Brahma-Sūtra 4.1.4

English of translation of Brahmasutra 4.1.4 by Roma Bose:

“Not in a symbol, for that (is) not (the self).”

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

But the self is not to be sought for “in a symbol”; “that” is “not” the self of the meditating devotee.

Śrīnivāsa’s commentary (Vedānta-kaustubha)

Now the author points out that similarly, the self is not to be sought for in a symbol.

With regard to the meditations on symbols, such as, “Let one meditate on the mind as Brahman” (Chaud. 3.18.1), “He who meditates on name as Brahman” (Chāndogya-upaniṣad 7.1.5) and so on, the doubt is as to whether the self is to be sought for in symbols or not. What is reasonable, to begin with? If it be suggested: It is to be done so indeed, symbolic meditations too being equally meditations on Brahman.

We reply: The self is not to be sought for “in a symbol”, since “that”, i.e. the symbol, is not the soul of the meditating devotee, seeing that symbols like the mind and the rest are to be meditated on under the aspect of Brahman.

Comparative views of Śaṅkara:

The interpretation of the clause: ‘na hi saḥ” different, viz. “for he (i.e. the meditating devotee) does not (look upon the symbol as Ms self)”.^[1]

Comparative views of Baladeva:

He omits the word “saḥ”.^[2]

Comparative views of Bhāskara:

He omits the first “na”.^[3]

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Brahma-sūtras (Śaṅkara’s commentary) 4.1.4, p. 908.

[2]:

Brahma-sūtras (Bhāskara’s Commentary) 4.1.4, p. 221.

[3]:

Govinda-bhāṣya 4.1.4, p. 4, Chap. 4.