FIRST PRASNA
I. 1. SUKESA CA
BHARADVAJAH SAIBYAS CA
SATYAKAMAH SAURYAYANI CA GARGYAH
KAUSALYAS
CASVALAYANO BHARGAVO VAIDARBHIH
KABANDHI
KATYAYANAS TE HAITE BRAHMAPARA
BRAHMANISTHAH PARAM BRAHMANVESAMANA ESA
HA VAI
TAT SARVAM VAKSYATITI TE HA
SAMITPANAYO BHAGAVANTAM PIPPALADAM
UPASANNAH.
Sukesa
son of Bharadvaja and Sibi’s son Satyakama
and Sauryayani (son of Suryayana) of Garga’s
family and Kausalya son of Asvalayana;
Vidarbha’s son of Bhrgu’s family; Kabandhin
of the Katyayana family; these well-known
(seers) devoted to Brahman and established
in Brahman, seekers of Brahman, the
Transcendent; (with the idea) that this
(seer) verily would teach (us) all that,
these (seers) with fire-sticks in their
hands approached he Revered Pippalada.
COMMENTARY :
Let my
anjali go to the Beauty of Anjanadri of the
hue of atasi flower bunch, with His chest
adorned with Laksmi.
1Prostrating
to Vyasa. Rāmānuja and other teachers now in
its turn I shall write this COMMENTARY on
the Prasnopanisad according to my ability.
Sukesa :
Bharadvaja means the male descendent of
Bharadvaja, Sukesa by name.
______________________
1 Both A and N omit this verse.
Saibya : Saibya, the
offspring of Sibi, satyakama by Name.
Sauryayani : Sauryanani, the off spring of
Suryayana. The lengthening of ‘i’ is a Vedic
exception. Gargya means that he belongs to
the clan of Garga (rsi)
Kausalya : Kausalya is the name.
Asvalayana means the offspring of Asvalayana
Vaidarbhi : the offspiring of Vidarbha
Bhrgava : Bhargava by gotra
Kabandhi : Kabandhi by name and
Katyayana by clan
Te ha
: The well-known
Ete :
the abovementioned six seers Sukesa,
Satyakma, Sauryayani, Kausalya, Bhargava and
Kabandhin
BrahmaparaA: Devoted to the Veda; those
depend upon the Vedas only is the meaning.
BrahmanisthaA : those who have great faith
in the teaching of the Vedas; or else
BrahmaparaA: Those inclined to or
seeking knowledge of Brahman
BrahmaparaA: those established in
askesis (tapas), since it is said Brahman
means Veda, the truth and askesis
Param:
the excellent (nirupacaritam) :
That which is not denoted by secondary
significance (but denoted by primary
significance alone)
Brahma
: That which is great in its nature and in
respect of its qualities
Anvesamana A: ‘seekers’ is the
meaning
Ha :
refers to well-knownness
Vai
: is the particle that denotes determination
Esah :
this; revolving in our mind; under
contempltion i.e., Pippalada (who is)
well-known as the knower of the excellent
Brahman, alone.
(vaksyati)
is capable of teaching topics which we six
persons seek to know
iti :
thus thinking
samitpanayah having in their hands
presents of the form of the bundle of fire
sticks and others
Bhagavantam Pippaladam : the Revered
Pippalada
Upasannah : Approached in the manure
prescribed in the scriptures.
I.2. TAN HA SA
RSIR UVACA BHUYA EVA TAPASA
BRAHMACARYENA SRADDHAYA SAMVATSARAM
SAMVĀTSYATHA YATHAKAMAM PRASNAM
PRCCHTA
YADI VIJNASYAMAH SARVAM HA VO
VAKSYAMA
ITI.
Then that
seer said to them “Remin here for a year
with further askesis, continence and faith
and then ask questions as you please. We
shall explain all if we know.”
Tan ha
sa r.Sir uvaca : The meaning is clear
Bhuya
eva : Even though previously you have
already practiced askesis, continence and
others, yet in order to receive the
Brahman-knowledge (from me), again with
additional tapas of the form of avoidance of
cohabitation which is of the eight forms of
remembrance, mention, play, seeing, and
obscene speech and willing and determination
and active participation with women.
Sraddhaya : with devotion of the form of
faith in the superterrestrial world.
SamVātsyatha: dwell ye here for a period
of a year
Then ask
about things as you wish to ask. If those
things we will know then shall we teach
(you) without equivocation (vancanam
antarena) (without any reservation).
Literally without the least idea of
deceiving you.
The
intention is “in case you have no faith in
my possessing the required knowledge and you
do not like to undertake the one year;s
penance, continence, and others which are
difficult to observe, you had better
depart.”
Here then
the principle that one should desire to hear
the teaching) with no idea of testing the
master’s knowledge is enunciated. Similarly
it is also indicated that the Master too
should have too much anxiety to secure
disciples.
1.3. ATHA
KABANDHI KATYAYANA UPETYA PAPRACCHA.
BHAGAVAN
KUTO, HA VA IMAH P-RAJAH PRAJAYANTA ITI:
Then
(after a year) Kabandhi of the Katyayana
family approaching (Pippalada) asked
“Master, whence verily are thee persons
born?”
14.
TASMAI SA HOVACA PRAJAKAMO HA VAI
PRAJAPATIH
SA TAPO TAPYATA SA TAPAS TAPTVA SA MITHUNAM
UTPADAYATE RAYINCA PRANANCETYETAU ME
BAHUDHA PRAJAH KARISYATA IT.
To him he
(Pippalada) said Prajapati (was) desirious
of off-spring. He practiced penance. He
having practiced penance, creates the pair
‘Rayi’ and ‘Prana’, thinking that these two
will make for me manifold offspring.
COMMENTARY :
Atha
Kabandhi : After a year with the
permission of others (his co-seekers)
Kabandhi approached Pippalada as instructed
in the scriptures and asked : what ?
Bhagavan : Master, whence…… The meaning
is clear,
Tasmai
sa ha : He (Pippalada) replied to
Kabandhi who asked as stated above.
Prajakamo ha vai : Prajapati desirous of
off-spring. Here Prajapati means Brahman,
since the passage refers to the Cause (of
creation), and Vyasarya has established that
the word Prajapati refers to Brahman.
Sah :
The well-known Prajapati, the Supreme Soul
desirous of creating progeny practiced
penance of the form of contemplation as to
the things which have to be created.
Atapyata : made
Sa
tapas taptva : He having thus
contemplated on the things to be created He
created the pair called Matter and Soul
mentioned here as Rayi and Prana.
This is the meaning.
With what
idea (purpose)?
(To this query) Hw
(Pippalada) replies.
Etau
me : For me desirious of off-spring
these two Rayi nad Prana will
create creatures of manifold types. With
this idea (He Prajapati, created). This is
the meaning.
I.5. ADITYO HA
VAI PRANO RAYIR EVA CANDRA MA
RAYIR EVA
ETAT SARVAM YANMURTAN-
CAMURTANCA TASMAN MURTIRE EVA RAYIH.
Āditya
indeed is prana : rayi alone the
Moon. Rayi indeed is all this which is with
form and that which is formless : therefore
form alone is Rayi.
COMMENTARY :
Ādityah : Āditya is he who takes up
(adatte); the enjoyer ; wherefore he is
prana, breath, is the meaning. The reason
why he is called breath will be exaplained
immediately.
Rayir
e a candramah : Rayi indeed is the Moon.
This he explains thus :
Rayi
eva etat sarvam : By the word ‘morta’
are indicated earth, water and fire. By the
word ‘amurta’ are indicated ‘air’ and
‘ether’.
The
entire group of elements is ‘rayi’
food, the enjoyable. Thjis is the meaning.
Tasmat
: therefore
Murtih
: That is all the body made up of five
elements is the enjoyable. This is the
meaning.
1.6&7. ATHĀDITYA
UDAYAN YAT PRACIM DISAM PRAVISATI
TENA
PRACYAN PRANAN RASMISU SANNIDHATTE.
YAD
DAKSNAM YAT PRATICIM YAD ADICIM YAD
ADHO
YAD URDHVAM YAD ANTARA DISO YAT
SARVAM PRAKASYATI TENA SARVAN PRANAN
ASMISU SANNIDHATTE. (6)
SA
ESA VAISVANARO VISVARUPAH PRANO’ GNIR
UDAYATE. TAD ETAD RCA ‘ BHYUKTAM. (7)
Now when
the sun rising up enters the eastern
direction by that (he) places in his rays
the eastern breaths. When he enters the
south, the west, the north, below, and above
and the directions between, when he
illumines all, by that he places all the
breathing in his rays.
Such this
Vaisvanara, one having all as his
form, the Breth, the fire, rises up : This
is stated in the rk (verse):
1.8 VISVARUPAM
HARINAM JATAVEDASAM
PARAYANAM
JYOTIR EKAM TAPANTAM :I
SAHASRARASMIH TADHA
VART’ AMANAH
PRANAH
PRAJANAM UDAYATYESA SURYAH :
The sun,
with thousand rays the breath of Brings
following Hari, having all for his form, the
manifestor of the Vedas, the ultimate goal,
the one burning effulgence, rises up
hundredfold.
COMMENTARY :
Atha
Ādityah : Now the Sun. After explaining
Rayi, the Sun, ‘is being explained’ is to be
supplied.
In other
words the reason why the enjoyer called here
‘Āditya’ is called Breth ‘Prana’,
is given :
Udayan
yat pracim disam pravisati : When
becoming awake from its state of deep sleep
(suSupti). This soul, jiva, illumining all,
the east, south, west, north, below, above
and those spaces between these, upbears all
the organs that lie in these directions,
through its rays called functional
consciousness or directions, through its
rays called functional consciousness or
cognition (dharma-Rāmānujajñānā). Therefore
it is itself prana (breath) on
account of its control over (all) the
organs. This is the meaning.
Pracim
disam : The East
Pravisati : enteres, i.e. illumines. In
other words, it becomes aware of objects
lying in he East.
tena :
For that reason bhūta
Pracyan pranan rasniSu sannidhatte :
places the eastern breaths in its rays.
It
controls, directs, the organs such as eyes
etc., which reveal objects in the eastern
quarter, through its rays called dharma.
Bjuta-jñānā (functional cognitive
consciousness). In the absence of its
presence as controller of the sense organs
through the adharma-bhuta-jñānā,
there will arise no perception of colour
etc., through the instruments (of cognition)
such as the eyes and others, since the
instruments are incapable of functioning
when not directed by the sentient soul. This
is the idea. With regard not directed by the
sentient soul. This is the idea. With regard
to (the subsequent passages beginning with)
yad daksinam etc… the passages must
be completed by supplying appropriate words
such as “When it enters the South for that
reason it places in its rays the
sense-organs in that direction.” For the
sake of brevity these words have been
omitted (in the text) in each of the
passages. Here it should have been said that
‘ the Supreme should wishing to create
off-spring brought forth matter and soul’
but instead of that, matter and soul are
indirectly referred to as Moon and Sun. This
is for the purpose of indicating that these
things are not to be taught in plain
language according to the maxim “Gods love
he indirect indeed” (Ait. Up. 1.3).
Then he
teaches that the arising group of enjoyers
mentioned already as the Āditya and
Prana in the passage Āditya
indeed is Prana’, is what which has
the Supreme Self as soul : as eSa
vaisvanaro vaisvarupah………
Yah :
who, already spoken of as Prajapati
Vaisvanarah : called Vasvanarah, on
account of his being the leader of all men
Visvarupah; : called visvarupa on
account of his having all as His body.
Agnih
: called agni on account of His
possessing the qualities of leading (allI to
the front, and etc.,
Sa
esah : this Supreme self already
mentioned as Prajapati
Pranah
: bring of the form of the group of
enjoyers mentioned s prana in the passage
‘The Sun indeed is Prana.
Upayate : rises up. This is the meaning.
This
mantra was referred to by Śrī Rāmānuja (in
the Śrī Bhaysa. Vasivanaradhikrana)
taking for granted that this mantra has
reference to the Supreme Self (and not to
the individual soul). It may be therefore
seen that this mantra has been interpreted
as here.
Tad
etad….. rca; Having reagard to such this
Brahman it is stated by the rk versee as
follows:-
Visvarupam : Having all as its body
Jatavedasam1 : One from whom the
Vedas have arisen, that is one who produces
all knowledge, as is stated in the passage
‘The ancient knowledge too has issued out
form It; (Svet. Up. III. 18)
Parayanam : the ultimate object of
attainment
Jyotir :
possessing rays that reveal all
Ekam : without
a second
Tapantam : who heats (creatures) by his
forms of inner stomach fire, and Sun and
others, as stated in the srutis and smrtis
: “He heats one’s own body from heard to
feet” (Tait); I becoming the
Vaisvanara residing in the bodies of beings
together with prana and apana cook the
fourfold food’ (B.G.XV.14)
Harinam : Hari, ViSnu is the meaning.
The use of the word Hari with the n-ending
is Vedic
Vartamanah ; Following; in other words being
His body on account of his being dependent
upon Him (for all his behaviour)
Sahasra-rasmih : possessing knowledge of
many things
Prajanam : of the creatures, immovable
and movable,
Pranah
: supporter,
Suryah
: Bright as the Sun
Esah :
this soul
satadha
: assuming egoity in respect of
different kinds of bodies such as god, man
etc.,
udayati: arises form the state of deep
sleep (suSupti) or rises up at the time of
creation.
I.9. SAMVATSARO
VAI PRAJAPATIS TASYAYANE
DKSINAN
COTTARAM CA. TAD YE HA VAI TAD
ISTAPURTE
KRTAM ITY UPASATE TE CANDRAMASAM
EVA LOKAM
ABHIJAYANTE. TA EVA PUNAR
AVARTANTE
TASMAD ETA RSAYAH PRAJAKAMA
DAKSINAM
PRATI-PRADYANTE. ESA HA VAI RAYIR
YAH
PITRYANAH.
The year indeed is Prqajapati. This
has two ayanas (paths), the Southern and the
Northern. 1So those who devote
themselves to sacrifices, constructions (of
tanks) and doing (gifts) istapurta-krta)
win the world of the Moon : and those alone
return (to the world of Birth).2
Therefore those seers desirous of progeny
take Haup the Southern path. Rayi indeed is
that which is the path of the fathers.
