Brihadaranyaka Upanishad Bhashya Vartika

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x S AMB ANDH A- V ARTIK A

fRR

M

^

|

^3^

With devotion do imperishable, unborn,

bow

I

all-pervasive

?

||

who is and partless, who one

that

to

||

stands far above the operations of all speech and thought,

who makes

the universe

happy and

being endowed with parts veiled

whom

they regard as

—they whose view of the Self

by the potent delusion which

is

is

brought about by

the expansive world of duality, generated by the power

of nescience resident in themselves. This is

eternal

is

an invocation addressed to the supreme Reality which

and without

parts,

and mind. That Reality the source of

no

divisions in

avidya

(i

all

which

is

of the nature of unexcellable

happiness.

it.

and which transcends the reach of speech

one without a second.

It is

The apparent

differentiations are

veils the real self

and

of the illusory world.

veils it,

is

is

There are

due to nescience

self.

Somehow

it

and weaves the variegated texture

Being blinded by

imagine that the supreme

and

and projects the non-real world.

Nescience too has no locus apart from the non-dual resides in the self

bliss,

this illusion, the

a whole-of-parts, and that

it

ignorant

really creates

the world.

Four preliminary matters anubandha-catustaya) are to be (


II

II

was studied

it

in

both in extent and sense,

it

called Brhaddranyaka, Here, the expressions aranyaka and brhat are explained.

the Upanisad was taught and studied in the forest-regions,

aranyaka

And,

as

it

is

great both in length

and

in

it is

As

called

meaning,

it is

Brhat + aranyaka 4- upanisad = Brhadaranyakopani sad

brhat.

[

10 ]

gi%*TR wsh**.

?

h

11

Thus under the pretext of explaining the etymolomeaning of the name, he

gical

stated that the

By

end of

all

Upanisads

explaining the meaning

been shown that the

bondage with

its

fruit

cause,

(the

of the

is

commentator) has release alone.

word

of Brahman-knowledge

‘

upanisad’

is

it

has

the removal of

and the attainment of unexcellable happiness.

to]

vrntwh

11

??

11

In order to establish the mutual conflict between those

who

are eligible for action and those

who

are

-VARTIKA] for

eligible

words

7

knowledge,

commentator

the

who

sake of those

‘for the

desire

wrote the

freedom from

transmigration’. After indicating the fruit of Vedanta-study, the question as to

who

the eligible person for such study

is

commentator, declares that the freedom from transmigration,

taken up.

is

Sankara, the

eligible persons are those

desire

and not those who are

release,

viz.

who

attached to actions.

[

12 ] sri§!finci:

i

&

II

He

alone

has renounced

to study

the Vedantas

is

eligible

all

actions without residue,

It

to

of

.

may be urged

and DarSapurnamasa not meant for

same person

that the

But

rites.

it is

E.g.,

all.

enjoined on different persons.

same persons should be Veda.

who

2

actions and Brahman-knowledge, even as

are

1

who desires know the unity

shake off transmigration and also to the self

II

The

is

Even among

Brhaspatisava is

eligible

for ritual

the case with Agnihotra

not so.

There

is

no

and

rituals all

Rajasuya

are

rule, therefore, that the

eligible for following all that is taught in the

eligibility for

Vedanta consist of discrimination between

the eternal and the non-eternal, non-attachment to the enjoyments of this

world and the next, possession of virtues like equanimity,

control, etc.,

and

desire for release.

get freedom from transmigration

and

In short, those

self-

who want

realize the non-dual self are

to fit

students for Vedanta-study. 1.

Trayi

is

Veda

the texts of Vedanta.

;

Trayyanta

is

Vedanta.

The

plural indicates

(SAMBANDHA-

8 2.

the

Aikatmya

is

the truth that there

We have rendered this

self.

only one reality which

is

is

word by employing such expressions

as the unity of the self, the oneness of self,

and the one

self.

[13]

Scripture too says in the passage that the one

renounced

all

who

is

he

knowing

BU, IV,

we whose

is

who

has

the real

Brahman-

cited here. iv,

22

“ Desiring

:

this self, this

and the

this

world (the Self) only, the

Verily, because they

did not desire offspring, saying

life

is

self.

renouncers renounce.

for sons

knowledge

scriptural text declarative of the eligibility for

knowledge 1.

for

actions for the sake of

nature of the inner The

is eligible

‘This only, etc.’

