Brahma-Sūtra 4.3.2

English of translation of Brahmasutra 4.3.2 by Roma Bose:

“(The knower goes) to the air from the year, on account of non-specification and specification.”

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

After the year, mentioned in the Chāndogya-text, and before the sun, the knower reaches the world of air, mentioned in the Kauṣītaki-text: “He comes to the world of fire, to the world of air” (Kauṣītaki-upaniṣad 1.3^[1]),“on account of non-specification and specification”, i.e. because in the text: “He conies to the world of fire, to the world of air” (Kauṣītaki-upaniṣad 1.3) the air is taught non-specifically; and because the  text: “There it makes way for him like the hole of a chariot-wheel. Through it he ascends higher up. He comes to the sun” (Bṛhadāraṇyaka-upaniṣad 5.10.1^[2]), contains, a specification.

Śrīnivāsa’s commentary (Vedānta-kaustubha)

It has been said that everywhere the same path is designated, viz. the one beginning with light. Now the process of arranging its stages, mentioned in different places, is being determined.

In the Bṛhadāraṇyaka-text: “From the months to the world of gods, from the world of gods to the sun” (Bṛhadāraṇyaka-upaniṣad 6.2.15), the world of gods is mentioned in between the months and the sun. But in the Chāndogya-text: “From the months to the year, from the year to the sun” (Chāndogya-upaniṣad 4.15.5), the year is mentioned in between these two. These two (viz. the world of gods and the year) are to be mutually combined, the path being the same in both the cases. The year is to be placed in between the months and the world of gods, mentioned in the Bṛhadāraṇyaka, since the order being day, after that the fortnight, then the six months,—the year is appropriate after the months.^[3] The world of gods is to be placed in between the year and the sun, mentioned in the Chāndogya.^[4]

This being so, in the Bṛhadāraṇyaka-text: “When, verily, a person departs from this world, he comes to the world of air. There it makes way for him like the hole of a chariot-wheel. Through it he goes up. He comes to the sun” (Bṛhadāraṇyaka-upaniṣad 5.10.1), the air is mentioned before the sun. But in the Kauṣītaki-text: “Having reached this path of gods, he comes to the world of fire, to the world of air” (Kauṣītaki-upaniṣad 1.3), the air is mentioned immediately after fire, consisting in light and denoted by the words ‘world of fire’. Here the doubt is as to whether the knower goes to the air immediately after fire consisting in light, or immediately after the year, the stage which is indicated above, and before the sun. If it be suggested: On the ground of the order of textual sequence: “Having reached this path of gods, he comes to the world of fire to the world of air” (Kauṣītaki-upaniṣad 1.3), as well as the proximity between the effect and the cause^[5] being reasonable, the knower goes to the air immediately after fire,—

We reply: “To the air from the fire”. The knower enters the air immediately after the year and before the sun. Why? “On account of non-specification and specification.” Although in the Kauṣitaki-text: “He comes to the world of fire, to the world of air” (Kauṣītaki-upaniṣad 1.3), the air is mentioned immediately after the fire, yet the priority or posteriority of the air in the successive order of progress is not specifically known therefrom, but the air is taught non-speci-fically. Just as from the statement: ‘A student, having come out of the house of the teacher, goes to the house of Caitra, to the house of Maitra to ask for alms no specific order can be ascertained, viz. that he goes to the house of Maitra immediately after the house of Caitra,—so is the case here. On the other hand, in the Bṛhadāraṇyaka-text: “When, verily, a person departs from this world, he comes to the air. There it makes way for him like hole of a ehariot-wheel. Through it ascends higher up. He comes to the sun” (Bṛhadāraṇyaka-upaniṣad 5.10.1), the air is taught specifically as prior to the sun. On account of these nonspecification and specification—this is the sense.^[6]

The words ‘world of gods’, mentioned in the Bṛhadāraṇyaka-text quoted above, mean ‘air’, i.e. the world or the dwelling place of gods (viz. air). The compound ‘world of air’, mentioned in the Kauṣītaki-text, is to he explained as a Karmadhāraya^[7], since it has been said by the author of the aphorisms too: “To the air from the year”, and since there is the scriptural statement: “He comes to the air” (Bṛhadāraṇyaka-upaniṣad 5.10.1). The air can be appropriately viewed as a world, since it is the dwelling-place of gods, in accordance with the scriptural text: “He who blows is, forsooth, the cave of gods”. Hence it is established that the air is to be placed in between the year and the sun.^[8]

Here ends the section entitled “The air” (2).

Comparative views of Śaṅkara and Bhāskara:

They do not identify the world of gods with air, but take them to be two separate places. Thus, according to them, the order is: light, day, bright fortnight, six months of the northern progress of the sun, year, world of gods, air, sun and so on.^[9]

Comparative views of Rāmānuja and Śrīkaṇṭha:

They interpret the phrase “aviśeṣa-viśeṣābhyām” differently, i.e. take it to be stating the reasons why the world of gods is to be identified with air, and not as stating the reasons why the air is to be placed after the year and before the sun. Thus, the phrase ‘world of gods’ denotes ‘air’, because the compound ‘world of gods’ generally implies the air which is the dwelling-place of gods; and because Scripture specifically says that the soul comes to the air.^[10]

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Quoted by Śaṃkara, Rāmānuja, Bhāskara, Śrīkaṇṭha and Baladeva.

[2]:

Op. cit.

[3]:

Here the progress is from shorter periods of time to longer ones.

[4]:

Thus the preliminary order is: light, day, bright fortnight, six months of the northern progress of the sun, year, world of gods, sun. This, first of all, explains away the apparent inconsistency between Bṛhadāraṇyaka-upaniṣad 6.2.15 and Chāndogya-upaniṣad. 4.15.5.

[5]:

I.e. fire arises from air. Vide Brahma-sūtra 2.3.7.

[6]:

Thus, secondly, we get the following order: light, day, bright fortnight, the six months of the northern progress of the sun, year, world of gods, air, sun. This explains away the apparent inconsistency between Bṛhadāraṇyaka-upaniṣad 6.2.15, Chāndogya-upaniṣad 4.15.5, Bṛhadāraṇyaka-upaniṣad 5.10.1, and Kauṣītaki-upaniṣad 1.3. The words ‘world of fire’ in Kauṣītaki-upaniṣad 1.3 means light. It will be shown just below that the world of gods = air.

[7]:

That is, ‘world of air’ = the world that is air = air.

[8]:

Thus, thirdly, we get the following order: light, day, bright fortnight, six months of the northern progress of the sun, year, air, sun. Note the difference from Śaṅkara’s order.

[9]:

Brahma-sūtras (Śaṅkara’s commentary) 4.3.2, pp. 949-950; Brahma-sūtras (Bhāskara’s Commentary) 4.3.2, p. 234.

[10]:

Śrī-bhāṣya (Madras edition) 4.3.2, p. 451, Part 2; Brahma-sūtras (Śrīkaṇṭha’s commentary) 4.3.2, p. 472, Parts 10 and 11.