COMMENCOMMENTARY
Having
thus shown the divisions of Prajapati who
has the subtle matter and souls for His body
into enjoyable and anjoyer, of the form of
matter and soul (purusa) called in
this context ‘rayi’ and ‘Prana’,
(Pippalada) begins to explain, before
showing the division of the same Supreme
Self who is of the form of the one undivided
time (akhanda-kala) into divided (or
divisible) time, with a view to facilitate
understanding (cittavataranaya) or
for the sake of meditation (upasana), the
division of Prajapati called the year into
‘rayi’ nad prana’ which mean
the Southern path and Northern path, and the
division of Prajapati called month into the
dark and bright fortnights known by the name
of ‘rayi’ and prana’ and the
division of Prajapati of the form of night
and day time known by he name ‘rayi’
and rana’ and in this connection (he
begins) to show the superiority of the
northern path, the bright fortnight and he
day-time, - all of which are indicated by
the world prana’, over the soutern
path, the dark fortnight, and night-time,
all of which are denoted by the word ‘rayi’;
samvatsara……..year
etc.,
________________________
1 Cf.Brh.Up.6.2. 15-16.
Ch.Up.4.15.5; 5.10.: Bh.G.VIII. 24-26
2 A. V.
XII 2.52b.
tasya : of
Prajapti of the form of (divided) time
called samvatsara (year)
daksinam cottaram
ca : called the southern and the
northern
ayane : paths : there
are the two forms which support the course
of the Sun.
tad : tatra :
of the two
ye : those,
which persons,
isapurte krtam
: doing actions such as sacrifices,
construction of tanksa nd doing gifts; the
word ‘krta’ in the text is to be
taken to mean ‘datta’ : given, in
parity with the passage in another UpaniSad
“Those who residing in a village devote
themselves to (activities) such as
sacrifices, construction of tanks etc., and
giving” (Ch. Up. V. 10.3)
Istam :
sacrifices etc., enjoined in the scripture.1
s (sruti).
purtam : means
digging (of tanks, wells etc.)
Iti : means
such as these. Those who perform such
actions as sacrifices, gift-giving, digging
of tanks, wells & etc. attain the world of
the Moon. The same persons return to this
world, but not those meditators of the Self
who go by the northern path. This is the
meaning.
tasmat :………for
this reason these devotees of action
prajakamah:
desirous of small results of the form of
children (progeny) heaven & etc.
___________________
1 The Grantha text as well as the
two Mss. Add the word ‘srautam.’ This is
omitted in the Ānandasrama text.
rsayah : seers
of small results
daksinam : the
southern path called pitryana
pratipadyante
: take up.
Esah : this
Pitryana (is)
rayih is
chiefly concerned with food; in other words,
of the form of material enjoyments.
Though the
pitryana known form the authority “The
smoke, the night, the dark (fortnight)” etc.
(Gītā VIII.24), and mentioned in the
Purānas as the Southern path beginning with
the smoke and ending with the Moon, and the
Pitryana called the Daksinayana of the form
of six months which are parts of the year
(from the month when the Sun enters Cancer
t1-10.
1-10. ATHOTTARENA
TAPASA BRAHMACARYENA
SRADDHAYA
VIDYANA” TMANAM ANVISYAADIYAM
ABHIJAYANTE. ETAD VAI PRANANAM AYATANAM
ETAD
AMRTAM ABHAYAM ETAT PARAYANAM
ETASMAN
NA PUNARAVARTANTA ITY ESA
NIRODHAH.
TAD ESA SLOKAH.
Then by
the northern (path) having sought the self
by means of tapas, brahmacarya, faith,
knowledge, attain the Sun (Āditya).
This is the abode of breaths. This is
immortality void of fear. This he supreme
goal. From this (the souls) never return.
This is the prevention (to return).
Regarding this is the verse.
COMMENTARY :
atha :
The word ‘then’ indicates the beginning of
the next topic. Those (seers) who s stated
in the passage. ‘what’ shall we do with
(our) offspring or tapas” are
desireless.
tapasa
: by means of tapas of the form of
self-mortification.
brahmacaryena : by means of
brahmacarya of the form of abstinence
from sex activity.
sraddhaya
: by means of faith of the form of belief in
the other world ;
Ādityam vidyaya : by means of knowledge
of the soul.
abhijayante
: Having meditated upon (lit. seeking
after) the Supreme Self by means of the
above (four ways), attain, by the northern
path of the Arcis etc., the Sun who
is the gate for reaching Brahman, as stated
in the passage (Ch. Up. V. 10.3)
“From the Sun to the Moon, from the Moon to
the Lightning, the super-human Man that
leads (souls) to Brahman”. This is the
meaning.1.
Prana
………..: Now praising the self mentioned as
that which has to be sought after,
(Pippalada) shows that for them there is no
return (to birth or samsāra).
_______________________
1 The Ānandasrama ed has an
additional sentence here that is not found
in the Grantha ed. Or the SVOI. Mss.
etad
vai prananam : The neuter gender ‘etat’
in accordance with the word ‘ayatanam’
(which is neuter).
prananam: stands for those who breathe (i.e
living begins)
ayatanam : the supporter; since the
Supreme Self is stated to be the supporter
of all sentient beings in the passage, “Just
as the felly is fitted in the spokes of the
chariot-wheel, and the spokes are fitted in
the nave, even so these subtle elements are
fitted in the souls (prajnamatras)
and he souls are fitted in the breath” (Kausitaki.
Up. III.8)
etat
parayanam : this (is) the ultimate goal
to the attained, is the meaning.
etasman
na punar avartanyte : (here)
‘meditators’ is to be supplied (as subject).
The meaning is ‘Those who go by the northern
path return not after attaining the supreme
Self as stated in the passage, “But after
attaining me, O Arjuna, there is no birth
again there afterwards.” (Gītā IX.
16).
esah
: the Supreme Self mentioned already as
Prajapati in the passage (I.4) “Prajapati
(was) desirous of off spring” etc.
nirodhah: prevention : is he who puts an
end to the return (to birth) of him who has
attained Him.
Therefore
it is right to say that in he case of the
soul who meditating on Him has attained Him,
the Supreme Soul called Prjapati, has no
return (to birth-cycle). This is the idea.
Since in
this passage by the pronoun ‘esa’
Prajapati is referred to, the word atman
in (the previous passage) ‘atmanam
anvisya’ has referencwe to Prajapati
alone. Therefore it can be seen that
Vyasarya bearing all this in his mind has
said in the section “sarva-vyakhyana’
(Śrī Bhasya I.4 8th adhikarana)
“since in the passage : ‘tapasa na punara
vartante’ there is made mention of
non-return1 to one who had gone
by the path of Light etc., he who is
mentioned as Prajapati in the passage
‘prajakamao………’ (I.4) is the supreme
Brahman.
tat
(tasmin) : In respect of that Prajapati
of the form of the year
esa
slokah : the verse that follows (is
quoted)
I.11 PANCAPADAM
PITARAM DVĀDASAKRTIM
DIVA AHUH
PARE2 ARD HE PURISINAM3
:
ATHEMA
ANYA U PARE VICAKSANAM
SAPTA
CKRE SADANA AHUR ARPITAM ITI.
Some say that the
Father with five feet (and) twelve forms and
having a cover lies in the place beyond
heaven. Then there are those other indeed
who declare that (the world)4 is
fitted (to the chariot) with seven wheels
and six spokes firmly.
_________________
1 The original in the
Srutaprakasika has anavrttii………..
2
Cf.RV.I.164.12.
3 S.
renders it as ‘full of water’ cf.Trans.Of
RV. I. 164.12.
4 S. also
holds the same view. But Griffith says htat
‘God’ is so fitted or mounted.
This sloka is
found in RV.i.164. 12a; AV. IX.9 12a.
RV.I.164.12
(Griffity)
“They call him in
the farther half of Heaven ‘the Sire
five-footed, of twelve forms, wealthy in
watery store. These others say that he, God
with far seeing eyes, is mounted on he lower
seven wheeled six spoked car”
AV.IX.9.12.
(Whitney)
The five footed
father, of twelve shapes (akrti), they call
him rich in Ground (Purisin) the far
(para half of the sky; then these
call (him) set (arita) in the lower
outlook that served wheeled, six spokes”
COMMENTARY :
pancapadam : This means one who has
five feet of the form of1
vatsara, samvatsara. Parivatsara, idavatsara
and anuvatsara. Or else, the six
seasons (beginning with Vasanta) become five
when the last two Hemanta and
Sisira are taken as one. Pancapada
means one who has these five as his feet.
pitaram : father, the creator of all
dvadasakrtim : Having twelve months as
his forms.
divah pare : beyond heaven
ardhe : in the place
parisinam : by the word ‘purisa’
is indicated the cover of the globe of the
universe, which is adjacent2 to
the golden world (svarnabhumi). He
who has this abode is PuriSin. This
word goes with ahuh : they say.
atha : this word indicates
consideration of another view.
u : It is a determinative particles
(meaning ‘eva’ : alone).
para : indicates superiority i.e.
superior to those mentioned above (in the
fist half of the verse)
ime : these knowers of the truth f
time
saptacakre : having the seven
planets, Sun, etc. as wheels.
______________________
1 Cf. Kathaka Brahmana : Taitti.
Brahmna III. 10.4
2 The
reading here may be ‘sannibham’
instead of ‘sannihitam’ which would
give the meaning : of the colour of gold.
Cf. Isa. 15.
sadare
: having six seasons as spokes, in such a
chariot called a year, the whole world,
vicaksanam : ably, so as to be
unshakeable,
arpitam : is fitted
iti
ahuh : Thus they say.
I.12. MANO VAI
PRAJAPATIS TASYA KRSNAPAKSA EVA
RAYIH
SUKLAH PRANAS TASMAD ETA RSAYAH
SUKLA
ISTAM KURVANT5ITARA ITARASMIN.
Month indeed is
Prajapati : His dark fortnight is ‘rayi’ and
(His) bright fortnight is breath (prana).
Therefore these seers perform sacrifices
(ista) in the bright (fortnight), Others in
the other (i.e. dark fortnight).
COMMENTARY :
For the
sake of meditation, (upasana)
(Pippalada) shows that just as the year is
divided into the forms of ‘rayi’ and
‘prana’ so also the month is divided.
masah……pranah
: The meaning is clear.
tasmat
…….: therefore. Because the bright fortnight
is superior (to the dark fortnight) on
account of its being prtana ;
therefore,
rsayah
: seers, all the seers of the
transcendental things
sukle
: in the bright fortnight alone
istam
: all the desired good actions
kurvanti : do.
Itare
: (but) other seers, the ignorant
itarasmin
: In the other, that is in the dark
fortnight which being non-prana has
no value (do these actions).
I.13. AHORATRO
VAI PRAJAPATIS TASYAHAR EVA PRANO
PATRIR
EVA RAYIH, PRAAM VA ETE.
PRAKASHANDANTI YA DIVA RATYA SAMYUJYANTE.
BRAHAMACARYAM EVA TAD YAD RATRAV RATYA
SAMYUJYANTE.
The day and night
indeed are Prajapati. His day time is
breath. His night is rayi. Those who enjoy
sexually during day time waste their breath
: (whereas) sexual enjoyment during night
time is Brahmacarya itself.
COMMENTARY :
This same
division (into breath and rayi) (Pippalada)
shows in respect of day and night for the
sake of meditation (upasana).
ahoratro
vai : the meaning is clear. Because day
time is of the form of breath, therefore
ratya
: for sexual enjoyment : Here the
instrumental case is used to denote the
cause which is here the end.
Ya
diva samyuijyante ete : by the day which
is the breath those who have intercourse
with women-these.
pranam
vai : the breath itself
praskandanti ; dry up very much. Due to
misuse of breath they kill breath itself.
Raising
the question ‘If so’ the householders (grhastha)
should not approach their wives (at all),
(Pippalada) replies (now) that they could
(approach their wives) during night times.
brahmcaryam eva : indeed it is
continence. Intercourse with women during
night times is continence itself. It cannot
be called copulation (maithunam),
that is, does not cause any harm.
I.14. ANNAM VAI
PRAJAPATIS TATO HA VAI TAD RETAS
TASMAD
IMAH PRAJAH PRAJAYANTA ITI.
Food indeed is
Prajapati. From Him verily the semen. From
it come forth these creatures.
COMMENTARY :
Raising
the question as to how Brahman who is of the
form of matter, soul an time, can be said to
be the material cause since it is seen that
this semen which is an evolute of food is
the material cause of creatures, (Pippalada)
answers (as above)
annam
vai : because Brahman called Prajapati
is Himself in the state of food, and in the
state of semen resulting from it, therefore
all creatures come forth from the Brahman
who is of the form of different states of
matter, soul, time in he form of year,
month, etc., food and semen. So it is
reasonable to say that Brahman called
Prajapati is the material cause.
I.15. TAD YA HA
VAI TAT PRJAPATIVRATAM CARANTI
TEMITHUNAM UTPADAYANTE. TESAM EVAISA
BRAHMALOKO YESAM TAPO BRAHMACARYAM YESU
SATYAM
PRATISTHITAM.
I.16. TESAM ASAU
VIRAJO BRAHMALOKO NA YESU
JIHMAM
ANRTAM NA MĀYĀ CETI.
Therefore
those who perform the prajapati vow bring
forth a pair. For those aloe this world (of
Brahman). Who practise tapas and Brahmacarya
(and) in whom truth is established :
For those
this faultless world of Brahman : in whom
there is no crookedness and falsehood (and)
no trickery.
COMMENTARY :
In this
connection, deprecating those who do not
seek liberation, Pippalada praises those who
seek :
Tad ye
ha vai : therefore those who perform
the prajapti vow as duty, that is eating
food called here Prajapati, annam vai
prajapatih : (Prasna. I.14),
those who are given to eating food and
incontinence, verily those alone bring forth
progeny.
esa
Brahmalokah : this word that is of the
form of sons and cattle and food1;
the world of the form of Brahman as effect
(karya-bhuta), is only for those but not for
the seekers of the Self. This is the idea.
yesam
: On whose part there is
self-mortification (drying up of the body,
tapas) that is abstention from
eating excessively. and avoidance of sexual
enjoyment and in whom truth speaking is
established, and in whom there is no
crookedness such s described in the
passage ‘wicked men have one thing in the
heart and another in their speech and still
another in their acts’ and in whom there is
no falsehood, such falsehood as is injurious
to other,,2 for them there is the
world of Brahman free from all faults.