:

‘What

world?* They,

desire for wealth

shall

knew

this,

we do with

verily, rising

and the

the ancients offspring,

above the desire

desire for worlds, led the

of mendicancy.**

[14]

Reciting the Veda, etc. are for the sake of generating the desire to

know

Brahman, however, they

on the strength of (ipsanti).

the inner self;

for attaining

(action, etc.) are to be renounced,

the scriptural passage ‘They desire’

-VARTIKA]

How,

9

then,

may be

it

acts like reciting the

answer

is

Veda,

asked,

etc. related to

know Brahman.

a one the Brahmanas desire to gifts,

a sage.’ is

by penance, by

know by

in

note

,

tam-etam vedanuvacanena

sacrifice,

that one, one

becomes

the previous verse,

{

as icchcmtah of the

For the

purpose

quoted.

See

ipsantah of the

etam eva pravrajino

;

Madhyandina-mkha

Kanva-Mkha meaning

‘desiring’.)

15 ]

ii

of knowing the aforesaid

and content (which ‘the cause

is

brahmacaryena tapasa Sraddhaya

n

words

22: ‘Such

by

reciting the Vedas,

viditva munir bhavati

[

bility

iv,

mind of the

25: (ed. by A. Weber, 1855, p. 1090).

vi,

lokam Ipsantah pravrajanti.

same

to

1

vividisonti ,

yajnenanmakena caitameva

the

BU, IV,

By knowing

fasting.

Satapatha-brahmana XIV,

is

Cf.

in the

Here, the Madhyandina version of that part of BU, IV,

translated

22,

Brahman-knowledge? The

For attaining Brahman, however, the renunciation of actions

the means.

iv,

the performance of sacred

that such acts are helpful in generating

adhikarin the desire to

by

is

is

eligi-

to be explained), are stated the

of transmigration,

5

etc.

which are

replete

with clear reasonings. After commenting on the eligibility for the the subject-matter

is

introduced here.

[

16] qfl:

2

I

Vedanta-study,

[SAMBANDHA-

10

Since the words of the Vedantas have for content the one

no other content

self,

results

— the

knowledge

thereof, therefore, dispels the darkness (of ignorance).

The subject-matter or content of Vedanta oneness of

self.

The knowledge of

that

is

aikatmya

is

the

,

what removes ignorance.

[ 17 ]

3

'

l

||

||

In order to attain the knowledge which

work based on

nescience, the cause of transmigration, this

commenced, with

1

the Vedantopanisad has been

The

primal

cause

of

transmigration

destroys

is

care.

ignorance

or

ajnana avidya). Merit ( dharma ) and demerit ( adharma ) are

nescience

(


is

&reyas

reproduced here.

is

1)

pleasure that perishes.

They

He who lets himself to be governed by the And he who chooses the latter falls goal.

final

that goal.

means

Prey as

eternal.

govern different men.

former attains the

(ii,

karma

the

is

also

are

means

While jnana

different.

to preyas.

[25]

cTi§^Rr4

u £ii^q shifts**,

Vi

ii

a

‘Examining the enjoyments acquired through deeds a Brahmana

becomes

accomplished

( akrta )

is

not attained

For a knowledge of that he should, fuel in

since

dissatisfied,

hand, a preceptor

who

is

verily,

what

is

not

through deeds. approach, with

versed in Scripture and

established in Brahman.’ i

This that for

is

(I, ii, 12).

It

him who has become non-attached to samsara

eligibility for

jnana.

tion of all that perishes.

the Mundakopanisad

a text from

is

His non -attachment

finite.

Whatever

is

there

is

the result ©f a realiza-

accomplished in the world

Nothing wrought through karma

realizes this truth turns

is

declares

lasts

away from samsara and

for ever.

He who

seeks the knowledge

[SAMBANDHA-

16 of the non dual self which

unmoving and

is

order

In

firm.

immutable,

eternal, immortal, fearless,

approaches a preceptor (guru)

obtain

to

who

is

knowledge, he

that in

Brahman and

to

be accomp-

established

learned in the iastras.

[26 a]

“Now, lished, since

prosperity,

like it is

release

is

been

of the nature of what has not

attained.”

Now,# the objector lished, for

argues that release

is

has not yet been accomplished by

it

a thing-to-be-accompus.

So, he maintains

%

that release

is

on

SP — vimata

a par with prosperity.

muktih sadhya, aprapta-rupatvat , svargavat.

Release, which it is

is

in dispute,

is

of the nature of the unattained,

because

what-is-to-be-attained, like

heaven.

[26 b] i

M Not

thus.

#1

Even though

to-be-accomplished, perity

^g^PTqcl:

g

it is

release for

us

||

||

is

what-is-

not so in the sense that pros-

is.

This

is

the reply to the above objection.

Release

is

is-to-be-accomplished in the sense in which prosperity

imagined to be so on account of delusion. what-has-not-been-attained, principal sense.

