Brahma-Sūtra 1.1.29

English of translation of Brahmasutra 1.1.29 by Roma Bose:

“(Brahman is denoted by the word) vital-breath, on account of intelligibility in that way.”

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

In the text: ‘I am the vital-breath’ (Kauṣītaki-upaniṣad 3.2^[1]) and so on, the object denoted by the term ‘vital-breath’ and the rest, is the Highest Self, because the qualities of highest auspiciousness, endlessness and so on are intelligible only if the Highest Self be understood.

Śrīnivāsa’s commentary (Vedānta-kaustubha)

How, by showing, in the following four aphorisms, that the Kauṣītaki-texts all refer to Brahman, the author refutes the view that words like ‘vital-breath’, ‘Indra’ and so on mean the individual soul.

In the Kauṣitaki-brāhmaṇa-upaniṣad, the Pratardana-vidyā is recorded, beginning: ‘Pratardana, verily, the son of Divodāsa, arrived by fighting and valour at the beloved abode of Indra’ (Kauṣītaki-upaniṣad 3.1). It is said here: Being told by Indra: ‘“I will give you a boon”’ (Kauṣītaki-upaniṣad 3.1), Pratardana said: ‘“Do you yourself choose (a boon) for me,^[2] what you consider to be the most beneficial for mankind”’ (Kauṣītaki-upaniṣad 3.1), i.e. having considered the boon ‘yourself’, ‘choose’, i.e. give that ‘to me’. Thus told by Pratardana, Indra said: ‘“I am the vital-breath, the intelligent Self. Worship me, as life, as immortality”’ (Kauṣītaki-upaniṣad 3.2); and again, later on: ‘“The vital-breath, verily, is the intelligent self that taking hold of this body, makes it stand up’” (Kauṣītaki-upaniṣad 3.3), ‘“Let none desire to enquire after speech, but let him know the speaker’” (Kauṣītaki-upaniṣad 3.8), and in conclusion also: ‘“Now, this vital-breath itself, forsooth, is the intelligent self, bliss, ageless and immortal’” (Kauṣītaki-upaniṣad 3.8). Here, the doubt is, viz. whether a certain, individual soul is denoted by the words ‘Indra’ and ‘vital-breath’, or the Highest Self? What is reasonable here?

The prima facie view is: As the word ‘Indra’ is well-known to be denoting an individual soul entrusted with a certain office, and as there is a text regarding the object denotable by the term ‘Indra’, viz. ‘“I am the vital-breath’” (Kauṣītaki-upaniṣad 3.2),—the word ‘vital-breath’ also denotes ‘Indra’. From the text: ‘“Worship me as life, as immortality”’ (Kauṣītaki-upaniṣad 3.2), he alone is known here as the object to be worshipped.

With regard to this, the correct conclusion is as follows: “The vital-breath”, i.e. the meaning of the word ‘vital-breath’ and what is denoted by the words ‘Indra’ and the rest accompanying it, are the Highest Self alone. Why? ‘“On account of intelligibility in that way,’” i.e. because qualities like ‘highest auspiciousness’, ‘being the intelligent self’, ‘bliss’, ‘agelessness’ and the rest are intelligible ‘“in that way’”, i.e. only if the Highest Self be understood. Thus, first, it is said in the beginning: ‘The son of Divodāsa went to the beloved abode of Indra’^[3] (Kauṣītaki-upaniṣad 3.1), where Indra, conceiving the dependence of his own self on Brahman for its existence and activity, did not think: ‘I am Indra’; but, being merged in the bliss of Brahman and conceiving that the sentient and the non-sentient objects have Brahman as their self, reflected: ‘Brahman, alone, is all this, I am Brahman’; and looked upon even those who had committed sins as his own self. And, the object to be attained by the Self (viz. Indra) and by those who were equal to the Self (viz. all other beings whom Indra looked upon as his self) was Brahman alone; the means thereto being simply the worship of His feet. Indra told to Pratardana, who had arrived there, i.e. at his so-beloved place: ‘Choose a boon’. And, thus requested, Pratardana too, wishing for the highest goal of men, said to him, who was very modest, free from pride, and desirous of intimating the means to the highest goal of men, ‘“Do you yourself choose a boon for me”’ and so on. Thereupon, the vital-breath was taught to Pratarclana as the object to be worshipped, in the passage: ‘“I am the vital-breath”’ (Kauṣītaki-upaniṣad 3.2) and so on. How can the vital-breath, taught thus as the highest goal of men, be an individual soul? How can the text: ‘“Worship me”’ (Kauṣītaki-upaniṣad 3.2) be intelligible except as designating the worship of the Supreme Brahman? The individual soul, the witness of the three states^[4], being a part and not fit to be attained by another individual soul, is not attainable through the intuition of a knower. And (the adjective) ‘most beneficial’ (in the text: ‘“What you consider to be the most beneficial for mankind”’) does not apply to anything else except to the attainment of Brahman. (The qualities like) ‘being the intelligent self’, ‘bliss’, ‘agelessness’, and ‘immortality’, mentioned in the passages: ‘“Worship me as life, as immortality”’^[5] (Kauṣītaki-upaniṣad 2.3), ‘This alone, verily, is the intelligent self, bliss, ageless, immortal’ (Kauṣītaki-upaniṣad 3.8), fit in only if Brahman be understood, and not otherwise. Hence, the words ‘Indra‘vital-breath’ and so on were used by the celebrated Indra with a view to designating Brahman, and not his own self.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

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

[2]:

The word ‘varam’ is not included in the original text.

[3]:

The word ‘tāvat’ is not included in the quotation.

[4]:

Viz. waking, dream, deep sleep.

[5]:

Correct quotation translated:‘taṃ mām’.