____________
1 This reading is in Ānandasrama
ed. It is not found in Mss. And grantha. The
Mss.
(SVOI) further omits
: karyabhutabrahmarup………
2 No
commentary on the word, māyā is found
in the text.
Brahmalokah : means Brahman Himself is
the world, That is Brahman is the ultimate
goal (to be attained), since this is the
interpretation given by Vyasarya in
sarva-vyakhyana-dhikarana.
iti
: indicates conclusion of the chapter.
End of the First Prasna.
SECOND PRASNA
II. 1. ATHA
HAINAM BHARGAVO VAIDARBHIB PAPRACCHA.
BHAVAVAN
KATYEVA DEVAH PRAJAM
VIDHARAYANTE KATARA ETAT PRAKASAYANTE KAH
PUNAR
ESAM VARISTHA ITI.
Then
Bhargava Vaidarbhi asked him (Pippalada) :
“Sire, how many gods support the creatures?
Who (among them) illuminate this? Who again
is the best1 among these?
COMMENTARY :
Now are
introduced questions for the sake of
elucidating the (nature of) inner soul
(which is) distinct form the body, organs,
mind, breath & etc… It is stated by Vyasarya
that “In the following sections the inner
soul is clearly taught.”
Atha :
After the question by Kabandhin (had been
answered)
Bhargavo
Vaidarbhib papraccha : (Pippalada) was asked
by Bhargava Vaidarbhi thus :
Bhagavan : O Sire I What number of gods
support the creatures of the form of
immovable an movable? Which among the same
gods illuminate this body, the effect of
them? Who again among them is the superior?
II.2. TASMAI SA
HOVACAKASO HA VA ESA DEVO VAYUR
AGNIR
APAH PRTHIVI VANMANASCAKSUHSROTRAM
CA. TE
PRAKASYABHIVĀDANTI VAYAM ETA BANAM
AVASTABHYA VIDHARAYAMAH.
To him he
(Pippalada) said : ‘Indeed this ether, the
god wind, fire, water and earth, speech,
mind, the eye, and the ear, these
illuminating (the body) declare “We uphold
and support this arrow1 (bana).”
COMMENTARY :
Tasmai
sa havaca the meaning is clear.
With a
view to describe the chief breath (prana)
as the supporter, the illuminator and the
best, he (Pippalada) narrates a story.
Ha vai
: indicates too-well knownness
esah :
The well-known ether (akasa)
Devah
: One who goes; from ‘div’ to go. Such Vayu,
Agai, Apah, Prthivi ;
Vāk
: by the word ‘speech’ are indicated by
secondary significance all the motor organs.
Caksuh
srotram ca : By the words ‘eye’ and
‘ear’ the senseorgans are indicated.
____________
1 Hume translates ‘trunk’
Te :
These Akasa and others : all having
assembled and standing around said pointing
to the body thus “We support and uphold the
body which wanders like an arrow.” The
meaning is ‘We support it since we are able
to perform various actions such as creating
space (avakasa).,1
II.3.4. TAN
VARISRHAH PRANA UVACA MA MOHAM
APADYATHAHAM EVAITAT PANCADHATMANAM
PRAVIBHAJYAITAD BANAM AVASTABHYA VIDHA-
RAYAMITI,
TE’ SRADDHADHANAH.
SO’BHIMANAD URDHVAM UTKRAMATA IVA TASMIN
NUTEKRAMATYATHETARE SARVA CVOTKRAMANTE
TASMIMSCA
PRTIASTHAMANE SARVA EVA
PRATISTHANTE. TAX YATHA MAKSIKA
MADHUKRARAJANAM UTKRAMANTAM SARVA
EVOTKRAMANTE TASMIMSCA PRATISTHAMANE
SARVA EVA
PRQATISTHANTA EVAM
VANMANASCAKSUH SROTRAM CA TE PRITAH
PRAANAM
STUNVANTI :
To them,
Prana, the chiefest breath, said “Do not get
deluded. I alone differentiating myself
five-fold uphold and support this arrow.’
They were distrustful. He, being proud, went
up as it were. When he begins going out,
then all the rest begin to go out. When he
settles down then all of them settle down,
even as all the honey-bees go out when their
leader (king bee) goes out and settles down
when he settles down. So also speech, mind,
eye and ear. They (being) pleased praised
breath.1
_________________
1 The An, text reads akasa.
COMMENTARY :
Tan
varisthah : The mening is the chiefest
breath said to this effect.
Ma
moham apadyatha : Do not get deluded. O
ether and others do not get this perverse
view. I alone differentiating myself into
the five forms of prana, apana, vyana,
samana and udana support (this
arrow). What is meant by the chiefest
breath in saying thus is” O ether etc., you
are capable of , yielding such particular
effects as space and others2 ;
but I am capable of doing your activities
because of being the cause of (all) your
actions. But in respect of the action of
keeping alive (any creature) which I perform
none among you is capable.
Te
asraddadhanah : They had o belief in his
words. Then the Breath perceiving their
pride, overtaken by pride, with a view to
exhibit his power over the hundred and eight
vital spots lifted himself out of his place
a little. The word ‘iva’ means ‘a
little’. In case of his actual going out
there would result an irreparable loss of
the body. Thus thinking he lifted himself
out a little alone. This is the idea.
Tasmin
utkramati : Thus when the chief breath
rose up all the other breathe rose up.
____________________
1 cf.BG.XV.8, BANA translated as
‘arrow’ means śarīram.
2 Ānanda
ed. And Nagari ms : add na tu
sarvakaryaksamah.
Tasmimstu : When he settled down lest
the body should fall all the other breaths
settled down. Here (he) gives an
illustration:
Yatha
maksika madhukara : even as the
honey-bees rise up to follow the king-bee in
its up and when he settles down they settle
down, even so the breaths, speech etc., do
the same as the chief breath does. This is
the meaning.
Te
pritah : Speech and others placed with
this manifestation of the greatness of the
chief breath, praised Him. This is the
meaning.
Stunvanti : The change of conjugation
instead of stuvanti is a Vedic
exception.
II.5. ESO
‘GNISTAPAYTYESA SURYA ESA PARJANYO
MAGHAVAN
ESA VAYUH : ESA PRAPTHIVI RAYI
DEVAH
SADASACCAMRTAM CA YAT.
This is
as fire heats. This is Surya, Parjanya,
Indira, this Vayu : this earth, god rayi,
and sat and asat and what is immortal.
COMMENTARY :
He
(Pippalada) cites the hymn of praise.
Esah
: mukhyapaeranah : this chief breath
burns with the form of fire.
Suryah
: this chief breath is himself the Sun,
since the existence of all depends upon him.
The co-ordination (samanadhikranya)
is in accordance with the maxim that “whose
existence is dependent on which, that is
called as that itself”, (liberally rendered
it means that if any thing is dependent upon
another thing then the former can be called
by the name of the latter. Here the
existence of Surya is called the chief
breath itself).
rayir
devah : That is the god who has become
water : in other words the Moon.
sad
asat ; The words sat and asat
refer to the present and the non-present, or
to the perceived and the non-perceived
(immediate and mediate objects) or to the
gross and the subtle or the sentient and
non-sentient.
Amrta
: refers to liberation, since it also
depends upon that (breaths)
II.6. ARA IVA
RATHANABHAU PRANE SARVAM
PRATISTHITAM ; RCO YAJUMSI SAMANI YAJNAH
KSATRAM
BRAHMA CA.
All is established in
the breath even as the spokes are joined in
the nave of the chariot. The rks, yajus and
samans: sacrifices, the ksatriya nd the
Brahman (castes).
COMMENTARY :
Arah
: the word ‘arah’ means the sticks
that lie between the nave and the felly of
the wheel (of the chariot). The nave (nabhi)
means the central part of the wheel. Just as
the spokes are fixed in the nave even so
are all established in this breath.
Sarvam
: All. The meaning of all is clearly
elucidated by rco yajumSi etc.
Brahma
kSatram ca : Here the words ‘brahman
and kSatra’ indicate through secondary
significance all the living creatures
immovables and movables. Thus hving
described the qualities of the chief breath
pointing out at Him with the finger to each
other, now they (the other organs mentioned)
praise Him addressing Him directly :
11.7
PRAJAPATISCARASI GARBHE TVAM EV
PARTIJAYASE, TYBHYAM PRANA PRAJASTVIMA
BALIM HRANTI YAH PRANAIH PRATITISTHASI
Thou
alone the Prajapati movest in the womb (of
the creatures) and thou art born. These
creatures take offering (bali) to thee who
art established by breaths.
COMMENTARY :
Prajapatis carasi……… You being the
protector of (all) creatures move in the
womb with the form of wind called breath
etc. (and) also being indeed of the form of
the father on account of being the cause of
conception and its development are born as
son and others contrary to your being its
cause.
Prana
: O breath, these creatures of the form
of movables and immovables
Tubhyam : are subservient to you,
since,
Balim
: the food etc., (offerings)
haranti : upaharanti : (they)
carry or take for you who are established in
all creatures through the functions of
breathing and others.
II.8. DEVANAM
ASI VAHNITAMAH PITRRANAM PRATHAMA
SVADHA
RSINAM CARITAM SATYAM ATHARVAN
GIRASAM
ASI.
Thou are
the carrier (of oblations) to the gods:
(thou art) the first oblation to the
fathers: (thou art) the true conduct of the
seers, Atharvans and Angirasas.
COMMENTARY :
Devanam asi vahnitamah : the best
carrier of oblations for the gods.
Pitram
prathama svadha : you alone are the
chief one who causes pleasure to the fathers
Rsinam……..: You are the most superior
activity of the form of regular and
occasional (nitya and naitmittika)
duties of the seers, Atharvans and
Angirasas; this is the meaning.
II.9. INDRAS
TVAM PRANA TEJASA RUDRO’SI
PARIRAKSITA TVAM ANTARIKSE CARASI SURYAS
TVAM
JYOTISAM PATIH.
Thou are
Indra, O Breath Thou are the Rudra by his
power (tejas), (and) the protector. Thou
movest in the atmosphere, thou art the Surya
lord of luminaries.
COMMENTARY :
Indra
tvam : O Breath you are Indra.
‘The supreme Lord’ is the meaning, sicne the
root is ‘idi’ to lord over
absolutely.’
tejasa
: with power of the form of ability to
slay all
tvam
Rudrah : you are He who causes (all) to
weep
Pariraksita : Means you are also the
protector during the creative period (sthiti-kala).
Tvam
antarikse : you becoming the Sun, the
highest among the luminaties, move in the
sky.
II.10 YADA TVAM
ABHIVARSASYATHEMAH PRANA TE
PRAJAH
ĀNANDARUPAS TISRHANTI KAMĀYĀNNAM
BHAVISYATITI.
When thou
rainest then O Breath, these thine creatures
remain joyful (with the hope) that there
will be food to their heart’s content
COMMENTARY :
Yada
tvam : O Breath, when you having the
form of clouds shower rain then these your
creatures become blissful. For what reason ?
Kamāyā
: for there will be food enough for
(perfrming) desired things; since it is
stated in the Chandogya Up (VII. 10.
1). “Whenever there is good rain then the
creatures become blissful hoping that there
will be plenty of food.”
II.11. VRATYAS
TVAM PRANANIKARSI ATTA VISVASYA
SATPATIH
VAYAM ADYASYA DATTARAH PITA TVAM
MATARISVA
NAH
O Breath!
Thou art vratya, thou also the chief
seer, he eater of the world (visva) the
protector of the good.
We are
the givers of the enjoyable.
Thou art
our father, matarisvan.
COMMENTARY :
Vratyah : O Breath you are vratya,1
brahman without sactifying ceremonies.
You yourself are ht chief seer of the
mantras. You yourself are also the
destroyer of the world. You yourself are
also the protector of the good-men.
Vayam
: we are the givers to you of the
eatable, that is, enjoyable. In other words,
(we are) servants. O Matarisvan, you are the
father, that is, our nourisher. The absence
of the two ‘n’s in Matarisvanah can
e considered to be Vedic exception.
II.12. YA TE TANUR
VACI PRATSTHITA YA SROTRE YA CA
CAKSUSI
YA CA MANSI SANNTATA SIVAM TAM KURU
MOTKRAMIH
What form of thine is established in speech.
What in the ear and what in the eye and what
form in the mind (is) stretched that form
make thou beneficent. Do not go out (of the
body)
COMMENTARY :
Ya te
tanur vaci…Which power is always
established in the organs of speech etc.,
that is the power helping in controlling
these organs, please make that power
beneficent. Do not make (that power) useless
(asivam) by your going out : The meaning is
: Do not go out (of this body).
_______________
1 Vratya : “Vratyah sam
skarahinas syat” Amara.
II.13. PRANASYEDAM
VASE SARVAM TRIDIVE YAT
PRATISTHITAM MATEVA PUTRAN RAKSASVA ŚRĪSCA
PRAJNAM
CA VIDHEHI NA ITI
All this
(is) dependent on the will of Breath
; (also) what is established in Heaven.
Protect (us) just as the mother (protects)
her sons. Bestow on us riches and
intelligence.
COMMENTARY:
Pranasyedam : All the world dwells in
His will. Vasa means will. That means the
world is dependent upon His will.
Yacca
tridive : And whatever is established
in Svarga and others is also
dependent on Breath. Therefore protect us
even as the mother (protects) her sons. Give
us wealth (Śrī) of the form of
ability in performing our prescribed
activities and intelligence conducive to it.
End of the Second Prasna.
THIRD PRASNA
III.1 ATHA
HAINAM KAUSALYASCASVALAYANAH
PAPRACCHA. BHAGAVAN KUTA ESA PRANO JAYATE
KATHAM
AYATYASMINCHARIRA ATMANAM VA
PRAVIBHAJYA KATHAM PRATISTHATE
KENOTKRAMATE KATHAM BAHYAM ABHIDHATTE
KATHAM
ADHYATMAM ITI.
Then
kausalya Asvalayana asked his (Pippalada)
Sire, whence is the breath born? How does he
come into this body? And how is he
established (in this body) dividing himself?
By which does he go out? How does he exist
without and within?