It is so,

or

Therefore,

not whatit

is.

it

is

is

not

what-is-to-be-accomplished, in the

only in a figurative sense.

-

-VXRTIKA]

17

SP—bhr&ntam vUvaham.

apraptirupatvam

That release

mukteh,

the unattained

is

is

mukhya -sadhya t

na

a delusion;

it

is

not

what-is- to-be-attained in the primary sense of the term.

NTV—dvividho

prapyah, yatha gamanadina

hi loke

camikaradih pariharamyas

yatha ca jnanena kanthe

ca

,

gramadih , dvividhah ,

cikitsadina rogadih, yatha va sthanvadi-jnanena coradih.

There are two kinds of attainables in the world village, etc.,

which are

be reached by walking,

to

forgotten ornament round the neck which

the

through knowledge.

imagined

(2) like the

a

(2) like

to be attained

two kinds of remediables

;

which are to be remedied by proper treatment,

(1) like disease, etc.,

and

there are

Similarly,

(1) like

and

etc., is

:

a knowledge of the post,

thief, etc.,

who

are to be driven

away by

etc.

[27 ]

cwtfi

$m\

|

||

Where, is

is

what

is

(

already removed

kaivalya)

;

it is

is

destroyed, there

figuratively

spoken of as

accomplished sadhya). (,

Ignorance ( avidya ) which (vidya).

||

by knowledge, darkness (ignorance) which

an obstruction perfection

V9

Release which

spoken of as what

is

is

is

not real

is

removed by knowledge

the eternal nature of the self

to be attained through knowledge.

[28]

is

figuratively

[SAMBANDHA-

18

For one who

ment of one’s native

When

treatment.

by disease there

afflicted

is

state

is

attain-

health) through medical

(i.e.,

through knowledge the ignorance of

self is destroyed, perfection is attained.

Here an

illustration

is

Health

offered.

Sometimes

it

gets obscured

by

the disease

is

removed, we

say,

natural state.

one’s

is

When, by proper treatment,

disease.

one becomes whole.

This

is

only a

figure of speech.

NTV— nitya-Suddha-mukta-buddha-svabhavam

brahmaiva moksah

tac-ca svantaraya tamo-nivrtyd prapnotity upacaryate.

Release

is

Brahman

which

itself

is

by nature eternal,

pure,

i

ever free and intelligent, and that

when

the obstacle to

viz. the

it,

be attained, figuratively,

said to

is

darkness of ignorance,

NKL—muktir asadhya dtmabhinnatvat

is

removed.

atmavat.

[29]

f^R3lMtr3fcl

3?T 31

cP-TI

|

£ ‘

Brahman

verily

thu§ Scripture. so one

is

made

was

Like the to

this

n

man who

know by

Brahman alone

‘

etc.,

sleeps (is

Scripture

’

2

:

awakened)

and not made

to

act.

The

Scriptural texts that declare

the eternal nature of release

are cited. 1.

It

BU

,

knew only

‘Brahman,

I, iv, 10.

itself

thus:

verily,

was

“I am Brahman.”

this in the beginning.

From

it all

this

came

into being.* 2.

BU

9

IV,

iv, 6,

*

Being Brahman alone, he attains

Brahman.*

•

-VARTIKA]

iq

These and other

teach

texts

Brahman

that

the

is

eternally

attained.

What this truth,

do

Scripture has to

only to awaken the individual to

is

and not to make him do anything.

NKL—yatha raja supto

bandi-prabhrtibhis tattva-kathanena bodh

yate , na kamcid anusthapyate.

[

30 ]

||

What

can

since (release)

is

be

not dependent on

since the injunctive sense

human

is

no purport

if

there

knowledge which appear

are

to be in

not to be understood as such.

rock

?

It will

here,

impossible.

Deeds are dependent on the Even

here,

Injunc-

effort ?

Jnana cannot be the content of an injunction.

knowledge.

||

accomplished by injunction

tions that are declared in Scripture have

be enjoined.

3o

passages in

Not

of man.

Scripture

Even

a razor’s edge

so,

so

relating

the form of injunctions,

What can

only get blunted.

will

Only karma can is

to

they are

do against a

injunction cannot affect

knowledge. [ 31 ]

||

3J>

||

%

As what

is

for to

what

is

stated,

that

be accomplished there

in is

the

no

absence

eligibility,

objection too will be uprooted completely later on.

of

that

4

;

.

[SAMBANDHA-

20 What was the promise

is

stated

by the objector

made

that

it

in v.

20

is

be replied to

will

recalled

here,

See

later.

v.

and

228 et

seq.

