Brahma-Sūtra 1.3.12

English of translation of Brahmasutra 1.3.12 by Roma Bose:

“And on account of the exclusion of another nature.”

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

Here, by the term ‘Imperishable’ neither pradhāna or the individual soul can be understood. The Supreme Being alone is the meaning of the term ‘Imperishable’. Why? “On account of the exclusion of another nature”, in the passage: ‘Verily, that Imperishable, Gārgī, is the unseen seer, the unheard hearer, the unthought thinker, the unknown knower’ (Bṛhadāraṇyaka-upaniṣad 3.8.11^[1]).

Śrīnivāsa’s commentary (Vedānta-kaustubha)

For this reason, too, the Highest Self alone is denoted by the term ‘Imperishable’. Why? “On account of the exclusion of other nature”, i.e. the “nature” “of another”, viz. of pradhāna or the individual soul; or the “nature” “of another two” (make) “another nature”,^[2] “on account of the exclusion” of that.^[3] The concluding passage, viz. ‘“Verily, that Imperishable, Gārgī, is the unseen seer, the unheard hearer, the unthought thinker, the unknown knower. None but it is a seer,...^[4], none but it is a thinker, none but it is a knower. Verily in this Imperishable, Gārgī, the ether is interwoven, warp and woof”’ (Bṛhadāraṇyaka-upaniṣad 3.8.11), excludes a nature other than Brahman. Thus, pradhāna is excluded on the ground of the attributes of a sentient being, viz. being a seer and the rest; and the individual soul is excluded on the ground of the teaching that the Being who is unseen by all is the seer of all, and so on. Hence, it is established that by the term ‘Imperishable’ the Highest Self alone is understood.

Here ends the section entitled ‘The imperishable’ (3).

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

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

[2]:

Anya-bhāva.

[3]:

This explains the compound ‘anya-bhāva-vyāvṛtteḥ’.

[4]:

Omitted portion: ‘None else other than it is a hearer’. Vide Bṛhadāraṇyaka-upaniṣad 3.8.11, P. 171.