Brahma-Sūtra 1.2.29

English of translation of Brahmasutra 1.2.29 by Roma Bose:

“(there is) no contradiction, even (if the word “Vaiśvānara” denotes the lord) directly, jaimini (thinks so).”

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

The Lord Vaiśvānara is ‘all and man’, i.e. the soul of all,—to be meditated on “directly” as such;—this, the teacher “Jaimini” thinks, involves “no contradiction”.

Śrīnivāsa’s commentary (Vedānta-kaustubha)

Thus, the word ‘Vaiśvānara’ has been proved to be referring to Brahman, first on the ground of the reasons like ‘distinctive attributes of a common term’ (Brahma-sūtra 1.2.25) and the rest. Again, there being a doubt,—viz. on account of words and the rest, as well as on account of abiding within, it refers to the gastric fire,—it has been once more proved, for the sake of removing incompatibility, to be referring to Brahman alone, qualified by the gastric fire, on the ground of the reasons like: ‘because of teaching the vision (of the Lord) thus’ (Brahma-sūtra 1.2.27) and so on. Now, by showing that the word ‘Vaiśvānara’ denotes Brahman etymologically too, so that He may be directly worshipped as such, the author shows that another teacher too (viz. Jaimini) confirms his own view.

The teacher “Jaimini” thinks that as the word ‘Vaiśvānara’, even without being viewed as denoting the Lord, only so far as He is qualified by the gastric fire, refers directly to the Highest Self, intending to designate as it does His special qualities,—so Vaiśvānara is to be meditated on “directly” as the Highest Self indeed. This view involves “no contradiction”.^[1]

Etymologically, ‘Vaiśvānara’ implies ‘he who is all and man’, He being the Universal Soul; or ‘one who is the man, i.e. the maker of all’, He being the Universal Cause; or ‘one by whom all men are to be controlled’, He being the Universal Controller. The long vowel (i.e. ‘ā’ in the word ‘Vaiśvānara’) follows from the rule ‘when “nara” follows “viśva”, the “a” in the latter is lengthened to designate a name’ (Pāṇini-sūtra 6.3.129, Siddhānta-kaumudī 1048^[2]). The taddhita-suffix (by which the word ‘Vaiśvānara’ is derived from the word ‘Vaiśvanara’) is added without changing the meaning, as in the case of ‘rākṣasa’ (derived from ‘rakṣas’), ‘vāyasa’ (derived from ‘vayas’) and so on.^[3]

The co-ordination of the words ‘Agni’ and ‘Vaiśvānara’, too, is appropriate. ‘Agni’ is ‘one who goes, i.e. goes to or manifests himself in the heart-lotus’,—the ‘na’ (in the root ‘aṅg’) is elided in accordance with the rule: ‘And, the “na” of “aṅga” is elided’^[4] (Uṇādi-sūtra 490)^[5]—; or ‘one who causes one to go[’?], i.e. causes the first birth of the Universe.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

I.e. it has been said in the previous sūtra that Vaiśvānara stands for the Lord only so far as the Lord is qualified by the gastric fire. But now it is said that Vaiśvānara stands for the Lord directly, without any qualification.

[2]:

P. 654, vol. 1.

[3]:

Vide Pāṇini-sūtra 4.1.104, Siddhānta-kaumudī 1106, p. 682, vol. 1, and Pāṇini-sūtra 5.4.38, Siddhānta-kaumudī 2106, p. 936, vol. 1.

[4]:

And ‘ni’ is added, as mentioned in the sūtra 488. Thus, aṅg = ag + ni = agni.

[5]:

Siddhānta-kaumudī, p. 634, vol. 2.