Brahma Sutras (Nimbarka commentary)

by Roma Bose | 1940 | 290,526 words

English translation of the Brahma-sutra 3.4.47, 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 3.4.47

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English of translation of Brahmasutra 3.4.47 by Roma Bose:

“But on account of the existence of all (duties incumbent on the different stages of life), (there is) concluding with the house-holder.”

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

“The concluding with the house-holder” in the passage: “Forsooth, having stayed thus as long as he lives, he reaches the world of Brahman and does not return any more” (Chāndogya-upaniṣad 8.15.1^[1]), is meant for exhibiting all religious duties, as in the stage of a house-holder the religious duties, incumbent on all the stages of life, are obligatory.

Śrīnivāsa’s commentary (Vedānta-kaustubha)

It may be objected: If the religious duties like sacrifice, charity, austerity, calmness, self-control and the like, as well as those called hearing, thinking and meditating,—duties that are to be performed by men of all stages of life who desire for salvation,—be auxiliaries to knowledge; and if knowledge, attainable through them and common to men of all stages of life, be the means to salvation, then there cannot be any justification for “concluding with the house-holder” in the Chāndogya-text, which beginning: “Having studied the Veda in the house of a teacher in accordance with rules, in time left over from doing work for the teacher; having returned to his own house, studying his sacred texts in a clean spot” (Chāndogya-upaniṣad 8.15.1), concludes: “Forsooth, having stayed thus as long as he lives, he reaches the world of Brahman and does not return any more” (Chāndogya-upaniṣad 8.15.1). Hence, such a conclusion clearly indicates that there are no other stages of life^[2]. To this the author replies here.

The word “but” is meant for disposing of the objection. That is, simply because the stage of a house-holder has been mentioned at the end, it is not to be thought that there are no stages of life other than that. “On account of the existence of all” religious duties therein, “the concluding with the house-holder” is meant for exhibiting all religious duties.

Comparative views of Rāmānuja and Śrīkaṇṭha:

The phrase compound “kṛtsna-bhāvāt” interpreted differently, viz. ‘on account of the existence (of knowledge) in all (the stages of life)[’].^[3] Śrīkaṇṭha takes this sūtra as constituting an adhikaraṇa by itself.