COMMENTARY :
Atha
hdainam……: The meaning is clear.
Pratisthate : pratitisthati : is
established.
Sahyam
abhidhatte : exists nearby in the form
of the things lying outside. This is the
meaning; sine bahyam (that which
lies outside) is an adverb modifying the
very ‘exists nearby’
III.2. TASMAI SA
HOVACATIPRASNAN PRCCHASI
BRAHMISTHO’ SITI TASMAT TE’HAM BRAVIMI.
He
(Pippalada) said to him “you ask question
too big; Your are devoted to Brahman.
Therefore I shall teach you.”
COMMENTARY :
Tasmai… The meaning is clear.
atipraasnan ; means things that lie
beyond (all) question, that is not fit to be
questioned , occult. You ask. Therefore, you
re most devoted to Brahman, almost a knower
of Brahman are you, that is you are not an
ordinary man. Therefore I shall teach you
(that) on account of your fitness.
III..3. ATMANA
EVAISA PRANO JAYATE. YATHAISA PURUSE
CHAYAITASMINNETADATATAM MANO ‘KRTENAYA-
TYASMINCHARIRE.
This
Breath is born form the Self alone. Just as
the shadow (chaya) (follows) when the
man goes, (and) (just as) in him this mind
is always present (even so the breath) comes
into this body.1 without effort.
COMMENTARY :
He
(Pippalada) gives the reply to the first
question.2 This breath is born
form the supreme Self alone. This is the
meaning, since there is the passage “Prana
is born form this, also the mind and all
organs” (Mund. Up. II.i 3). Then he
gives the answer to the second question :
How does the breath enter the body?
Yathaisa Puruse :- Just as the shadow
goes along with the man when he goes,
-certainly there is no other cause for the
movement of the shadow-and similarly this
mind without any effort attaches itself in
the soul inseparably (atatam), even
so breath also without effort comes into
the body. That is, the entry of the mind and
breath into the body is through (with) the
soul. The idea is that since breath cannot
exist separated form the man, the
relationship of breath is only with the soul
(jiva.) Therefore no other cause is
required (than the entry of the soul into
the body) in respect of the entry of the
breath, even as in the case of the mind.
This is the intention.
_________________
1 The commentary of Sankra reads
the first two sentences as the answer to the
first question. It considers that the
process of entry of the breath into the body
is due to ‘the act of the mind’ resulting in
sin and virtue.
2
Anndasrama ed. Reads prasnasya for
prathamasya.
III.4. YATHAQ
SAMRADEVADHIKRTAN VINIYUNKTE ETAN
GRAMAN
ETAN GEAMAN ADHITISTHASVE-
TYEVAMEVAISA PRANA ITARAN PRANAN
PRATHAKPRTHAGEVA SANNIDHATTE.
Just s
the sovereign commands his officers saying
“do you govern such and such villages”, even
so this breath controls other breaths
individually.
III.5.
PAYUPASTHE ‘PANAM CAKSUSSROTRE
MUKHANASIKABHYAM PRANAH SVAYAM
PRATISTHATE MADHYE TU SAMAHAN. ESA HY
ETADDHUTAM ANNAM AMAM NAYATI TASMAD ETAH
SAPTARCISO BHAVANTI.
(He
controls) apana in the organs of excretion
and generation; himself (coming out) as
prana from the mouth and nose is established
in the eye and the ear : in the middle he is
samana ; : since this makes even the
food that was offered (hutam):
therefore these seven flames arise.
COMMENTARY :
Now He
(Pippalada) replies to the third question
“How does the breath dividing itself get
established?”
Yatha
samrat : Just as the sovereign assigning
individually his servants (officers) in
charge of certain duties with the command
that such and such officers shall govern
such and such villages is established in
those villages, through them, even so this
chief breath is present of controls through
his own parts apana, vyana and
others, other breaths corresponding to
villages.
Payupasthe : Payupastha means payu
and upastha (dvandva-samasa)
apanam
: There he (breath) gets established as
apana that is performing the function of
excreting urine, faeces etc.
pranah
: The wind coming out from the mouth and
nose and thus being of the form of prana
is established in the eye and the ear (caksus
srotra), that is, he controls them.
Msadhye : But in the middle he stands as
samana.
Esah
: This, this samana indeed
Hutam
: food etc., that is eaten
Samam
nayati : makes equal or appropriates to
the seven elements (dhatus)
(constituting the body) that is, divides
it.
Tasmat
: From this Samana breath the
seven flames of stomach fire, named Kali,
Karali (Mund .Up.) arise.
III.6. HRDI HY
ESA ATMA. ATRAITAD EKASATAM NADINAM
TASAM
SATAM SATAM EKAIKASYAM DVASAPTATIT
DVASAPTATIH PRATISAKHANADISAHASRANI
BHAVANTY
ASU VYANAS CARATI.
In the
heart indeed is the self. Here are hundred
and one nadis. Each of these has seventy-two
sub-nadis and in each of these subnadis
(hitas) there are 1000001 branch
nadis, In these (breath) moves (as) vyana.
__________________
1 Ch.Up. VIII. The text as
it is would seem to mean “Each of these
nadis has hundred (subdivisions) and
again each of them has 72,000 branch
nadis. It is so construed by Sankara.
But R.R. thinks that satam satam
between
COMMENTARY :
Hrdi
esah : This soul (jiva), in the
heart in which the breath resides as
samana also resides. Here (in the heart)
there are hundred and one nadis. Each
among these nadis has seventy-two
divisions. Each of these 72 divisions has
100,000 branching nadis. In these
(branching) nadis (breath) moves (as)
Vyana. This is the meaning.
III.7
ATHAIKAYORDHVA UDANAH PUNYENA PUNYAM
LOKAM
NAYATI PAPENA PAPAM UBHABHYAM EVA
MANUSYALOKAM.
Then by a
certain one (nadi) the breath as
udana upward-moving leads to the good world
because of merit, and to the evil world
because of demerit, and to the human world
because of both.
COMMENTARY :
Hrdi
esah : This soul (jiva), in the
heart in which the breath resides as
samana also resides. Here (in the heart)
there are hundred and one nadis. Each
among these nadis has seventy-two
divisions. Each of these 72 divisions has
100,000 branching nadis. In these
(branching) nadis (breath) moves (as)
Vyana. This is the meaning.
III.7.
ATHAIKAYORDHVA UDANAH PUNYENA PUNYAM
LOKAM
NAYATI PAPENA PAPAM UBHABHYAM EVA
MANUSYALOKAM.
Then by a
certain one (nadi) the breath as
udana upward-moving leads to the good world
because of merit, and to the evil world
because of demerit, and to the human world
because of both.
COMMENTARY :
Atha
: indicates the beginning of a new sentence
(tipic).
Ekaya
: By a certain nadi
urdhavah
: upward moving breath
Punyena : because of merit
punyam
lokam : the world of Svarga etc.
papena
: because of demerit
papam
: to the world of Naraka (hell)
ubhabhyam : by bothe these, merit and
demerit
menusyalokam : to the human world
nayati
: leads.
The
answer to the question ‘How dividing himself
does the breath get established’, begins
with “Just as the sovereign” and closes
with “To the human world because of both.”
In the middle of this answer to the fourth
question ‘By which does he go up’ is given
in the passage “then by a certain nadi the
breath as upward-moving udana because of
merit leads to the good world.”
III.8. ADITYO HA
VAI BAHYAH PRANA UDAYATY EAS HY
ENAM
CAKSUSAM PRANAM ANUGRAHNANAH.
PRTHIVYAM
YA EVTA SAISA PURUSASYAPANAM
AVASTABHYANTARA YAD AKASAH SA SAMANO
VAYUR
VYANAH.
Verily
the outer prana rises up s the Sun (Āditya)
energizing the breath in the eye. That god
who is on the earth that is apana of
man. That air which is in the midregion is
the samana. The wind (is) vyana.
COMMENTARY :
Then the
reply to the question “How does he exist
without?” is given.
Caksusam pranam : The organ that lies
within the eye-ball.
Anugrhnanah : vitalizing through
furnishing the co-operative cause called the
rays (aloka)
Pranah
: The breath
Ādityah bahyah udayati : outside rises
with the form of the Sun. Though breath
cannot be the sun on account of difference
between them, yet it can be seen that
external Sun (Āditya) and others are
stated to be breath etc., because of the
assumption of non-difference due to the
breath-element pervading everywhere, or else
for the sake of meditation.
Prthivyam…….: That god who being of the
form of breathelement on the earth exists
vitalizing the organs of excretion and
procreation which are controlled by apana
breath of the man. This is the meaning.
Antara…….: It can be seen that the
mention of akasa (ether) as the same
as Breath controlling the ether is due to
secondary significance. This is the case wit
the following passage also.
Samana
indeed was spoken of as existing
between the abodes of prana and Apana.
Similarly in the case of the outer ether
also the quality of being samana can
be spoken of since that is also between the
outer the outer Āditya of the form
of the outer breath (Prana) and the
earth of the form of outer apana.
This is the intention.
Vayur
vyanah : The external wind is of the
form of vyana on account of its
vitalizing the touch-organ etc., (because it
pervades everywhere the entire universe).
Vayur
vyanah : The external wind is of the
form of vyana on account of its
vitalizing the touch-organ etc., (because it
pervades everywhere the entire universe).
III.9, 10, 11.
TEJO HA VA UDANAS TASMAD
UPASANTATEJAH PUNARBHAVAM INDRIYAIR MANASI
SAMPADYAMANAIH YACCITTAS TENAISA PRANAM
AYATI
PRANAS TEJASA YUKTAH I SAHATMANA
YATHASAHNKALPITAN LOKAN NAYATI II YA EVAM
VIDVAN
PRANAM VEDA NA HASYA PRAJA HIYATE
‘MRTO
BHAVATI. TAD ESA SLOKAH :
Light
verily is udana. Therefore (the
Purusa) with declining heart comes t the
breath together with the organs settled in
the mind in order to get another birth
through whatever desire he has in mind.
Breath conjoined with the light and the self
leads to the world according to his desire.
He who,
knowing thus, knows the breath, his progency
will not perish. (He) becomes immortal.
There is a verse in this connection :
COMMENTARY :
tejo
hs va udanah : The outward light is
udana since it is that which leads
upward.
UpaSantatejah : with the heat in his
body gone out
esah :
this jiva (soul) at the point of
death
yaccittah : in which his mind is, in
other words which desire he has got or which
human birth or divine or other one he
desires.
tena :
on account of that desire
punar
bhavam : in order to take rebirth
indriyair manasi sampadymanaih….. That
jiva at the point of death comes to
the breath which is with the organs of
speech etc., having particular contact with
the mind, as said in the commentary on the
Sūtra (by Śrī Rāmānuja) “The speech
with the mind as it is seen and on account
of scripture” (Śrī Bhāsya IV. Ii 1)
referring to the passage “The speech merges
in the mind” (Ch. Up.VI. 8.6). Though
the scriptures state that ‘All the breaths,
chief and subsidiary, go to the soul and not
the soul to the breath, as in the passage’
to this soul at the time of death all the
breaths go’ (Brh. Up. IV. Iii.38) and
this has been stated in the Sūtra “It (the
breath) in the controller (soul) on account
of its approach to him and other (V.S.
IV. Ii.4) and the meaning of the Sūtra is
explained in the commentary on that topic
(adhikarana) thus :
“There
the prima facie view is as follows
“Just as speech and mind merge only in the
mind and breath (respectively) in
accordance with the passage. ‘The speech
merges in the mind and he mind in he breath’
(Ch. Up. VI viii.6.) similarly on
account of the passage : ‘the breath
(merges) in the light’ (Ch.Up.IV.viii.6.)
the breath merges in the light alone.” In
reply to this view, we state ‘It (merges in
the controller’ (V.S.IV. ii.4). The breath
merges in the controller of the organs, that
is, in the soul. ‘Because of is going to him
and others.’ Prana is stated in the
scriptures as going to the soul. “In the
same manner verily to this soul at the time
of death all breaths go forth.” Likewise the
going-out of breath (Brh. Up. IV.iii.
38) along with the soul is stated : “When he
goes out the breath goes out following him”
(Brh. Up.IV.iv.2). And the
establishment of the breath together with
the soul is also stated thus: “At the time
of whose going upward I shall be going out
and on account of whose establishment I
shall be established” (Prasna Up. IV.
3). This mergence of breath in the light
after its contact with the soul is stated
here in he passage “The breath (merges) in
the light.” As the statemtn “That the Yamuna
goes to the ocean” is not improper though
the Yamuna goes to the ocean after joining
the Ganges, even so (here).” (Śrī-Bhasya
IV.ii.4).
Still it
can be seen it is proper to mention the
soul as going to the breath, as this passage
chiefly concerns the extolling of Breath.
pranas
tejasa….: Then in the manner (mentioned)
in the passage ‘breath merges in the light
and the light in the Supreme Godhead’ (Ch.
Up. Vi. Viii. 6), conjoined with
the light and Supreme Self, the breath leads
the dying person to this or that world
according to this will. Since thus the
breath is the cause of leading upwards (to
other worlds) only along with the light, the
light also is the cause of leading upwards,
the light can well by udana. This is
the idea. Though in the passage “Breath in
the light…” the word ‘light’ refers to all
elements and only to the light-element as
stated in the Sūtras “In the elements on
account of scripture to that effect”
(IV.ii.5), “Not only one (element) since (Sūtras),
it may be seen still that the (upanisadic)
statement is correct, since light is the
chief element (among the elements) on the
strength of the Bhasya “The Light
indeed mixed with the other elements is
indicated by the word light.”
III.12. UTPATTIM
AYATIM STHANAM VIBHUTVAM CAIVA
PANCADHA
I ADHYATMAM CAIVA PRANASYA
VIJNAYAMRTAM ASNUTE VIJNAYAMRTAMASNUTE
ITI II
One
knowing the birth, the entry, existence and
overlordeship and also division of itself
into into five-fold forms in the body (adhyatmam)
of the breath attains immortality, attains
immortality.
COMMENTARY :
evam :
to him who meditates upon the breath with
reference to its origination, coming and
establishment and others (i.e., going out
etc.), there is no loss of off-spring, sons,
grandsons and others. And also it becomes
the cause of freedom through the
accomplishment of meditation of Brahman
obtained through the knowledge of the nature
of the Pure Inner Self.
tad
esa slokah : In respect of the
meditation on the breath, the following
sloka is recited : this is the meaning.
