Brahma-Sūtra 1.1.24

English of translation of Brahmasutra 1.1.24 by Roma Bose:

“For this very reason (Brahman is denoted by the word) Vital-breath.”

Nimbārka’s commentary (Vedānta-pārijāta-saurabha):

In the text also: ‘All these beings, verily, enter into the vital-breath alone, arise from the vital-breath’ (Chāndogya-upaniṣad 1.11.5^[1]), the vital-breath is none but the Highest Self, on account of the characteristic marks of Brahman, viz. entering into and coming out of Him.

Śrīnivāsa’s commentary (Vedānta-kaustubha)

In this manner, it has been pointed out that the text referring to the ether denotes Brahman, and not the elemental ether. Now, by declaring that the text about the udgītha,^[2] viz. ‘O Prastrotṛ!’^[3] (Chāndogya-upaniṣad 1.10.9; 1.11.4) and so on, also refers to Brahman, the author extends here the same principle regarding the ether.

In the Chāndogya we find the following concerning the udgītha^[4] under the dialogue between Cākrāyaṇa and the Prastrotṛ: ‘“O Prastrotṛ! if you shall sing the prastāva^[5] without knowing the Deity who is connected with the prastāva, then your head will fall off”’ (Chāndogya-upaniṣad 1.10.9; 1.11.4), ‘“Which is that Deity?” “The vital-breath,” said he, “All these beings, verily, enter into the vital-breath alone, arise from the vital-breath. This is the Deity connected with the prastāva”’ (Chāndogya-upaniṣad 1.11.4-5). Here a doubt arises, viz. As the entire world is found to exist as dependent on the vital-breath, and as it is so well-known in the world, so by the term ‘vital-breath’ a modification of the air too may be meant; and as in the text; ‘“For the mind, my dear, has the vital-breath as its fastening”’ (Chāndogya-upaniṣad 6.8.2) and so on, the term ‘vital-breath’ is applied to Brahman, so Brahman may also be meant. What is reasonable here? If it be suggested: Since everything is found to he dependent on the vital-breath, since popularly the term ‘vital-breath’ is well-known to be a modification of the air, and since in the text: ‘When, verily, a person sleeps, his speech goes to the vital-breath, his eye to the vital-breath, his ear to the vital-breath. When he wakes up, from the vital-breath alone they arise again’ (Śatapatha-brāhmaṇa 10.3.3.6^[1]), the entrance into a modification of the air and so on are mentioned, the chief vital-breath alone, which is a modification of the air and has five modes, is understood here by the term ‘vital-breath’,—

We reply: “For this very reason”, i.e. on account of the very characteristic marks of the Supreme Lord, viz. the entering into and coming out (of Him) of all the great elements, it is reasonable to hold that the object denoted by the term “vital-breath” is the Supreme Lord, the Highest Person alone. The characteristic marks of the Supreme Lord, viz. the entering into and the rising from Him of all the great-elements, as mentioned in the text: ‘All the elements enter into, i.e. merge into, and arise from, i.e. come out towards, Him’, are not possible in the case of a modification of the air. In the text: ‘When, verily, a person sleeps’ (Śatapatha-brāhmaṇa 10.3.3.6), there is no mention of the entering and so on of the great elements, but simply of the entering and the rest of the sense-organs. Hence, on account of the marks of the Supreme Lord, as well as on the ground of the etymological interpretation (of the term ‘vital-breath’ or prāṇa), viz. ‘In whom the entire world breathes excellently, i.e. finds a basis’, it is established that the Highest Self alone is denoted by the term ‘vital-breath’.

Here ends the section entitled “The vital-breath” (9).

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Quoted by Śaṅkara, Rāmānuja, Bhāskara, Śrīkaṇṭha and Baladeva.

[2]:

The word ‘udgīthe’ is not included under the quotation.

[3]:

A Prastrotṛ is an assistant of the Udgātṛ, and sings the prastāva or the introductory eulogy or the prelude of a sāman. Monier-Williams, p. 699.

[4]:

The word ‘udgītha’ is not included under the quotation.

[5]:

The prastāva is the introductory eulogy or the prelude of a sāman. See footnote 3 above.

[6]:

P. 778, lines 9-11. Cf. a similar passage in Chāndogya-upaniṣad 4.3.3.