Brahma Sutras (Nimbarka commentary)

by Roma Bose | 1940 | 290,526 words

English translation of the Brahma-sutra 3.4.23, including the commentary of Nimbarka and sub-commentary of Srinivasa known as Vedanta-parijata-saurabha and Vedanta-kaustubha resepctively. Also included are the comparative views of important philosophies, viz., from Shankara, Ramanuja, Shrikantha, Bhaskara and Baladeva.

Brahma-Sūtra 3.4.23

English of translation of Brahmasutra 3.4.23 by Roma Bose:

“If it be said that (the scriptural stories) are meant to be recited at the aśvamedha, (we reply:) no, on account of being specified.”

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

It is not to be thought that the scriptural stories in the Vedāntas are meant to be recited at the Aśvamedha sacrifice,[1]—since only some are specified (to be so) by texts, beginning: “He is to tell the legends recited at the Aśvamedha” and continuing: “Manu, Vivasvat’s son, the King” (Śatapatha-brāhmaṇa 13.4.3, 3[2]) and so on.

Śrīnivāsa’s commentary (Vedānta-kaustubha)

Apprehending the objection that the texts about the best essence are concerned with something else, it has been shown that they relate to meditation (and not to action). Similarly, apprehending the objection that the texts dealing with particular stories are concerned with something else, (the author) shows that they (too) relate to meditation.

In the different Vedāntas, there are many texts relating stories, such as: “Forsooth, Pratardana, the son of Divodāsa, went to the favourite place of Indra” (Kauṣītaki-upaniṣad 3.1), “Now, there was Jānaśruti, the great-grandson (of Janaśruti) a pious giver, a liberal donor, a preparer of much food” (Chāndogya-upaniṣad 4.1.1), “Now, there was Śvetaketu, the son of Aruṇa” (Chāndogya-upaniṣad 6.1.1), “Yājñavalkya had two wives, Maitreyī and Kātyāyanī” (Bṛhadāraṇyaka-upaniṣad 4.5.1) and so on. Here the doubt is, viz. whether they are meant to be recited at the Aśvamedha sacrifice, or whether they subserve the injunction of meditation. What is reasonable to begin with? “If it be said that they are meant to be recited at the Aśvamedha, (we reply) no.” Why? “On account of being specified,” i.e. in the text beginning: “He is to tell the legends recited at the Aśvamedha” and continuing: “Manu, Vivasvat’s son, the King” (Śatapatha-brāhmaṇa 13.4.3, 3) and so on, certain texts alone are specified as those to be recited at the Aśvamedha.

Comparative views of Bhāskara:

He takes this sūtra and the next as constituting a single sūtra, and reads “pāriplayārtha” instead of “pāriplavārthā”[3].

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

A pāriplava is a legend to be recited at the Aśvamedha sacrifice and repeated at certain intervals throughout the year.

[2]:

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

[3]:

Brahma-sūtras (Bhāskara’s Commentary) 3.4.23, p. 207.

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