Utpattim : The birth of the breath from
the supreme Self and its coming (into the
body) along with the mind.
sthanam : His existence in such places
of the body as the organ of excretion and
procreation and
vibhutvam : overlordship of the form of
ownership mentioned in the passage ‘Just as
the sovereign commands his officers’ (Prasna
III.4).
Adhyatmam….pancadha : The five-fold
existence as Prana etc., and also its
fivefold outerexistence as Sun etc.,
indicated by the particle ‘ca’ (and).
vjnaya
: knowing
amrtam
asnute : one attains the Immortal, that
is one attains liberation. The repetition of
‘knowing and attains the Immortal’ indicates
the close of the reply.
End of the Third Prasna.
FOURTH PRASNA
IV.1. ATHA HAINAM
SAURYAYANI GARGYAH PAPRACCHA.
BHAGAVANNETASMIN PURUSE KANI SVAPANTI
KANYASMIN
JAGRATI KATARA ESA DEVAH SVAPNAN
PASYATI
KASYAITAT SUKHAM BHAVATI KASMINNU
SARVE
SAMPRATISTHITA BHAVANTITI.
Then
Sauryayani Gargya asked him (Pippalada)
Sire, which are those that sleep in this
person? (and) which are awake I him? As what
does this god experience dreams? For what
reason is it that delight occurs? And who
is that in whom all are well established?
COMMENTARY :
Puruse
: Person; when he is in sleep, must be
added.
Kabi
asmin : Here also when is in sleep must
be added.
esah
devah : Deva is jiva (soul). He is called
‘deva’ on account of his possessing
‘luminosity’ etc. (attributes).
Katarah : Being of what nature does he
experience chariots etc (cf. Brh. Up.
IV 3 I) in dream. This is the meaning.
Kasya…
For what reason does delight derived form
sense objects occur ? is the meaning
IV.2. Tasmai so hovaca. Yatha Gargya
maricayo ‘rkasyastam Gascchatah sarva
estasmimstejjomandala ekibhavanti. Tah punah
punar udayatah pracaranty evam ha vai tat
sarvam pare deve manasyekibvhavati. Tena
tarhyesa puruso na srnoti na pasyati na
gighrati na rasayate na sprsate nabhivādate
nadatte nanadayate na visrjate neyayate
svapitityacaksate.
COMMENTARY :
Just as in the evening when the Sun sets,
his rays become merged in the Sun’s discus
without spreading in all directions, and
again when he rises his rays spreading in
all directions illuminate (everything).
evamtat sarvam : so all this group of
sense-organs.
pare deve manasi : in the mind that
is superior to all others, having the
qualities such as luminosity.
ekibhavati : becomes one; becomes
such s has a particular contact that hinders
their tendencies doing their respective
function, this is the meaning.
tena : because of the cessation of
the activities of the organs of hearing
etc.,
Ānandah : the function of
procreative-organ
visargah : the excretory function
neyayate : means does not move
By the
passage ending the ‘svapitityncaksate’,
the reply is given to the question ‘what are
those that sleep in the person? that those
that sleep are the outer organs of sensing
and action. The singular in ‘svapiti
is with reference to the organs taken
individually.
IV.3&4.PRANAGNAYA
EVAITASMIN PURE JAGRATI.
GARHAPATYO HA VA ESO’PANO
VYANO’NVAHARYAPACANO YAD GARHAPATYAT
PRANIYATE
PRANAYAIADAHAVNANYAH PRANAH.
YADUCCHVASANISVSAVETAVAHUTI SAMAM NAYATITI
SA SAMANAH. MANO HA VAVA YAJAMANA ISTAPHALAM
EVODANAH SA ENAM YAJAMANAM AHARAHAR BRAHMA
GAMĀYĀTI.
In this
city (of Brahman) the fires of breath alone
are awake. The apana indeed is the
garhapatya.1 vyaba is the
anvaharyapacana2 ahavaniya is
prana on account of being taken as it
is from grhapatya.3 Since it
makes even the two oblations of the form of
inhalation and exhalation it is samana.
The mind verily is the sacrificer. Udana
verily is the result of the sacrifice, this
leads the sacrificer daily to Brahman.
_______________________
1 Garhapatya is that which
belongs to the householder.
2
Anvaharyapacana is that fire that cooks
the rice called anvaharya.
3
Pranagnayah means taking of the
ahavaniya fire form the garhapatya which is
burning always
COMMENTARY :
Then the
reply is given to the question “Which are
those that are awake in him?”:-
Pranagnayah : The fires of the form of
breath, prana, apana and others alone
estasmin pure : keep awake; this is the
meaning
jagrati : keep awake; this is the
meaning
Here it is intended for the sake of
meditation to show the identity of
Agnihotra with the five breaths,
inhalation, exhalation and the mind which
keeps awake during the sleep state. The
active mind is the sacrificer. Apana
is garhapatya on account of its
abiding in the Muladhara. Vyana that
is adjacent to it is the soutern-fire called
anvaharya-pacana. Prana that has its
source in apana is akavaniya,
on account f its similarity to ahavaniya
fire which is taken from the garhapatya
fire (in sacrifice). The two functions
inhalation and exhalaiton that are dependent
upon it are the two oblations mentioned in
the passage “Two in the Ahavanity” (Sat.
Brah.)
The Samana breath that is the cause
of inhalation and exhalaiton is the
Adhvaryu who can be described as he who
makes even the oblations. But the udana-breath
is such, since it is that lead the
sacrificer upwards to the other world. In
this manner he (Pippalada) shows the eight
things that form parts of the Agnihotra
(sacrifice), namely, the sacrificer, the
three fires, the two oblations, and the
officiating priest and the result, in the
eight things of the form of five breaths,
inhalation and exhalaiton and the mind.
Though here according tot e passage “Even so
all these creatures daily approaching this
Brahman do not attain it” (Ch. Up
VIII.iii.2) the approach towards Brahman is
taught only in respect of the soul and not
in respect of the mind, still since the mind
is said to approach the nerve puritat
it can be seen that the mention of leading
the mind to Brahman who is in the puritat
is reasonable. Then he replies to the
question “As what does this God experience
dreams?”
IV.5. ATRAISA
DEVAH SVAPNE MAHIMANAM ANUBHAVATI
YAD
DRSTAM DRASTAM ANUPASYATI SRUTAM
SRUTAM
EVARTHAM ANUSRNOTI
DESADIGNTARAISCA PRATYANUBBUTAM PUNAH
PUNAH
PRATYANUBHAVATI DRSTAM CADRSTAM CA
SRUTAM
CASRUTAM CANUBHUTAM CANANUBHUTAM
CA
SACCASACCA SARVAM PASYATI SARVAH
PASYATI.
Here this
God enjoys greatness in (his) dream, since
he perceives whatever he had perceived and
rehears whatever he had heard and whatever
has been experienced in other places and in
other directions he again experiences (in
dream). He, being all, perceives all that
have been seen and not-seen, heard and the
not-heard, experienced and not-experienced,
and he existent and the nonexistent.
COMMENTARY :
atra
: here, in this state (of dream)
esa
devah : This soul
svapne
: in dream
mahimanam : greatness in possessing
elephants, horses etc.,
anubhavati : experiences,
drstam
: what was seen during the waking state
the same one sees again in dream.
drstam
drstam : frequently seen is the meaning
srutam
: heard
desa :
things experienced daily in other places and
in other directions he again and again
experiences. There is no rule that only
things that were seen and heard are
experienced in dreams. At times things that
were never experienced such as cutting of
one’s own body are experienced.
Saccasacca : existent and non-existent.
Sarvah
pasyati : being all one perceives; one,
being the seer, hearer and the smeller, the
goer, speaker and the rest, experiences,
this is the meaning.
The idea
is though at that time (of dram) all the
organs of sense and action which function
during the waking state are inactive, still
one, becoming the seer etc., with the help
of the body and organs created by Īśvara in
dream-state, experiences.
IV.6. SA YADA
TEJASA’ BHIBHUTO BHAVATI ATRAISA
DEVAH
SVAPANANNA PASYTY ATHA
YADETASMINCHAIRE SUKHAM BHAVATI.
When he
becomes united with the Light then this god
experiences no dreams. Now whatever delight
there is it happens in this body.
COMMENTARY :
Sah :
He
yada :
in which state
tejasa
: with the supreme Self here called
light on account of its illuminating
things.
abhibhuto bhavati : as stated in the
passage “O child then he becomes united with
the Being,” (Ch. Up. vii.1). “Verily
he becomes then united with the Light” (Ch.
Up. VIII. Vi. 3), becomes united, that
is, gets embraced (by God).
atra
: in this state
svapnam : does not see.
na
pasyati : does not see.
Now
consequently the reply given to the question
“As what does this god experience dreams?”
is that at the time not becoming united with
Brahman and when the mind alone is left (to
enjoy, work?) then one experiences the
dream-objects. To the question “For what
reason does the delight happen?” he
(Pippalada) replies:….
Atha
: Whatever delight happens that delight
happens only when there is the body. This is
the meaning. That is, the body alone is the
cause of pleasure derived form objects,
since there is the passage “Pleasure and
pain do not touch one when one is
disembodied” (Ch.Up. VIII.xii.1)
IV.7 SA YATHA
SOMYA VAYAMSI VASOVRKSAM
SAMPRA
TISTHANTE I EVAM HA VAI TAT SARVAM
PARA
ATMANI SAMPRATISTHATE III
The birds
resort to the tree in which they reside,
just as this instance, even so do all these
verily go to the Supreme Self.
COMMENTARY :
He
(Pippalada) now gives the reply to the
question “In whom are all established?”
Vayamsi : birds
Vasovrksam : he three whre in they dwell
Prati
: to (must be added)
sampratisthante : resort
sa
yatha : just as the example so also
these are established in the Supreme Self.
This is the meaning.
IV.8. PRTHIVI CA
PRTHIVIMATRA CAPASCAPOMATRA CA
REJJASCA
TEJOMATRA CA VAYUSCA VYUMATRA
CAKASASCAKASAMATRA CA CAKSUSCA
DRATAVYAM
CA SROTRAM CA SROTQAVYA CA
GHRANAM
CA GHRATAVYAM CA RASASCA
RASAYITAVYAM CA TVAK CA SPARSAYITAVYAM CA
VĀK CA
VAKTAVYAM CA HASTAU CADATAVYAM
COPASTHA-SCĀNANDAYITAVYAM CA PAYUSCA
VISARJAYITA VYAM CA PADAU CA GANTAVYAM CA
MANASCA
MANTAVYAM CA BUDDHISCA
BODDHAVYAM CAHANKARASCAHANKARATAVYAM CA
CITTAM CA
CETAYITAVYAM CA TEJASCA
VILYOTAYITAVYAM CA PRANASCA
VIDHARAYITAVYAM CA.
And the
earth and the subtle earth, and water and
the subtle water, and light and the subtle
light, and wind and the subtle wind, and the
ether and the subtle ether. The eye and the
perceivable the ear and the audible, the
nose and the smellable, taste and the
testable, touch and the touchable, speech
and the speakable, hands and the graspable,
the genetive organ and the enjoyable, the
anus and the excreble, the feet and the
walkable, mind and the mindable,
understanding and the conceivable, egoism
and the object of egoism, thought and the
thinkable, luminosity and the illuminable
breath and the supportable.
IV.9. ESA HI
DRASTA SPRASTA SROTA GHRATA RASAYITA
MINTA
BODDHA KARTA VIJANANATMA PURUSAH SA
PARE
‘KSARA ATMANI SAMPRATISTHATE.
This
indeed is the seer, toucher, hearer,
smeller, taster, thinker, conceiver, doer
and the person of the form of knowledge. He
gets established in the transcendent
imperishable Self.
COMMENTARY
Now
(Pippalada) explains the word ‘All’ (in the
previous mantra). Here, by the word
prthivi-matra is indicated the
earlier state of the earth which is
meantioned in the puraas as
gandhatanmatra, the smell-in-itself.
This (explanation) applies to all the
subsequent usages of the word ‘matra’
(in itself).
esa………….:
The idea is that the entire world of the
form of sentient and insentient and of the
form of door, instrument and object is
dependent upon Him. Since here mention is
made of the conceiver, and doer f the nature
of knowledge, the logicians who hold that
the soul is only a knower not having the
nature of knowledge, and the upholders of
the theory of illusion who declare that the
soul has the nature of knowledge and is not
a knower are both refuted.
IV. 10 & 11.
PARAM
EVAKSARAM PRATIPADYATE SA YO HA VAI
TAD
ACCHAYAM ŚRĪRAM ALOBITAM SUBHRAM
ASSARAM
VEDAYATE YAS TU SOMY SA SARVAJNAH
SARVI
BHAVATI. TAD ESA SLOKAH, VIJNAHATMA
SAHA
DEVAISCA SARVAIH PRANA BHUTANI
SAMPTRATSTHANTI YATRA I TAD AKSARAM
VEDAYATE
YASTU SOMYA SA SARVAJNAH SARVAM
EVAVIVESETI II
He who
knows this shadowless bodiless colorless
selfliminous imperishable (self) he becomes
a knower of all and becomes the possessor of
all. On this there is a verse :
Whoever
knows that imperishable in which he soul of
the nature of knowledge, breath together
with all the gods (organs) and the elements
are established he knowing all pervades all.
COMMENTARY
sa yo
ha vai : here by the word chaya
action (karma) which restrict knowledge, is
referred to
acchayam….. : means free from sin,
consequently,
asariram : bodiless, alohitam ;
colourless, void of colour.
Subhram : self luminous, akSaram
: imperishable (the Supreme Self)
vedayate
: knows,
sah
: He
somya
: O lucky man!
paramevaksaram : Brahman,
Vasudeva
pratipadyate : having attained, becomes
the knower of all
sarvi
bhavati : becomes one with all his
desires fulfilled.
tad esa
slokah : together with the organs of speech
etc.
pranah
: chief breath,
bhutani : the gross element
vijñānātma : the soul
yatra
: in which
pratitiSthanai : are established
tat :
that
subhram : self-luminous
subhram : self-luminous
aksaram : imperishable (Supreme Self)
yo
janati : whoever knows
sah :
he
sarvajnah : knowing all
sarvam
eva : all the created
avivesa : pervades. As stated in the
passage “There happens free movement in all
the worlds” (Ch.Up.VII.xv.2
Bhuma-vidya) one becomes capable of
moving in all the worlds one desires. This
is the meaning.
