Verse 2.332

Sanskrit text and transliteration:

कार्यात्माऽयमतो ग्राह्यो यथोक्तन्यायगौरवात् ।
भृगोरुपरमाच्चेति कार्यात्मत्वेऽपि युज्यते ॥ ३३२ ॥

kāryātmā'yamato grāhyo yathoktanyāyagauravāt |
bhṛgoruparamācceti kāryātmatve'pi yujyate || 332 ||

English translation of verse 2.332:

So this (ānandamaya) must be understood as the conditioned self because of the weighty reasons mentioned above. Bhṛgu’s closing (of the investigation with ānanda) stated earlier is appropriate even if it (i.e., ānanda) is taken as the conditioned self.

Notes:

One of the reasons given by the opponent in verse (323) with a view to show that the ānandamaya is Brahman was that Bhṛgu closed his investigation with ānanda. Had it been the conditioned self, he would not have stopped with that, but would have proceeded further in his investigation, because his goal was Brahman. Inasmuch as he stopped his investigation with ānanda, the fifth in the series, the latter must be the supreme Brahman. And it would follow, according to the opponent, that the ānandamaya also, which is the fifth in the series here, is the supreme Brahman.

The second line of the verse refutes the argument stated above. The question to be considered is whether ānanda here stands for the supreme Self or the conditioned self. Even if it is assumed as the conditioned self (kāryātma), it is possible for us to justify why the instruction given by Varuṇa and the investigation pursued by Bhṛgu stopped with ānanda. This will be explained in the subsequent verses.