Brahma-Sūtra 4.1.1

English of translation of Brahmasutra 4.1.1 by Roma Bose:

“Repetition more than once, on account of teaching.”

The interpretation of the Brahma-sūtras, entitled Vedānta-pārijāta-saurabha, composed by the reverend Nimbārka.

There must be “repetition” of the means “more than once”, “on account of the teaching” of the means that lead to a direct vision of Brahman, viz. “Should be heard, should be thought, should be meditated on” (Bṛhadāraṇyaka-upaniṣad 2.4.5, 4.5.6^[1]).

The Commentary, the holy Vedānta-kaustubha, composed by the reverend teacher Śrīnivāsa.

In the third chapter, the nature of the means were determined. Now, in this fourth chapter, that of the fruit or the result is being determined. Thus, in the first quarter, it will be established that the attainment of the fruit results straight on through the steady practice of the means. With a view to this, the means are to be repeated till death. Further, it will be clearly shown that a knower, having Brahman for his soul, attains salvation through the might of his knowledge, the cause of the cessation of the prior and subsequent works. It will also be proved that the end, viz. Brahman, is attained when there is a complete exhaustion of works, which have begun to bear fruits, by retributive experiences. In the second quarter, problems like the departure of a knower from the body and so on will be considered. In the third quarter, those of his going through the path beginning with light will be discussed. In the fourth quarter, the real nature and attributes of one, who has attained Brahman and has his real nature manifest, will be determined. Now, first of all, the author points out that the means are to be practised more than once.

The doubt is as to whether the means leading to a direct vision of Brahman, mentioned in scriptural texts like: ‘“O! the self is to be seen, to be heard, to be thought, to be meditated on. It is to be sought for, it is to be enquired into”’ (Bṛhadāraṇyaka-upaniṣad 2.4.5, 4.5.6), “Knowing him alone, one passes beyond death, there is no other way to salvation” (Śvetāśvatara-upaniṣad 3.8, 6.15), “The knower of Brahman attains the highest” (Taittirīya-upaniṣad 2.1) and so on, are to be practised once, or are to be repeated more than once. With regard to it, the prima facie view is that they are to be performed once, there being no evidence for a repetition more than once.

With regard to this, we reply: “Repetition”, i.e. there must be a repetition, more than once, of the means leading to a direct vision of Brahman. Why? “On account of teaching,” i.e. on account of the teaching of meditation, the means to a direct vision of Brahman, which teaching is preceded by that of hearing of and reflecting on the scriptural texts. The purport is this: The real knowledge of the meaning of texts cannot be attained, through a mere hearing of the scriptural texts only once, even on the part of men like Śvetaketu, the meaning of the Vedānta-texts being very difficult to be understood; otherwise, the repetition of the text: “Thou art that” (Chāndogya-upaniṣad 6.8.7, etc.^[2]) would have been meaningless. For this very reason, texts like: “Whom they do not know, though hearing” (Kaṭha 2.7^[3]) and so on are not without meaning. For this very reason, considering that no understanding of the meaning of the Vedānta-texts is possible through a mere hearing of those texts in accordance with the injunction about Vedic study, His Holiness composed this treatise. Thus, in the text: ‘“O I the self is to be seen”’ (Bṛhadāraṇyaka-upaniṣad 2.4.5, 4.5.6) the teaching: ‘to be heard’, aiming at a direct vision of Brahman, indicates that there is hearing more than once. If the direct vision of Brahman be attainable through a mere hearing of the scriptural texts about Brahman, celebrated in the passages: “From whom, verily, all these beings arise” (Taittirīya-upaniṣad 3.1), “Brahman is truth, knowledge, infinite” (Taittirīya-upaniṣad 2.1) and so on, then the teaching “should be heard” (Bṛhadāraṇyaka-upaniṣad 2.4.5, 4.5.6) becomes futile. Exactly similar is the teaching: “Should be thought” (Bṛhadāraṇyaka-upaniṣad 2.4.5, 4.5.6), i.e. the teaching about thinking which means constantly reflecting on Reality. After that there is the teaching about meditation, viz. “Should be meditated on” (Bṛhadāraṇyaka-upaniṣad 2.4.5, 4.5.6), i.e. the teaching of meditation, which means an unbroken perception of Brahman, the object of hearing and thinking, and is the special cause of a direct vision of Him. On account of such a teaching, when the meditation on Brahman is practised more than once, then alone there is, through Brahman’s grace, a direct vision of Him, in accordance with the scriptural text: “But then he, meditating, sees Him who is without part” (Muṇḍaka-upaniṣad 3.1.8).

Comparative views of Śamkara, Bhāskara and Baladeva:

They all connect the word “asakṛt” (more than one) with the word “updeśāt” and not with the word “āvṛtti”. That is, according to them, the means are to be repeated because Scripture teaches them more than once, i.e. repeatedly.^[4]

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Quoted by Śaṅkara, Rāmānuja and Bhāskara.

[2]:

Repeated nine times. Vide Chāndogya-upaniṣad 6.8.7 ff.

[3]:

Correct quotation: “Śṛṇvanto’ pi vahavo yaṃ na vidyoḥ”. Vide Kaṭha, pp. 35-36.

[4]:

Brahma-sūtras (Śaṅkara’s commentary) 4.1.1, p. 900; Brahma-sūtras (Bhāskara’s Commentary) 4.1 1, p. 218; Govinda-bhāṣya 4.1.1.