Brahma-Sūtra 1.3.16

English of translation of Brahmasutra 1.3.16 by Roma Bose:

“And on account of supporting (the lord is the small ether), because this greatness is observed in him (from another scriptural passage).”

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

The holding apart, mentioned in the passage: ‘He is the bridge, a limitary support of these worlds’ (Chāndogya-upaniṣad 8.4.1^[1]), fits in if the small ether be the Highest Self, because “this greatness is observed” “in him”, i.e. in the Highest Self alone who is called ‘a support’^[2] on the authority of another scriptural passage, viz.: ‘At the command of this Imperishable, Gārgī, the sun and the moon stand, held apart’ (Bṛhadāraṇyaka-upaniṣad 3.8.9^[3]).

Śrīnivāsa’s commentary (Vedānta-kaustubha)

On account of the following reason, viz.: “On account of supporting”, by the word ‘small ether’, the Highest Self alone is to be understood here. Compare: ‘How, he who is the soul is the bridge, a limitary support for keeping these worlds apart’ (Chāndogya-upaniṣad 8.4.1). The sense is: (The soul is) ‘a bridge’,—or, the cause of the non-intermixture,—and a ‘limitary support’,—or that which separates,—‘for keeping apart’—i.e. for preventing the intermixture or splitting asunder ‘of these worlds’, or of the worlds separated from one another as relating to the soul (i.e. internal), and as relating to the gods (i.e. external). The sense is that as “this greatness”, viz. supporting, “is observed” in the Highest Self in another scriptural passage, so here, too, the small ether, the limitary support of all the worlds, is known to be the Highest Self. The other scriptural passage is to the effect: ‘At the command of this Imperishable, Gārgī, the sun and the moon stand held apart’ (Bṛhadāraṇyaka-upaniṣad 3.8.9). Similarly, there is a passage; ‘He is the Lord of all, he is tḥe Lord of the worlds, he is the the limitary support for keeping these worlds apart.’ (Bṛhadāraṇyaka-upaniṣad 4.4.22^[4]).

Comparative views of Rāmānuja, Śrīkaṇṭha and Baladeva:

This is sūtra 15 in the commentaries of Rāmānuja and Śrīkaṇṭha. Resulting meaning same, although the meaning of words different, viz.: ‘asya’ means ‘of the Lord’ and ‘asmin’ means in the small ether. Hence the sūtra: ‘Because supporting, which is a greatness of him (viz. the Lord), is observed in it (viz. in the small ether)’.^[5]

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

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

[2]:

[Chowkhamba Sanskrit Series] ed. slightly different, p. 14, viz.: ‘Asya ca mahimno dhṛtyā khyasya....’

[3]:

Quoted by Śaṅkara, Rāmānuja and Bhāskara.

[4]:

Correct quotation: ‘Ēṣa sarveśvara eṣa bhūtādhipatir eṣa bhūta-pālaḥ eṣa setuḥ....’ A Vide Bṛhadāraṇyaka-upaniṣad 4.4.22, p. 246.

[5]:

Śrī-bhāṣya (Madras edition) 1.3.15, pp. 308-9, Part 1.
Brahma-sūtras (Śrīkaṇṭha’s commentary) 1.3.15, pp. 437-8, Part 5; B.Quoted by Baladeva 1.3.16.