Brahma-Sūtra 4.3.9 (first opponent’s view, continued)

English of translation of Brahmasutra 4.3.9 by Roma Bose:

“On the dissolution of (the world) of the effected (Brahman), with its ruler, (the soul goes) to what is higher than him, on account of declaration.”

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

On the destruction of the world “of the effected” Brahman, the soul together with the effected Brahman, attains “what is higher than” the effected Brahman, “on account of the declaration”: “But they all, attaining the highest immortality, are freed in the world of Brahman at the time of the great end” (Muṇḍaka-upaniṣad 3.2.6^[1]).

Śrīnivāsa’s commentary (Vedānta-kaustubha)

An objection may be raised here, viz. The path beginning with light cannot lead to the world of Hiraṇyagarbha for the following reasons: First, in the text: “This is the path of gods, the path of Brahman. Those who proceed through it do not return to this human whirlpool, return not” (Chāndogya-upaniṣad 4.15.5) and so on, one who has gone through the path beginning with light is declared to have no return; secondly, in the text: “Going up through it, one goes to immortality” (Chāndogya-upaniṣad 8.6.6; Kaṭha 6.16), immortality is designated (on the part of one who goes through this path); thirdly, the world of Hiraṇyagarbha is subject to creation and destruction; and finally, Hiraṇyagarbha being subject to creation and so on, in accordance with the text: “He who creates Brahma formerly” (Śvetāśvatara-upaniṣad 6.18), one who has attained him has to return, as declared by the Smṛti passage: ‘“The world up to the world of Brahma return, O Arjuna!’” (Gītā 8.16). To this Bādari replies:

“On the dissolution of the effected,” i.e. on the destruction of the world of Hiraṇyagarbha, together “with its ruler”, i.e. with the lord of that world who is possessed of knowledge, the soul which as entitled to knowledge has itself attained knowledge there as well, attains Brahman who is “higher than this”, i.e. the cause of Hiraṇyagarbha, the effected Brahman. Why? “On account of declaration,” i.e. on account of the declaration: “Going up through it, one goes to immortality” (Chāndogya-upaniṣad 8.6.6; Kaṭha 6.16), “Those who proceed through this do not return to this human whirlpool, return not” (Chāndogya-upaniṣad 4.15.6), and “But they all, attaining the highest immortality, are freed in the world of Brahman at the time of the great end” (Muṇḍaka-upaniṣad 3.2.6).

Comparative views of Śaṅkara:

He, as pointed out above, regards the view of Bādari as the correct conclusion. Accordingly he holds that a lower knower, i.e. one who meditates on the qualified Brahman, can attain Brahman in this indirect way alone (viz. Krama-mukti)^[2]. But Nimbārka, as we have seen, does not admit it.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Quoted by Rāmānuja and Śaṅkara.

[2]:

Brahma-sūtras (Śaṅkara’s commentary) 4.3.10, p. 955.