[32]

^

qafct

ii

Another says

4

The

:

natural

which you desire as the good can

ii

of the

state

result

^

self

only from deeds

since deeds are taught in Scripture.

The objector now says: self in its

own

nature

is

You

hold that the remaining of the

But that can be achieved

the goal. Agreed.

only by performing the deeds enjoined in Scripture.

The combination of mukti and karma horses and burnt chariot

maxim

the

thus

“ This

:

is

on the maxim of the

Jacob explains

(nastafva-dagdharathavat ) is

lost

based on the story of two

and one of them losing

men

travelling

his horses

and

the other having his chariot burnt, through the outbreak of

fire

in their

in

the

The

respective chariots,

village

which

were

they

putting up for the

night.

horses that were left were harnessed to the remaining chariot,

and the two is

in

— union

for

men pursued

their

mutual advantage.

**

journey together.

teaching

Its

*

[33]

^

foiiri

•r =3

*

p. 31.

A Handful of

i

\\

Popular

Maxims (Nirnayasagar

Press,

\\

\\

Bombay,

1925),

-VARTIKA]

21

Scripture and in Traditional

‘‘Since in

alone

is

declared to be obligatory, there

is

Code

action

no means other

than action for release and prosperity. Whether the end be prosperity or Scripture

is

34 ]

3*

||

“ With care and through reasoning the eye of the Veda.

So

is

Here,

let

||

us see with

everywhere, the sense of the

either prohibition or injunction alone.”

far as the sphere

of relative experience

clear that the purport of the tions.

in

action.

[

Veda

means taught

release, the

That

is

to say,

the means to the

it is

human

Veda

lies

in

concerned,

is

it

injunctions and prohibi-

taught in the Veda that karma alone

goal.

Release

is

a

is

human

is

goal, like heaven.

Therefore, karma should be the means thereto.

NTV— etad

uktam

pravartaka-nivartakaveva Sast ra-prayojanam

;

— nise dha-v dh i-co danaiva i

sastram

mstrarthah pravrtti-nivrtt i-sadhyam

vidhi-pada-rahitanam

ajndtdrthaprameydbhavdt pauruseya-vakyavat

bhava t i

eva

vakydnam apramapakatvad

pravrtt i-ni vrt t i-sadhya-prayojanabhavac

nirapeksa-prdmanydbhdvdn

na

ca

karmatirekena

mukty-abhyudaya-sadhanam-iti.

This

is

what has been said

:

Scripture

form of prohibition and prescription what prompts and prevents; the

fruit

;

is

only mandate, of the

the sense of Scripture

of Scripture

accomplished by activity and withdrawal.

is

is

only

only what can be

1

22

[SAMBANDHA[35]

^3

^

qpft JPU

3#S?ll%{^qi ^ jqpq Now,

|

||

several texts of Scripture were cited

^

||

by me above.

Since they are non-injunctive, what you have stated

is

not

reasonable.

The siddhantin observes

that, as

which are non-injunctive

texts

he has already 2 cited Scriptural

in character,

it

that Scripture has purport only in injunctions

is

wrong to maintain

and prohibitions.

[36]

snwrer

^

3pr°Ti3 ||

“Syntactical unity tor them

is

\\

||

possible as subsidiary

to injunction because of the aphorisms ‘Since Scripture has

kriya for purport

The purvapaksin

'

‘With injunction,

1

replies that the

etc.’

.

non-injunctive texts have no

independent purport, and that they should be construed with an injunction.

1.

PM.

I, ii,

1,

‘

Since Scripture has action for purport, what

are not for the sake of that are useless; in these, therefore. Scripture is

declared to be non-eternal.

2.

PM,

I, ii, 7.

4

*

Being construed with injunction, they would

serve the purpose of eulogizing those injunctions.’

-V£RT1KA]

23

The^e two sutras occur in the ArthavUdUdhikaratja

The

18).

one

first

states the

Mlmamsa) contention

opponent’s

eulogistic passages

that

sutra

gives

(I, ii, 7)

passages have

the

who

is

I, ii,

,

eulogistic

1-

opposed to

and

that,

The

unreliable.

(arthavada)

They should be construed

Their duty, in

injunctions.

PM

are useless,

The

reply.

no independent purport.

syntactically with the

he

Veda would become

therefore, to that extent the

other

{i.e.,

(

fact, is to praisa

the injunctions.

For example, there samhita,

II,

4

i,

1)

is

One

the following text in the desiring prosperity

animal Sveta dedicated to Vayu

Vayu,

:

should

Vayu,

verily, is the eftest deity’

( Taittiriya

sacrifice

verily, is the

he leads the man to prosperity’.