Chapter 7 Brahma Sutra BhAsya
7-9 BSB 3.4.18 to 3.4.20 SanyAs prescribed by scriptures Purva Paksha (PP) is a performer of Vedic rites and rituals. He holds that there is no Vedic sanction for sanyAs Ashrama. Vedic sanction is for only grihastha ashrama. An exception can be made for handicapped persons who cannot perform rituals. PP says that Brahmacharya Ashrama is a steppingstone for grihastha Ashrama. It is further argued that stages of life where celibacy is prescribed, they are allusions and not injunctions. The Vedic texts that those who give up fire are murderers of gods show that sanyAs is not prescribed by the Vedas.
Siddhanta quotes Ch 2.23. There are three divisions of religion: The first comprises sacrifices, study, and charity; the second consists of austerities, such as fasting; and the third is the life of celibacy and living with the teacher in his house till death. People devoted to these three divisions of religion go to heaven after death. But one who is devoted to Brahman attains immortality. The mantra mentions three Ashrams, namely, grihastha, vAnaprastha, and naistika brahmacharya (where a person chooses to remain in Gurukul till death). In addition, it mentions sanyAs indirectly for seekers of Brahman. To counter this, PP represented by the sage Jaimini says that the three ashrams are allusions without any Vedic injunction whereas in Ch Up 8.15.1, there is injunction for grihastha.
Siddhanta responds that if the three Ashrams are allusions, then as grihastha is one of them, it is also an allusion and is without Vedic injunction. Hence the pursuit of the other stages of life is as valid as the pursuit of the householder’s life. Similarly in the text, “Desiring this world (i.e. the Self) alone the monks renounce home” (Br. Up 4.4.22), renunciation is mentioned along with the study of the Vedas etc.; and in “Those who undertake faith (meditation), austerities, etc. while living in forests” (Ch Up 5.10.1), the stage of living in forest is read along with the meditation on the five fires (so that they are equally enjoined). [ Brahma Sutra BhAsya- Translated by SwAmi GambhirAnanda, Kindle Edition]
There is injunction to all teachers for four ashrams in mantra 4.2 of Jabala Upanishad, namely, one should complete brahmacharya Ashrama, become a grihastha, and when grihastha ashrama is completed with production of vairAgya, one should take to vAnaprastha Ashrama to practice meditation and then take up sanyAs to pursue knowledge. In other words, three Ashrams are meant to make one capable to enter sanyAs Ashrama. The mantra also says that because of punya earned in previous births one can take up sanyAs after brahmacharya Ashrama. Thus, there is injunction for more than one ashrama including sanyAs in Ch 2.23.1 and in Jabala Up 4.2.
7-10 BSB 3.4.25 SanyAsi free from rituals It has been established earlier that knowledge is not dependent on rites and rituals of Veda purva bhAga for the reason that knowledge produces liberation which is different from the results of rites and rituals. A sanyAsi pursues knowledge. It therefore follows that he is not required to perform Vedic rites and rituals.
7-11 BSB 3.4.26 and 3.4.27 Rituals etc needed for Knowledge In view of 7-10 above, a question arises whether knowledge derives any benefit from performance of rites and rituals. It is clarified that “All religious activities are also necessary” etc. As a matter of fact, knowledge needs the help of all the duties of the various stages of life, and it is not a fact that there is absolutely no dependence on them for purification of heart.”
“The Brahmanas seek to know it through the study of the Vedas, sacrifices, charity, austerity consisting in a dispassionate perception of sense-objects” (Br Up 4.4.22), which shows the usefulness of sacrifices, etc., in the attainment of knowledge. Moreover, it is understood from their association with “seeking to know” (Br Up 4.4.22), that they act as a means for the emergence of knowledge. [ Brahma Sutra BhAsya- Translated by Swami GambhirAnanda Kindle Edition.]Though there is no injunction for rites and rituals for pursuit of knowledge, they are useful for cultivating control of mind and senses. According to Bhagavad Gita and other Smrti, sacrifices, etc., performed without any motive for fruits, become the means for liberation. Some are proximate to knowledge and some are remote.
Katha 1.2.15 says that works enjoined on the Ashramas are means of knowledge. As a householder enjoy all material benefits through artha, dharma and kAma and if practiced properly, it indirectly paves way for gaining knowledge and liberation.
7-12 BSB 3.4.50 The childlike Very often a question is asked about the way a jnAni lives. Br Up 3.5.1 says that a jnani should live or more appropriately lives like a child. The word used is Baalya. It may mean strength which in the context means strength of knowledge. Other meaning is childlike. Childlike is state (age) of a child or behaviour of a child. The state of a child is ruled out. Behaviour of child carries two possible interpretations. Childlike may mean behaving as the child wishes, i.e., indiscriminately. This is also ruled out because the context is jnAni. The aphorist says that in the case of a jnAni, childlike means innocence, without deceit, without show off. Moreover, childlike is an aid to the main thing, i.e., continuance in knowledge which is not possible if childlike behaviour is considered in its totality. Hence childlike has restricted meaning of some inward state of a child. It is also evident from the words and phrases ‘without any display’ in the sutra implying without showing off his wisdom, learning, virtuousness, etc. He is free from pride, conceit, etc. much like a child whose senses are not mature and is incapable of any display of himself.
7-13 BSB 3.4.51 Time of fruition of knowledge The opponent says that knowledge fructifies only in the present life because sravana is the main sAdhanA for gaining knowledge which can take place only in the present life. The aphorist says that generation of knowledge takes place in this life if there is no obstruction to the means (sAdhanA) adopted. The obstruction may be due to past deeds which may fructify at the particular time. If there are obstructions, knowledge may be in future births. There is no specific rule of specific time for generation of knowledge. Bhagavad Gita 6.40 says that spiritual progress made in a life is carried forward to the next birth. Thus, generation of knowledge may take one or more births depending on removal of impediments. The fact that Vamadeva was born enlightened shows spiritual progress is carried forward from birth to birth.
7-14 BSB 3.4.52 Liberation is uniform everywhere In the preceding sutra, it is stated that generation of knowledge is dependent on removal of impediments. Knowledge may arise in the present life or future birth. A doubt arises whether there is time gap between generation of knowledge and liberation, e.g., generation of knowledge in this life and liberation in next life. The aphorist rules out such a possibility and says that rule of earlier sutra is not applicable in the case of knowledge and liberation. Liberation is knowledge of Brahman. Brahman is not of many types for its characteristics are declared in Upanishads in a uniform way. There is no gradation in knowledge. It is uniform. With knowledge, liberation is instantaneous. Knowledge remaining same, there may be variance in its excellence depending on the efficacy of means of knowledge adopted by the seeker. But it cannot lead to variance in liberation. Liberation is not a product of anything. It is an eternal fact realized through knowledge.
Chapter 8 Vedic Practices
Upanishads mention rituals and meditations as preparatory disciplines to gain qualification for pursuing knowledge. Some are archaic and hardly practiced nowadays. They are of academic interest. As such, in order to not digress from the Vedantic teaching, they are presented separately in the end through a link.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1BlSsN5f239IXPOQuOoINWVKfxIX7w2vu/edit?usp=drivesdk&ouid=111962232525068552952&rtpof=true&sd=true
Concluded