Brahma-Sūtra 3.2.17

English of translation of Brahmasutra 3.2.17 by Roma Bose:

“And (scripture) shows (this), then (it is) declared by Smṛti too.”

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

Numerous texts like: “The Soul that is free from sins” (Chāndogya-upaniṣad 8,7.1, 3^[1]), “Without parts, without action, tranquil, irreproachable, stainless” (Śvetāśvatara-upaniṣad 16.19^[2]), “Having true desires, having true resolves” (Chāndogya-upaniṣad 8.1.5; 8.7.13^[3]) and so on, prove that Brahman is possessed of a double characteristic. “Then” it is “declared by Smṛti too”, thus: ‘“I am beyond the perishable and am superior to even the imperishable. Hence in the world and in the Veda I am proclaimed to be the Highest Person”’ (Bhagavad-gītā 15.18^[4]), ‘“I am the origin of all, everything proceeds from me”’ (Bhagavad-gītā 10.8^[5]), ‘“Or, what is the use of so much knowledge to you, O Arjuna? Having pervaded this entire Universe with one part of mine, I abide”’ (Gītā 10.42^[6]) and so on.

Śrīnivāsa’s commentary (Vedānta-kaustubha)

“And” the mass of scriptural texts “shows” that Brahman is indeed possessed of a two-fold characteristic, viz. “The soul that is free from sins” (Chāndogya-upaniṣad 8.7.1, 3), “Without parts, without action, tranquil, irreproachable, stainless” (Śvetāśvatara-upaniṣad 6.19), “Having true desires, having true resolves” (Chāndogya-upaniṣad 8.1.5; 8.7.1, 3), “He who is omniscient, all-knowing” (Muṇḍaka-upaniṣad 1.1.9; 2.2.7), “Supreme is his power, declared to be of various kinds indeed; natural is the operation of his knowledge and power” (Śvetāśvatara-upaniṣad 6.8), “Him wdio is the supreme and Great Lord of lords; him, who is the supreme God of gods” (Śvetāśvatara-upaniṣad 6.7), “He is the cause, the cause of the lord of causes” (Śvetāśvatara-upaniṣad 6.9c^[7]), “Of him there is no progenitor whatsoever, nor a lord” (Śvetāśvatara-upaniṣad 6.9a-b), “This is one bliss of Brahman” (Taittirīya-upaniṣad 2.8), “He who knows the bliss of Brahman does not fear anything” (Taittirīya-upaniṣad 2.4) and so on. This is “declared by Smṛti too” thus: ‘“I am beyond the perishable and am superior to even the imperishable. Hence in the world and in the Veda I am proclaimed to be the Highest Person’” (Gītā 15.18), ‘“I am the origin of the entire world, likewise the dissolution’” (Gītā 7.6), ‘“He who knows me unborn, without beginning and the Great Lord of the world”’ (Gītā 10.3), ‘“The multitudes of gods do not know my origin, nor the great sages’” (Gītā 10.2), ‘“Having pervaded this entire world with a part of mine, I abide”’ (Gītā 10.42), ‘“There is nothing higher than me, O Dhanañjaya”’ (Gītā 7.7), ‘“For I am the enjoyer of all sacrifices, and the lord indeed”’ (Gītā 9.24) and so on.

Comparative views of Śaṅkara:

He quotes from Scripture (Bṛhadāraṇyaka-upaniṣad 2.3.6, etc.) and Smṛti to show that Brahman is nirviśeṣa or absolutely free from differences.^[8]

Comparative views of Bhāskara:

He quotes from Scripture (Śvetāśvatara-upaniṣad 6.13) and Smṛti (Gītā 8.9) to show that Brahman is self-manifest by nature.^[9]

Comparative views of Baladeva:

He quotes from Scripture (Gopāla-pūrva-tāpanī) and Smṛti (Brahma-saṃhitā) to show that the body of the Lord is identical with the Lord Himself.^[10]

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Not quoted by others.

[2]:

Quoted by Rāmānuja and Śrīkaṇṭha.

[3]:

Not quoted by others.

[4]:

Not quoted by others.

[5]:

Op cit.

[6]:

Quoted by Rāmānuja

[7]:

Correct quotation: “Karaṇādhipādhipa”, meaning: the lord of the lord of sense-organs, viz. the individual soul. Vide Śvetāśvatara-upaniṣad 6.9, p. 70.

[8]:

Brahma-sūtras (Śaṅkara’s commentary) 3.2.17, p. 728.

[9]:

Brahma-sūtras (Bhāskara’s Commentary) 3.2.18, p. 167.

[10]:

Govinda-bhāṣya 3.2.17.