End of the Fourth Prasna.
FIFTH PRASNA
V.1. ATHA HAINAM
SAIBYAH SATYAKAMAH PAPRAQCCHA.
SA YO HA
VAI TAD BHAGAVAN MANUSYESY
PRAYANANTAM ONKARAM ABHIDHYAYITA, KATAMAM
VAVA SA
TENA LOKAM JAYATITI. TASMAI SA
HOVACA.
Then
Saibya Satyakama asked him (Pippalada):
“O Sire he who among men meditated on OM
upto the end of his life, which world will
he win by means of it?” To him he (Pippalada)
replied:
COMMENTARY :
Ha
vai : indicates well-knownness
sah
: The pronoun sah refers to
the fit-person in general
bhagavan : O one fit for adoration (or
worship)
yah :
which fit person
manusyesu : among men
prayanantam : upto the time of death
onkaram adhidhyayita : will meditate on
the syllable OM
sah
: he
katamam lokam : which world
jayati
: Wins, attains
vava :
indicates emphasis or well-knownness.
V.2. ETAD VAI
SATYAKAMA PARAM CAPARAM CA
BRAHMA:
YAD ONKARAH | TASMAD VIDVAN
ETENAIVAYATANENAIKATARAM ANVETI.||
It is
omkara O Satyakama which is the Brahman
superior and inferior. Therefore the knower
by this means follows (takes to) one of
them.
COMMENTARY :
O
Satyakama :
Etad
eva : this itself
Param
caparam ca Brahma : Is the superior as
well as the inferior Brahman. The meaning is
that it signifies both (aspects of Brahman).
That this co-ordination is due to the
relation as word and meaning is explained by
Vyasarya in the “Iksatikarmadhikarana” (Vedānta
Sūtras I.iii 12).
What is
that ? The reply is the Omkara.
tasmat: therefore; sah: the
meditator : etena eva ayatanena ; by
the path of this Syllable alone.
ekataram : The superior of inferior
Brahman
anveti
: meditates, is the meaning.
V.3. SA
YADYEKAMATRAM ABHIDHYAYITA SA TENAIVA
SAMVEDITASTURNAM EVA JAGATYAM
ABHISAMPADYATE. TAM RCO MANUSYALOKAM
UPANAYANTE, SA TATRA TAPASA BRAHMACARYENA
SRADDHAYA
SAMPANNO MAHIMANAM ANUBHAVATI.
If one
meditates upon it with one moment (matra)1
by that getting established (one) becomes
respectable in this world. Him the rks lead
to the human world. He full of tapas,
chastity and faith, there enjoys greatness.
COMMENTARY :
sah
: the Meditator
yadi……:
If he meditates on the syllable pronounced
short (for the duration of just one moment)
which indicates the inferior Brahman, that
is, he who meditates on the inferior Brahman
uttering the short-syllable indicating the
inferior Brahman.
tenaiva : by that meditation on the
inferior Brahman alone by means of Omkara of
one moment
samveditah : becoming existent
jagatyam : on this earth
abhi :
abhyarhitah : great
sampadyate : becomes.
Tam
: Him
_________________
1 Hume translates eka-matra
as one element (a), two matras as two
elements (a-u) which interpretation is
obviously wrong, for it is stated that the
Onkara should not be split at all.
Thus Rangaramanujja points out that it
refers to time-span i.e., ekamatra.
Means having he duration of one moment
dvimatra as having two moments.
cf. also
Note on pp.165 Trans. of Śankara-BhaSya on
PrasnopaniSad by S. Sitaramasastri
ed.1898.
Rcah
: the rk mantras
manusyalokam upanayante : lead to the
human world:
tapasa
: practicing fasting
brahmacaryena : avoiding sexual
intercourse
sraddhaya : with faith in the other
world
sampannah : (if he is) full of all
these (three)
mahimanam : greatness, that is, the
meditation of Brahman resulting in the
Supreme Goal (sreyas-sadhanam)
anubhavati : practices.
The doubt
that how this syllable ‘OM’ could be a short
one since there is no such short sound in
respect of the four vowels (e, o, ai, au)
all of which are conveniently called by
Panini ‘Ec’ (pratyahara), need not be
entertained since such a short sound is
found in colloquial usage.
V.4. ATHA YADI
DVIMATRENA MANASI SAMPADYATE SO
‘NTARIKSAM YAJURBHAIR UNNIYATE SA
SOMALOKAM. SA SOMALOKE VIBHŪTIM ANUBHUYA
PUNARVARTATE.
Then if
here occurs in one’s mind meditation by the
syllable OM with two moments one is led to
the sky by the yajus, to the lunar world. He
after enjoying greatness in the lunar world
returns (to birth in this world).
COMMENTARY:
Atha
yadi……..: By the syllable Om of the
duration of two moments if one meditates in
his mind on the inferior Brahman, one is
led by he Yajus (mantras) to the
lunar world which rests in the sky.
sah :
the person meditating by the two
momented-syllable
antariksam : sky. It is held in the
IkSatikarmadhikarana (1.3.12) that the
words antarikSa and somaloka
(sky and the lunar world) signifying all
those worlds that are above.1
Indicate what takes place after death.
Accordingly it is stated in the Śrī Bhasya
in the Iksatikarmahdikarana thus :
“Dividing
into two as this. – worldly and
other-worldly what was mentioned already as
the inferior effected (karyam)
Brahman, stating that those who meditate on
OM of one moment get the result of the form
of enjoyment in this human world, and
stating that those who meditate on the OM of
two moments have the result of the form of
enjoyment in the other world indicated
through secondary significance by the word
‘sky’ ….. (Śrī Bhasya I.iii.12).2
_______________________
1 Mss. Reads Undhvaloka. Ata
eva is added by the Mss. This whole
passage is omitted in the Grantha ed. But it
is found in both the Mss. And Poona ed.
2 Thibaut
: Śrī Bhasya trans. P.313-4 renders
it well but the ekamatra, dvimatra
and trimatra are wrongly construed as
by Hume, as referring to the syllables
composing the OM (AUM).
somaloke : in the lunar world, i.e.,
having enjoyed in the other world, he
returns (to birth) at the end of (or after
exhausting) the fruits of his good deed.
V.5. YAH PUNAR
ETAM TRIMATRENOMITYETENAL.
VAKSARENA
PARAM PURUSAM ABHIDYAYITA SA
TEJASI
SURYE SAMPANKAH. YATHA PADODARAS
TVACA
VINIRMUCYATA EVAM HA VAI SA PAPMANA
VINIRUMKTAH SASAMABHIRUNNIYATE BRAHMA-
LOKAM SA
ETASMAJJIVAGHANAT PARAT PARAM
PURISAYAM
PURUSAM IKSATE. TAD ETAU SLOKAU
BHAVATAH.
He who
will meditate on the Transcendent Person by
this very syllable OM with three moments he
contacting the effulgent Sun, freed form sin
just as the serpent gets rid of its coils,
is led to the Brahman-world by the samans.
He from this world of men perceives the
Transcendent of all transcendents resting in
the city. There are two verses in this
regard.
COMMENTARY :
Yah:
He who by this same syllable which as
one-momented and two-momented brings about
inferior results, meditates upon the Supreme
Self.
abhidhyayita: meditates devotedly, that
is incessantly
sah :
he, the meditator,
tejasi
surye : coming into contact with the Sun
in the luminous world,
padodarah : that which has its belly as
its feet, that is the serpent,
yatha
tvaca vinirmucyate : just as ‘the
serpent’ gets rid of its worn out skin,
evam
papmana vinirmuktah : even so freed from
sin
brahmalokam : to the world of the Lord,
Vaikuntha
samabhih : by the Samans, the songs of
the Sama Veda
unniyate : is led up.
Since
there is another pronoun ‘sa papmana
vinirmuktah” here it is explained by
Vyasarya that sasamabhih must be one
word (instead of sah and samabhih),
and it means “By persons singing the
Samans or speaking sweet words”.
Etasmat : Since it is stated in the
Śrī hasya, Iksatikarma dhikarana (I.iii.
12) that he who has a body due to action is
jivaghana’ and that that state is
ascribed to the Brahma in the text ‘who
first created the Brahma (brahmanam),
here the word Jivaghana refers to the
world of samsara.
ghana
: here the word ‘ghana’ refers to
one who is embodied, since the word in
enjoined by Panini in the sense of
‘solodity’ which is called ‘murti’ in
the Sūtra ‘Murtau ghanah’ (Panini.III.Iii.77),
and since solidity can apply to the soul
(only) through its body.
tasmar
parah : beyond that, that is, the pure
soul,
tasmat
api parabhutam : one who is beyond
that even,
purisayam: One that rests in all
creatures as their inner self, as stated in
the passage “The creatures are the City of
Him who lies in the caves of all persons”
purusam iksate: the meaning is that he
perceives the Lord Vasudeva, the
unconditioned meaning of the word ‘Purusa’ s
stated in the passage “The word Bhagavan
and also the word Purusa have got
unconditional significance in respect of the
eternal Vasudeva.”
Consequently the view that the Brahmaloka
in the passage ‘sasambhi unniyate’
refers to the world of Brahma (Satyaloka)
is refuted, since to those that go there the
perception of the Transcendent Vasudeva
cannot happen.” This can be seen
Tad :
regarding the meditation on the Syllable (OM
of three momens)
Etau
slokau : these (following) two verses :
bhavatah : are read. This is the
meaning.
V.6. TISRO MATRA
MIRYUMANTYAH PRAYUKTA
ANYONYASAKTA ANAVIPRAYUKTAH | KRIYASU
BAHYABHYANTARAMADHYAMASU SAMYAK PRAYUK-
TASU NA
KAMPATE JNAH. ||
The three
moments of uttered together merging into one
another or with much interval are those
which bring about death. When the moments in
actions inner and outer and middle are
uttered well the knower will not fail.
COMMENTARY :
anaviprayuktah : an-a-viprayuktah
: very much disjoined
anayonyasaktah : too close: that is if
the syllable is uttered too closely because
of extreme speed in uttering, or too
disjointedly an account of too much interval
between each moment
tisro
matrah : the three moments
mrtyumantyah : bring about death; i.e.
bring about disaster. Even if the text reads
mttyumatyah the meaning is the same.
Bahyah
kriyah : the outward actions are
sacrifices and others.
antarah : the inner actions are the
mental ones.
Madhyamah : the middle ones are of the
form of japa (muttering) done by the
speech organ. In respect of these three
(kinds of activities)
Samyak
prayuktasu : (when these three moments)
are practiced well, that is, without much
over-lapping or much interval.
Janh
: the knower of its practice (tatprayoga)
Na
kampate : does not lose the result; this
is the meaning.
V.7. RGBHI ETAM
VAJURBHIR ANTARIKSAM SA
SAMABHIR
YAT TAT KAVAYO VELAYANTE | TAM
ONKARENAIVAYATANENANVETI VIDVAN YT
TACCHANTAM AJARAM AMRTAM ABHAYAM PARAM
CETI ||
The
knower by means of this OM-syllable attains
this world by rks, the sky by the
yajus, and by the samans that
(world) which the seers see : (also) that
which is calm, ageless, immortal, fearless,
and transcendent.
COMMENTARY :
sah :
the knower
Ragbhih : by the Rk mantras, etam
lokam : this world
yajurbhih : by the yajur mantras,
antarikSam : the sky
samabhih : by the saman mantras, yat
tat : that which,
kavayah : the seers of the transcendent,
vedayante : see as stated in the
passage “That most supreme abode of ViSnu
the Seers always see”
Onkarenaiva : by the path of the
Om-syllable itself
anveti
: attains, and after attaining that (he
attains)
santam
: free from the six waves (viz kama,
krodha, lobha, moha, mada, and
matsarya)1
ahjaram : free from old age and death
abhayam: fearless in respect of anything
param
: Transcendent, higher than all on account
of its being the Cause of all.
He also
attains that Brahman (which has the above
attributes) is the meaning.
____________________
1 Ajara : undecaying
or that which does not suffer form old age.
I. Thibaut translated
the Sūtra wrongly taking
Iksatikarma-vyapadesat as one word as in
the BhaSya of Śrī Śankara instead of taking
it as two words according to Śrī Rāmānuja
i.e. Iksatikarma sah the iksatikarma is
He because of vyapadesa as he himself
reads it on page 31.
It is
explained by the revered author of the
Brahma Sūtras (Bhagavan Bādarāyana)
under the Sūtra “Iksati karma vyapadesat
sah” (I.iii.12) “He is the object of
perception on account of being stated to be
the Supreme Self”1 that this
context refers only to the Supreme Self. Now
the Sūtra is explained in the Śrī
Bhasya1 on it thus :
“The
followers of the Atharva-veda, in the
section containing the question asked by
Satyakama, read as follows : ‘He again who
meditates with this syllable OM with three
matras on the highest person, he comes to
light and to the Sun. As a snake frees
itself form its skin, so he frees himself
form evil. He is led up by the Saman verses
to the Brahman-world; he sees the person
dwelling in the Castle who is higher than
the pure soul that is higher than the
individual2 souls concreted with
bodies “(Prasna Up.V.2).
“Here the
terms ‘he meditates’ and ‘he sees’ have the
same object of ‘seeing’3
is the result of devout meditation.3
and according to the principle expressed in
the text (Ch.Up.III.14) ‘According as
the man’s thought is in this world, what is
reached by the devotee is the object of
meditation, and more over4 the
object of both the verbs is identical namely
the highest person at both places.”
______________
1 The entire adhikarana is
here reproduced form thibaut’s translation
of the Śrī BhaSya (p.311-314) but
changes have been effected at certain places
which have been found to be incorrect in
his translation.
2 Changes
: p.311 line last insert before individuals
pure soul higher than the delete on p.312
first line and higher than those.
3 & 3.
Thibaut : Vedānta Sūtras (of
Rqamanuja Commentary) : p 3 12 line 3 insert
for and delete the same before ‘according
to’
4 ibid :
read instead of that in line 7 and 8, thus
and moreover the object of both verbs is
identical, namely the highest person at both
places.
