self it means only Brahman. This meaning is further strengthened by the text. “Hanth Aham IMAh thisrah devatha anena Athman Aanupravisya namarupe VVjakaravaNi. Let me enter into these three deties as their self and give them name and form. So the eekshaNam cannot be contrived as being figurative but is only in the primary sense. Suthra thannishtasya mokshOpadhesath because release is the teaching here to one who is desirous of it. In the passage referred to here the student Svethakethu is being instructed by his father about salvation. After imparting the knowledge “That Thou Art” he is told that there will be delay only till this body is discarded. This will not be appropriate if Pradhana is the subject matter of the passage. Even to sankhya, pradhana is not instrumental to release.
Suthra Heyathva avachanaccha. Also because there is no mention of discarding it (SATH) this means that if Pradhana is the meaning of Sath since it is not conducive to moksha the mumukshu, aspirant for release would be advised to give it up, but here it is not so. On the contrary he is instructed Thou art that.
Suthra Prathijna virodhath
It is contrary to prathijna pradhana is not the purport of the passage because it would be contrary to the promissory statement prathijna of knowing every thing by the knowledge of one. As pradhana can only be the cause of the insentient beings the knowledge of it will not lead to that of the sentient beings.
Sutra Svapyayaath
Because of merging with the self.
SvapnanthamME soumya vijaneehiyathra ethath purushah svapithin ama, sathasowmya thadha sampanno bhavathi, svam apeetho bhavathi. Learn from me about the nature of sleep. When a man sleeps he unites with Sath and merges into his self. In sleep there is no identity of nama roopa and the self exists in its pristine form and becomes one with Brahman, its real self. There fore the state of sleep is akin to dissolution when all beings merge in Brahman. The shruthi text mentions the state of sleep as that whenprAjnena AthmanA AthmanA samparishvakthah nabaqayam kimchanaVEdha n Antharam. Embraced by the sentient self he knows nothing insde and outside. On awakening the identity of nama roopa reasserts them as per the text. Thaiha vyagrovAsimha VAurko vavarahova dhamsova masakova yadyadbhavanthi thdh Abhavanthi.
All beings resume their identity as a tiger, lion, wolf, boar, insect or a mosquito. What ever they were before. Therefore as the merging into pradhana in their sleep cannot happen, the word “Sath” denotes the supreme purusha only.
Suthra Gathisam Anyath.
Because of the uniformity of view several texts referring to the creation mention Brahman as the creator.
Athma va idhamaka eva agra aseeth. This was only the self in the beginning Aith aran thasmath va ethasmath Athmana akasah sambhoothah akasath vayuh vayoragnith agn erapahagner apah, adhhyah prthivi. From the self came the space, from space wind, from wind came fire, from fire water and from water came the earth. In all these passages Brahman is mentioned as the cause. So even in this passage namely Sadheva soumya idhamgta Aseeth. The word Sath refers to Brahman only.
Sutra Sruthathvaccha.
Because it is directly mentioned in the scriptures. Ramanuja quotes various texts to show that by the word “Sath” only the supreme self, omniscient, omnipotent,support of all of fruitfuland infallible will, free from all defects etc, is refered to as Brahman. In chandogya itself it is stated in the later passages that Brahman is the self of all. Anena Jeevena athmanam anupravisya namarupe vyakaranani.
I will enter into this jeeva as itself and give name and form also.
Sanmool ansoumya imah sarvah prajah sadha yathnah sat pravishtah.
All these beings have “Sath” as their source, they reside in it and rest in it and.
Ethadhathmyam idham sarvam thatsatyamsa athma.
All these are ensouled ny that which is truth and which is their true self.
Ramanuja concludes that these and other texts which specifically mention that the world has originated from the Lord Narayana the ocean of infinite auspicious qualities, the supreme Lord all knowing, all powerful.
Anthar bahischa that sarvam uyapya narayanass thithah.
Since it is established by the above sruthi text that Brahman must be the supreme person capable of manifesting as the world supporting all beings as their inner self . The advaitha view that Brahman is undifferentiated consciousness is also set aside says sri Ramanuja.
“Therefore “Sath” is Paramatma and he is the creator of the Jagath”
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