Brahma-Sūtra 4.4.6 (second opponent’s view)

English of translation of Brahmasutra 4.4.6 by Roma Bose:

“In intelligence, as that alone, on account of having that as the essence, so Auḍulomi (thinks).”

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

The individual soul, having approached Brahman who is of the form of intelligence, becomes manifest in the form of intelligence alone, since in the text: “Consisting of intelligence alone” (Bṛhadāraṇyaka-upaniṣad 4.5.13^[1]), it is said to have that (viz. intelligence) as its soul.

Śrīnivāsa’s commentary (Vedānta-kaustubha)

The individual soul, having approached “intelligence”, i.e. Brahman who is of the form of intelligence, becomes manifest “as that alone”, i.e. in the form of intelligence alone. Why? “On account of having that as the essence”, i.e. because the individual soul has intelligence for its essence, or is nothing but intelligence. The scriptural text; “Just as a lump of salt is without inside and outside, a mass of taste only through and through, so, verily, O! this soul is without inside and outside, a mass of intelligence only through and through” (Bṛhadāraṇyaka-upaniṣad 4.5.13) shows, by using the word ‘only’, that the soul is nothing but intelligence and devoid of any other attribute. The text designating freedom from sins and so on, on the other hand, simply establishes that the soul is free from changes and so on,—“so Auḍulomi” thinks.

Comparative views of Bhāskara and Śrīkaṇṭha:

They read: “Citi-mātreṇa”.^[2]

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

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

[2]:

Brahma-sūtras (Bhāskara’s Commentary) 4.4.6, p. 243; Brahma-sūtras (Śrīkaṇṭha’s commentary) 4.4.6, p. 485, Parts 10 and 11.