“The
doubt here persents itself whether the
highest Person in this text be the so-called
four-faced Brahma, the Lord of the mundane
egg, who represents the individual souls in
their collective aspect, or the supreme
Person who is the Lord of all. The
PurvapakSin maintains the former view. For,
he argues, on the introductory question, ‘He
who here among men should meditate until
death on the syllable Om, what would he
obtain by it?, the text first declares that
he who meditates on that syllable with one
matra1 obtains the world of men;
and next, that he who meditates on it with
two matras5 obtains the world of
atmosphere. Hence the Brahman-word which the
text after that represents as the object
reached by him who meditates on Om with
three moments2 must be the world
of Brahma Caturmukha who is
constituted by the aggregate of individual
souls. What the soul having reached that
world sees, therefore is the same Bsrahma
Caturmuhha3. And thus only
the attribute etasmajjivaghanat parat
param is to be explained, for the
collective soul i.e., Brahma Caturmukha,
residing in the Brahman-world is
higher (para) than the distributive
or discrete soul (Jiva which is
concreted (ghani-bhuta) with the body
and sense-organs, and at the same time is
higher (para) than these. This
highest person mentioned in the text,
therefore, is Brahma Caturmukha;
and the qualities mentioned further on, such
as absence of decay & c. must be taken in
such a way as to agree with the Brahma
“To this
prima facie view, the Sūtra replies that the
object of seeing is He, i.e. the highest
Self, on account of designation. The text
clearly designates the object of seeing as
the highest Self. For the concluding
sloka which refers to that object of
seeing, declares that by means of the Omkara
he who knows reaches that which is tranquil,
free form decay, immortal, fearless, the
highest’ all qhich attributes properly
belong to the highest Self only, as we know
from text such as ‘that is the Immortal,
that is the fearless, that is Brahman’ (Ch.
Up. IV.15.1). The qualification
expressed in the clause’ etasmaj
jivaghanat’ &c. may also refer to the
highest Self only, not to Bsrahma
caturmukha: for the latter is himself
omprehended by the term jivaghana.
For that term denotes all souls which are
embodied owing to karmnn; and that
Caturmukha is one of these we know from
texts such as ‘He who first creates Brahma’
(Svet. Up.VI.18.) Nor is1 the
argument that, since the Brahman
world mentioned in the text on the world of
the atmosphere, the being abiding there must
needs be Caturmukha, correct. We
rather argue as follows-as from the
concluding clause ‘that which is transquil,
free form decay’ &c, we ascertain that the
object of intuition is the highest
Brahman, the Brahman world spoken
of as the abode of the seeing devote can not
be the perishable world of Brahma
Caturmukha.
___________________
1 ibid.p.313, line 14, omit
“There any strength in”
“A
further reason for this conclusion is
supplied by what the text says about ‘him
who is free form all evil being led up by
Saman verses to the world of
Brahman; for the place reached by him
who is freed from all evil cannot be the
mere abode of Caturmukha. Hence also
the concluding sloka says with
reference to that Brahman-world that
which the wise see1 is the
highest abode of Visnu. Nor is it even
strictly true that the world of Brahman
follows on the atmosphere, for the
svarga-world and other lie between the two.
“2We
therefore shortly explain the drift of the
whole chapter as follows : At the outset of
the reply given to Satyakama there is
mentioned, in addition to the highest (para)
Brahman, a lower (apara)
Brahman.3 This lower or
effected (karya) Brahman is
distinguished as twofold, being connected
either with this terrestrial world or yonder
non-terrestrial world Him who meditates on
the Pranava with one matra4
the text declares to obtain a reward in this
world-he reaches the world of men. He, on
the other hand, who meditates on the
Pranava with the matras4
is said to obtain his reward in a
super-terrestrial spherehe reached the world
of the atmosphere. And he finally who, by
means of the tri-momented5
Pranava which denotes the highest
Brahman, meditates on this very highest
Brahman, is said to reach that
Brahman, i.e., the supreme Person. The
object of seeing is thus non other than the
highest Self. Here terminates the
ahikarana of the ‘object of seeing’.
____________________
1 ibid.p.313 line 29 amend
‘teach’ into ‘see’ and omit ‘and teach’
after ‘see’
2 a
literal translation of the ‘Śrī Bhasya
passage has been given under Prasna Up
com.V.4.
3.
‘higher’ and ‘lower’ have been rendered as
superior and inferior respectively.
4. 4&5 see
note 4,5,6 ‘as having’ has uniformly to be
substituted by ‘with’ and ‘syllable my
matra’ or moment.
End of the Fifth Prasna.
SIXTH PRASNA
VI.1. ATHA HAINAM
SUKESA BHARADVAJAH PAPRACCHA.
BHAGAVAN
HIRANYANABHAH KAUSALYO
RAJAPUTRO
MAM UPETYAITAM PRASNAM APRC-
CHATA.
SODASAKALAM BHARADVAJA PURUSAM
VETTHA.
TAM AHAM KUMARAM ABRUVAM, NAHAM
IMAM VEDA
YADYAHAM IMAM AVEDISAM KATHAM TE
NAVAKSYAM
ITI. SAMULO VA ESA PARISUSYATI
YO’ NRTAM
ABHIVĀDATI. TASMANNARHAMYANRTAM
VAKTUM.
SA TUSNIM RATHAM ARUDHYA PRAVA-
CRAJA.
TAM TVA PRCCHAMI KVASAU PURUSA ITI.
Then
Sukesa Bharadvaja asked him (Pippalada)
‘O Sire, Prince Hiranyanabha, kind of
Kosala, approaching me asked this question.
“Do you know Bharadvaja, the person
with sixteen parts?” I told him (the young
man) this ‘I do not know him.’ If I knew
this how could I not tell you? He who speaks
untruth indeed dries up with his roots.
Therefore it does not become me to speak
untruth. He quickly ascending his chariot
went away. I ask you about that person,
where is that person (of sixteen parts)?’
COMMENTARY :
Atha
hainam…………: Then sukesa Bharadvaja
addressed him (Pippalada): ‘O Sire, Prince
Hiranyanabha by name, ruling over Kosala
coming to me asked me the following
question. ‘O Bharadvaja, do you know the
person who has the sixteen parts beginning
with ‘breath’ and ending with ‘name’. This
is the meaning.
Aham
kumram : I replied to that Prince thus;
I do not know that person. If I know, for
what reason should I not tell you, a prince
and a fit disciple. He who utters untruth
his roots dry up entirely. That is, all the
merit that is the cause of good results will
perish. Therefore in respect of what I have
told you, you need not entertain any doubt
that it is false.
sah :
The prince
tuSnim
: without obtaining the best result of
his question
pravavraja : quickly went away; by this
is indicated his own shame.
rathena ……: by the statement that he
went away getting upon his chariot, is
indicated that he was a ruler.
Tam
tva….: I ask you about the same person
of sixteen parts.
Kvasau
purusah : Where is he? That is , in
which is he?
Here the
question about the place of the ‘person’ is
asked with a view to determine whether the
person is the individual soul or the supreme
Self. Thjis may be seen.
VI.2. TASMAI SA
HOVAVA. IHAIVANTAHSSARIRE SOMYA
SA PURUSO
YASMINNETAH SODASA KALAH
PRABHAVANTITI.
To him he
(Pippalada) said “Here itself within this
body O youth is that Person whom these
sixteen parts are capable” (of helping).
COMMENTARY :
tasmai
sah…….: The meaning is clear. Here
within the body.
Vartate : exists, must be supplied. By
the statement that the person is supported
by a space limited by the body, it must be
taken to have been stated that the
individual soul (jiva) is that
person. If it be doubted: how can the
jiva himself be stated to be the one
with sixteen parts, sicne this possession o
sixteen parts and the agency to create them
can be fully referred to the supreme Self
alone? He (Pippalada) replies :
yasmin
…..In which person
etah
: the following, beginning with ‘breath’ and
ending with ‘name’
sodasa
kalah : the sixteen parts
prabhavanti : are able to bring about
the results of enjoyment of pleasure and
pain due to his contact with them. Now the
meaning of having sixteen-parts is nothing
but the state of being the enjoyer of the
sixteen arts and that can be only in the
case of the individual soul.
If it be
asked, if the attribute of being the cause
of creation of the sixteen parts is common
to both the individual soul and the supreme
Self, what is that which restricts the
attribute of being the enjoyer of them to
the individual soul alone and not to the
supreme Self? He (Pippalada) replies:
VI.3. SA
IKSANCAKRE KASMINNAHAM UTKRANTA
UTKRANTO
BHAVISYAMI KASMIN VA PRATISTHITE
PRATISTHASYAMITI.
He saw
(though) “At whose going I shall go out? At
whose establishment shall I get
established?”
COMMENTARY :
Iksancakre : He saw : The purpose of the
sentence1 is to indicate the
manner in which the individual soul
contemplates since the COMMENTARY(Śrī
Bhasya) under the Sūtra “He in the
ruler, on account of their going to him, and
other” (V.S.IV.ii.4) says so.
The
meaning is that he thought as to whose
upgoing and establishment occur along with
his. Here the idea is that since the soul
creates breath and others with the intention
of using them for his own ends, the
attribute of being the enjoyer applies to
him. But in the case of the Self according
to the there is no creation with the
intention of deriving any benefit to
Himself. Therefore the attribute of
enjoyerness of the sixteen parts cannot
belong to the Supreme Self
Gītā:--
“O
Dhananjaya, those activities do not bind me,
remaining
as I do as indifferent, and having no
connection with those
actions: (B. G.IX.9)
“Actions
do not besmear me. There is no desire on
my part
for the results of actions”
(B. G. IV. 14)
_______________
1 This
sentence is not in the Mss. & Poona ed.
VI.4. SA PRANAM
ASRJATA PRANACCHRADDHAM KHAM
UAYUR
JYOTIR APAH PRTHIVINDRIYAM MANAH |
ANNAM
ANNAD VĪRYAM TAPO MANTRAH KARMA
LOKA
LOKESU CA NAMA CA ||
He
created breath, from breath faith, ether,
wind, light, water, earth, organs, mind,
food. From food capability, vitality, tapas,
mantra, action worlds and names in the
worlds too.
COMMENTARY :
sah:
The individual soul, thus having thought
prqanam asrjata : first created the
chief breath whose going up ad establishment
accompany the own going out and
establishment.
pranat
: from that breath, sraddham : faith
in the other world
kham……..: the five elements
indryiyam : organs of speech and others
manah
: mind
annam
: food of the form of paddy & etc.
annad
vīryam : From food capability (was
created) : the ability of the body and
organs depending upon it (food).
tapah
: penance of the form of emaciation of the
body
mantrah : Rk, Yajus, Saman and
other mantras
karma
: sacrifices, jyotistoma and
others
lokah
: svarga and others
lokesu
nama ca : and names such as svarga
in those worlds
asrjata : created. This is the meaning.
Though
the attribute of being the creator of the
sixteen parts belongs to the Supreme Self,
still it may be seen that the individual is
stated to have the attribute of being the
creator on account of his being the agent of
actions whose unseen result is their cause.
Therefore the individual soul has created
these sixteen parts that are useful for its
own enjoyment, though its actions result in
the unseen effect which is their cause.
Since consequently he is the enjoyer of them
the attribute of having sixteen parts
belongs to the individual soul.
VI.5. SA YATHEMA
NADYAH SYANDAMANAH SAMUDRA-
YANAH
SAMUDRAM PRAPYASTAM GACCHANTI
BHIDYETE
TASAM NAMARUPE SAMUDRA ITYEVAM
PROCYATE;
EVAMEVASYA PARIDRASTUR
IMAHSODASA KALAH PURUSAYANAH PURUSAM
PRAPYASTAM GACCHANTI BHIDYETE TASAM
NAMARUPE
PURUSA ITYVAM PROCYATE. SA
ESO’KALO’MRTO BHAVATI. TAD ESA SLOKAH:
Just as
the rivers flowing towards the sea, after
reaching it, lose themselves in it, their
names and forms are lost and (thus) there is
only mention as the sea, even so, these
sixteen parts of this seer having the person
as their goal reaching him lose themselves.
Their names and forms are lost. There is
mention only as the person. This (person) is
partless (integral) and immortal. In this
context the following verse :
COMMENTARY :
Now he
(Pippalada) explains that the Supreme Self
not being such (that is with sixteen parts),
is without parts, and through this, that He
is that whom the seeker of liberation should
know.
yatha
nadyajh : Just as the rivers, such as
the Ganges
samudrayanah : Here the world ‘ayana’ by
indicating the supporter refers to the form;
those of the form of the sea : becoming fit
to be conceived as inseparable form the sea.
samudram prapya : having reached the
sea,
astam
gacchanti : lose themselves (disappear)
in it, that is, are lost sight of. But they
are never capable of causing change,
increase and others in the sea, and what
names of them were there and what previous
colours they had, white, black and others,
these are lost. The meaning is that after
their entering into it (the sea) they get
another name and another form. This same is
shown (by the words) : samudra ityevam
procyate : they are called the sea :
There (in the sea) all the aggregate of
rivers that has entered it, is called as the
sea itself but not as the Ganges or Yamuna.
evam
eva : in the same way
asya
paridrastuh : of thi sexperiencer,
enjoyer, the individual soul,
imah
Sodasa kalah : all these sixteen parts
instrumental to his enjoyment.
purusam : Vasudeva who is the
unconditioned meaning of the word Purusa.
prapya
: having attained,
astam
gacchanti : lose themselves; the meaning
is just as the edges of the knives on
striking the hard surface of a stone become
blunted, so also these become incapable of
procuring enjoyment for the Purusa.
The
reason for this is now given by him
(jPippalada):
Purusayanah : this means that their
nature, persistence or continuity and
functions depend upon the will (support) of
the Purusa. In other words, these parts have
no names and forms in respect of the Supreme
Self, as objects f enjoyment, place of
enjoyment and instruments to such enjoyment,
as they have name and form in respect of the
ordinary soul. He shows the same:
Purusa
ityevam procyate : since there is no
experience or existence of these apart form
the person, they are mentioned as the person
himself but not as the objects and lace f
enjoyment distinct from the person.
