The Vedanta-Sutras with the Commentary by Sankaracarya: Sacred Books of the East, Volume 1
Religion
The Vedanta-Sutras with the Commentary by Sankaracarya: Sacred Books of the East, Volume 1
Vedanta
Adhik. VI (12-19) raises the question whether the anandamaya, mentioned
in Taittiriya Upanishad II, 5, is merely a transmigrating individual
soul or the highest Self. /S/a@nkara begins by explaining the Sutras on
the latter supposition--and the text of the Sutras is certainly in
favour of that interpretation--gives, however, finally the preference to
a different and exceedingly forced explanation according to which the
Sutras teach that the anandamaya is not Brahman, since the Upanishad
expressly says that Brahman is the tail or support of the
anandamaya[3].--Ramanuja's interpretation of Adhikara/n/a VI, although
not agreeing in all particulars with the former explanation of
/S/a@nkara, yet is at one with it in the chief point, viz. that the
anandamaya is Brahman. It further deserves notice that, while /S/a@nkara
looks on Adhik. VI as the first of a series of interpretatory
discussions, all of which treat the question whether certain Vedic
passages refer to Brahman or not, Ramanuja separates the adhikara/n/a
from the subsequent part of the pada and connects it with what had
preceded. In Adhik. V it had been shown that Brahman cannot be
identified with the pradhana; Adhik. VI shows that it is different from
the individual soul, and the proof of the fundamental position of the
system is thereby completed[4].--Adhik. VII (20, 21) demonstrates that
the golden person seen within the sun and the person seen within the
eye, mentioned in Ch. Up. I, 6, are not some individual soul of high
eminence, but the supreme Brahman.--Adhik. VIII (22) teaches that by the
ether from which, according to Ch. Up. I, 9, all beings originate, not
the elemental ether has to be understood but the highest
Brahman.--Adhik. IX (23). The pra/n/a also mentioned in Ch. Up. I, ii, 5
denotes the highest Brahman[5]--Adhik. X (24-27) teaches that the light
spoken of in Ch. Up. III, 13, 7 is not the ordinary physical light but
the highest Brahman[6].--Adhik. XI (28-31) decides that the pra/n/a
mentioned in Kau. Up. III, 2 is Brahman.
PADA II.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account