Brahma Sutras (Shankara Bhashya)

by Swami Vireshwarananda | 1936 | 124,571 words | ISBN-10: 8175050063

This is the English translation of the Brahma-sutras including the commentary (Bhashya) of Shankara. The Brahma-sutra (or, Vedanta-sutra) is one of the three canonical texts of the Vedanta school of Hindu philosophy and represents an early exposition the Vedantic interpretation of the Upanishads. This edition has the original Sanskrit text, the r...

Chapter III, Section III, Adhikarana XXXI

Adhikarana summary: Upasanas connected with sacrificial acts, e.g. the Udgitha Upasana, are valid for all Sakhas

 Sutra 3,3.55

अङ्गावबद्धास्तु न शाखासु हि प्रतिवेदम् ॥ ५५ ॥

aṅgāvabaddhāstu na śākhāsu hi prativedam || 55 ||

aṅgāvabaddhāḥ—(Upasanas) connected with parts (of sacrificial acts); tu—but; na—not; śākhāsu—to (particular) Sakhas; hi—because; prativedam—in each Veda.

55. But (the Upasanas) connected with parts (of sacrificial acts are) not (restricted) to (particular) Sakhas only of each Veda (but to all its Sakhas), because (the same Upasana is described in all).

There are certain Upasanas mentioned in connection with sacrificial acts, as, for example, the meditation on ‘Om’ which is connected with the Udgitha as Prana, or the meditation on the Udgitha as the earth and so on. The question is whether these meditations are enjoined with reference to the Udgitha and so on as belonging to a certain Sakha of a Veda or as belonging to all its Sakhas. The doubt arises because the Udgitha and so on are chanted differently in different Sakhas, and as such they may be considered different. This Sutra refutes the view that they are so restricted, because the text speaks of these Upasanas in general, and so they are one in all the branches.

 

 Sutra 3,3.56

मन्त्रादिवद्वाऽविरोधः ॥ ५६ ॥

mantrādivadvā’virodhaḥ || 56 ||

mantrādivat—Like Mantras etc.; —or else; avirodhaḥ—is no contradiction.

56. Or else like Mantras etc. there is no contradiction (here).

Just as Mantras etc. mentioned in only one Sakha are used in another Sakha with respect to that particular rite, so also the Upasanas connected with particular rites in one Sakha of the Veda can be applied to the other Sakhas.

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