Sa
esah : Such this person.
akalah
: Since therefore there is not enjoyment
of these parts by the Supreme Self, He is
state as partless (akala)
amrtah
: consequently as the Immortal also,
since death is one to contact with the parts
(kalas) which make one an enjoyer.
Tad
: In respect of the nature of the Supreme
Self
Esah
slokah : the following verse: is read (pravrttah)
is to be added.
VI.6. ARA IVA
RATHANABHAU KALA YSMIN
PRATISTHITAHI TAM VEDYAM PURUSAM VEDA
YATHA MA
VO MRTYUH PARIVYATHA ITI ||
In whom
the parts are established like the spokes in
the nave of the chariot, know correctly that
person who must be known. Let not death
cause trouble to you.
COMMENTARY :
yasmin
pratisthitah : In whom established. This
means ‘made in which’
tam
vedyam : you know correctly the same
Person sought by the seekers after
liberation,
vah :
to you, the seekers of Brahman
vyathah : pains,
pari :
in all directions
mrtyuh
ma : let not death, ‘do (give)’ has to
be supplied.
VI.7. TAN
HOVACAITAVAD EVAHAM ETAT PARAM BRAHMA
VEDA.
NATAH PARAM ASTITI.
VI.8. TE TAM
ARCAYANTAS TVAM HI NAH PITA YO
SMAKAM
AVIDYYAH PARAM PARAM TARAYASITI.
NAMAH
PARAMA RSIBHYO NAMAH PARAMA
RSIBHYAH.
Then to
(all of) them he (Pippalada) said
“This much alone I know of this Transcendent
Brahman. There is nothing beyond
this.”
They,
adoring him (saying) “Verily thou art our
father who lead (us) to the farther shore of
our ignorance”, (departed). Homage to the
greatest Rsis.
COMMENTARY :
tan hovica :
He said to all the six disciples, Sukesa and
others, I know the Transcendent Brahman to
this extent alone That is, my knowledge of
the transcendent Brahman is only this much
and not more.
te :
All the six disciples
tam :
Pippalada
Arcāyantah : babhuvuh : They
were, adoring (saying that) “You are our
father on account of your leading us to the
farther shore of the sea of samsara.
Therefore the birth you have granted to us
alone is the superior one, since it is
stated in the scripture “He indeed gives
birth to him by knowledge; that is the
highest birth.”
Namah
prama-rsibhyah…: Salutations to the Rsis
(seers)’ is read in the place of expiatory
chant at the end. Repetition indicates the
end of the UpaniSad.
The
question whether the statement that ‘I know
Brahman to this extent alone, there is
nothing beyond this’ cannot mean that there
is no Brahman, distinct form the individual
soul with sixteen parts, cannot be raised,
since it will contradict the sūtras
such s “it is distinct because of the
mention as different” (V.S.II.i. 22) There
(in that context) indeed raising the doubt
that if the Brahman is the cause of the
world it being not different from the
individual soul, there results such faults
as on-performance of good alone, the
conclusion arrived at is that there are no
such faults, since the Brahman is distinct
from the individual soul. The BhaSya
under the adhikaranu (Itaravyapadesadhikarana
: II.1.22f) is hereunder quoted.1
Vedānta Sūtras of Bādarāyana : II.1.
21-23.2
&
Śrī Bhasya of Śrī Rāmānuja
II. 1.21. “FROM THE
DESIGNATION OF THE OTHER (AS
NON-DIFFERENT FROM BRAHMAN) THERE RESULT
(BRAHMAN’S) NOT CREATING WHAT IS
BENEFICAL,
AND
OTHER IMPERFECTIONS”.
COMMENTARY :
Śrī Bhasya : “Thou art that: ‘This
Self if Brahman’ these and similar texts
which declare the non-difference of the
world form Brahman, tech, s has been said
before, at the same time the non-difference
from Brahman of the individual soul also.
But an objection here presents itself. It
these texts really imply that the ‘other
one’; i.e., the soul is Brahman, there will
follow certain imperfections on Brahman’s
part, viz., that Brahman endowed as it I
with omniscience, the power of realizing its
purposes, and so on, does not create a world
of a nature beneficial to itself, but
rather creates a world non-beneficial to
itself, and the like. This world no doubt is
a storehouse of numberless pains, either
originating in living beings themselves of
due to the action of other natural beings,
or caused by supernatural agencies. No
rational independent person endeavours to
produce what is clearly non-beneficial to
himself. And as you hold the view of the
non-difference to the world from Brahman,
you yourself set aside all those texts which
declare Brahman to be different from the
soul; for were there such difference, the
doctrine of general non-difference could not
be established.
__________________________
1 The translation of the Śrī
BhaSya is given form thibaut’s. Except,
the translation of the Sūtras, the rest of
his translation is fairly correct c.f.
Vedānta Sūtras : S.B.E.XL.VIII.: P.P.467-71
2
thibaut’s translation S.B.E.
vol.XL.VIII.pp.467-471
“Should
it be maintained that the texts declaring
difference refer to difference due to
limiting adjuncts, while the texts declaring
non-difference mean essential non-difference
we must ask the following question – does
the non-conditioned Brahman know, or does it
not know, the soul which is essentially
non-different from it? If it does not know
it, Brahman’s omniscience has to be
abandoned. If, on the other hand, if knows
it, then Brahman is conscious of the pains
of the soul which is non-different from
Brahman as its own pains: and from this
necessarily follows an imperfection, viz
that Brahman does not create what is
beneficial and does create what is
non-beneficial to itself. If, again, it be
said that the difference of the soul and
Brahman is due to Nescience 1 and
that the texts declaring difference refer to
difference of this kind, the assumption of
Nescience belonging to the soul leads us to
the very alternatives just stated and to
their respective results. Should the ajñānā.
On the other hand, belong to Brahman, we
point out that Brahman, whose essential
nature is self-luminedeness, cannot possibly
be conscious of ajana and the creation of
the world effected by it. And if it be said
that he light of Brahman is obscured by
ajñānā we point to all the difficulties
previously set forth which follow from this
hypothesis – to obscure light means to make
it cease, and to make cease the light of
Brahman, of whom light is the essential
nature, means no less than to destroy
Brahman itself. This view of Brahman being
the cause of the world thus shows itself to
be untenable. This prima facie view the
next Sūtra refutes.
II.1.22. BUT (BRAHMAN IS) DISTINCT1
ON ACCOUNT OF THE MENTION2 OF
DIFFERENCE.
Śrī
Bhasya: The word ‘but’ sets aside the
prima facie view. To the individual soul
capable of connexion with the various kinds
of pain there is distinction1
from Brahman. On what ground? ‘owing to the
declaration of difference’. For Brahman
is spoken of as different form the soul in
the following
____________________
1 Here the words in the Thibaut’s
transl ‘on the part of both’ have been
deleted as out of place.
texts :-- ‘He who
dwells in the self and within the self, whom
the soul does not know, of whom soul is the
body, who rules the soul within, he is the
Self, the ruler within, the immortal”3
(Brh. Up.III.7.22) : ‘Knowing as
separate the Self and Mover, blessed by Him
he gains immortality. (Svet. Up, VI,
2); “One of them eats the sweet fruit;
without eating the other looks on” (Svet.
Up, IV.6); “There are two, the one knowing,
the other not knowing, both unborn, the one
a ruler, the other not a ruler” (Svet.
I.9) “Embraced by the Prajna self” (Brh.
Up.IV.3.21): “Mounted by the Prajna self” (Brh.
Up. IV.3.35) “From that the ruler of
Māyā sends forth all this, in that the
other is bound up through Māyā” (Svet.
Up.IV, 9); ‘Master of the
Pradhana and the souls the lord of the
gunas “(Svet.Up.VI.16); The
eternal among eternals, the intelligent
among the intelligent, who, one, fulfils the
desires of many: (Svet. Up.VI.16);
The eternal among eternals, the intelligent
among the intelligent, who, one, fulfils the
desires of many: (Svet. Up. VI.16);
“Who moves within the avyakta, of
whom the avyakta is the body, whom
the avyakta, does not know; who moves
within the imperishable (aksaram), of
whom the imperishable is the body, whom the
Imperishable does not know; who moves within
Death, of whom death is the body, whom Death
does not know; He is the inner self of all
beings, free from evil, the divine One, the
One God Narayana” (Subala Up.VII);
and other texts.
II.1.22. BUT (BRAHMAN IS) DISTINCT1
ON ACCOUNT OF THE MENTION2 OF
DIFFERENCE.
Śrī
Bhasya : The word ‘but’ sets aside the
prima facie view. To the individual soul
capable of connexion with the various kinds
of pain there is distinction1
from Brahman. On what ground? ‘owing to the
declarationof ________________
1 Thibaut : has it as
‘additional’ (adhikam) but the
meaning is really ‘distinct’
2 Thibaut
has it as ‘declaration’
3
Thibaut’s translations of the Brh. Up.
Passages do not bring out Śrī Rāmānuja’s
reading of the text. The translation of atma
as soul has been done in order to make the
sense clear.
difference’. For
Brahman is spoken of as different form the
soul in the following
text :-- ‘He who
dwells in the self and within the self, whom
the soul does not know, of whom soul is the
body, who rules the soul within, he is the
Self, the rules within, the immortal”3
(Brh. Up.III.7.22): ‘Knowing as
separate the Self and Mover, blessed by Him
he gains immortality. (Svet. Up, VI,
2); “One of them eats the sweet fruit;
without eating the other looks on” (Svet.
Up.IV.6); “There are two, the one knowing,
the other not knowing, both unborn, the one
a ruler, the other not a ruler” (Brh.
Up.IV.3.21): “Mounted by the Prajna self” (Brh.Up.
IV.3.35) “From that the ruler of Māyā sends
froth all this, in that the other is bound
up through Māyā” (Ssvet. Up, IV, 9);
“Master of the Pradhana and the souls the
lord of the gunas “(Svet.
Up.VI.13); “who moves within the avyakta,
of whom the avyakta is the body,
whom the avyakta, does not know; who
moves within the imperishable (aksaram),
of whom the imperishable is the body, whom
the Imperishable does not know; who moves
within Death, of whom Death is the body,
whom Death does not know; He is the inner
self of all beings, free from evil, the
divine One, the One God Narayana” (Subala
Up.VII); and other texts.
II.1.23. AND AS IN THE ANALOGOUS CASE OF
STONES AND THE LIKE THERE IS IMPOSSIBILITY
OF THAT
Śrī bhasya : In the same way as it
is impossble that the different non
–sentient things such as stones, iron,
wood, herbs & c., which are of an extremely
low constitution and subject to constant
change, should be one in nature with
Brahman, which is faultless, changeless,
fundamentally antagonistic to all that is
evil & c. & c, ; so it is also impossible
that the individual soul, which is liable to
endless suffering and a mere wretched
glowworm as it were, should be one with
Brahman who, as we know from the texts,
such as “Free from all sins” etc., comprises
within himself the treasure of all
auspicious qualities, &c, &c. Those texts
which exhibit Brahman and the soul in
coordination, must be understood as
conveying the doctrine, founded on passages
such as ‘Of whom the soul is the body’ that
as the jiva constitutes Brahman’s
body and Brahman abides within the
jiva as its Self, Brahman has the
jiva for its mode; and with this
doctrine the coordination referred to is not
only not in conflict but even confirms it as
we have repeatedly shown e.g., under Sūtra
1.4.221 Brahman in all its states
has the souls and matter for its body; when
the souls and matter are in their subtle
state Brahman is in its causal
condition; when, on the other hand,
Brahman has for its body souls and
matter in their gross state, it is
‘effected’ and then called world. In this
way the co-ordination above referred to
fully explains itself.
“The world is non-different from Brahman
in so far as it is effect. There is o
confusion of the different characteristic
qualities : for liability to change belongs
to non-sentient matter, liability to pain to
sentient souls, and the possession of all
excellent qualities to Brahman: hence
the doctrine is not in conflict with
scriptural text. That even in the state of
non-separation-described in texts such as,
“Being only this was in the beginning’-the
souls joined to non-sentient matter persist
in a subtle condition and thus constitute
Bsrahman’s body must necessarily be
admitted; for that the souls at that time
also persist in a subtle form is shown under
Sūtras II.I.34; 35. Non-division, at
that time, is possible in so far as there is
no distinction of names and forms. It
follows from all this that Brahman’s
causality is not contrary to reason.
_______________
1 Avasthiteriti Kasakrsnah
“Those,
on the other hand, who explain difference
referred to in Sūtra 22, as the
difference between the jiva in its
state of bondage and the jiva in so far as
it is free form avidya i.e.,
the unconditioned Brahman, implicate
themselves in contradiction. For the
jiva, in so far as free form avidya,
is neither all knowing nor the Lord of
all, nor the cause of all, nor the Self of
all, nor the ruler of all-it, in fact,
possesses none of these characteristics on
soul; for according to the view in question
all those attributes are the mere figment of
Nescience. Nor again can the Sūtra
under discussion be said to refer to the
distinction, from the individual soul, of a
Lord fictitiously created by avidya-
a distinction analogous to that which a man
in the state of avidya- a distinction
analogous to that which a man in the state
of avidya makes between the shell and
the silver; for it is the task of the
Vedānta to convey a knowledge of the
true Brahman which is introduced as
the object of enquiry in the first Sūtra
(‘Now then the enquiry into Brahman’)
and which is the cause of the origination
and so on of the world, and what they at
this point are engaged in is to refute the
objections raised against eh doctrine of
that Brahman on the basis of Smrti
and Reasoning.
The two
sūtra II.I. 8 & 9 really form a
complementary statement to what is proved in
the present adhikarana; for the
purport is to show also that things of
different nature can be to each other in the
relation of cause and effect. And the
Sūtra II.i.7 has reference to what is
contained in the previous adhikarana.
Here
terminates the adhikrana of Designation
of the other”.
Rangaramanuja : Similarly the axioms
enunciated in the Sūtras : “But on account
of the teaching of a distinct truth, this is
so according to Bādarāyana and since it is
seen” (V.S.III.iv.8; “And also on account of
mention of difference He is distinct”
(V.S.I.i.21); “Because of mention as
different during deep sleep and going up”
(V.S.I.iii.42); and “Both indeed teach this
as different.” (V.S.I.i.20) will get
contradicted.
This is
enough of dilation.
