Brahma-Sūtra 1.2.24

English of translation of Brahmasutra 1.2.24 by Roma Bose:

“Also on account of the mention of (His) form.”

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

“Also on account of the mention of the form” of the Highest Self in the passage: ‘Fire is his head’ (Muṇḍaka-upaniṣad 2.1.4^[1]) and so on, not the other two.

Śrīnivāsa’s commentary (Vedānta-kaustubha)

The very same Being who is this Imperishable, the source of beings, the Cause of all causes and has the sentient and the non-sentient as His powers, abides also as the inner controller of the sentient and the non-sentient, the powers, and as His effects; and should be meditated on by one who desires salvation and is free from the faults of envy and malice,—with a view to showing this, the author here states that the universe is the form of the Lord.

The Imperishable, the source of beings, is the Highest Self alone, and not the other two. Why? “On account of the mention of (His) form.” In the passage: ‘Fire is his head, his eyes, the sun and the moon, the regions his ears, his utterances the Vedas, wind his breath, his heart the Universe, from his feet the earth (arises), truly, he is the Inner Soul of all beings’ (Muṇḍaka-upaniṣad 2.1.4), the entire expanse of the universe, consisting of the sentient and the non-sentient, is designated as the form of the Highest Self alone, the inner Controller of all. If pradhāna and the individual soul be understood here, the designation of such a form is not possible. For this reason also, it is established that the Imperishable, who is the source of beings, is the Highest Person.

Here ends the section entitled ‘Invisibility’ (6).

Comparative views of Baladeva:

After this sūtra he reads a sūtra ‘prakaraṇāt’, not found in other commentaries.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Quoted by Śaṅkara, Rāmānuja, Bhāskara, and Śrīkaṇṭha.