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
[Footnote 16: All the mentioned modes of Brahman are known from
Scripture only, not from ordinary experience. If the latter were the
case, then, and then only, Scripture might at first refer to them
'anuvadena,' and finally negative them.]
[Footnote 17: Ramanuja has here some strong remarks on the improbability
of qualities emphatically attributed to Brahman, in more than one
passage, having to be set aside in any meditation: 'Na /k/a
matapit/ri/sahasrebhyo-pi vatsalatara/m/ sastra/m/ pratarakavad
aparamarthikau nirasaniyau gu/n/au prama/n/antarapratipannau
adare/n/opadi/s/ya sa/m/sara/k/akraparivartanena purvam eva
bambhramyamanan mumukshun bhuyo-pi bhramayitum alam.']
[Footnote 18: The /S/ri-bh-ashya as well as several other commentaries
reads tadbhavabhavitvat for /S/an@kara's tadbhavabhavitvat.]
FOURTH ADHYAYA.
PADA I.
Adhikara/n/a I (1, 2).--The meditation on the Atman enjoined by
Scripture is not an act to be accomplished once only, but is to be
repeated again and again.
Adhik. II (3).--The devotee engaged in meditation on Brahman is to view
it as constituting his own Self.
Adhik. III (4).--To the rule laid down in the preceding adhikara/n/a the
so-called pratikopasanas, i.e. those meditations in which Brahman is
viewed under a symbol or outward manifestation (as, for instance, mano
brahmety upasita) constitute an exception, i.e. the devotee is not to
consider the pratika as constituting his own Self.
Adhik. IV (5).--In the pratikopasanas the pratika is to be meditatively
viewed as being one with Brahman, not Brahman as being one with the
pratika.--Ramanuja takes Sutra 5 as simply giving a reason for the
decision arrived at under Sutra 4, and therefore as not constituting a
new adhikara/n/a.
Adhik. V (6).--In meditations connected with constitutives of
sacrificial works (as, for instance, ya evasau tapati tam udgitham
upasita) the idea of the divinity, &c. is to be transferred to the
sacrificial item, not vice versa. In the example quoted, for instance,
the udgitha is to be viewed as Aditya, not Aditya as the udgitha.
Adhik. VI (7-10).--The devotee is to carry on his meditations in a
sitting posture.--/S/a@nkara maintains that this rule does not apply to
those meditations whose result is sa/m/yagdar/s/ana; but the Sutra gives
no hint to that effect.
Adhik. VII (11).--The meditations may be carried on at any time, and in
any place, favourable to concentration of mind.
Adhik. VIII (12).--The meditations are to be continued until
death.--/S/a@nkara again maintains that those meditations which lead to
sa/m/yagdar/s/ana are excepted.
Adhik. IX (13).--When through those meditations the knowledge of Brahman
has been reached, the vidvan is no longer affected by the consequences
of either past or future evil deeds.
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