Brahma Sutras (Ramanuja)

by George Thibaut | 1904 | 275,953 words | ISBN-10: 8120801350 | ISBN-13: 9788120801356

The English translation of the Brahma Sutras (also, Vedanta Sutras) with commentary by Ramanuja (known as the Sri Bhasya). The Brahmasutra expounds the essential philosophy of the Upanishads which, primarily revolving around the knowledge of Brahman and Atman, represents the foundation of Vedanta. Ramanjua’s interpretation of these sutras from a V...

33. Moreover, they record him in that.

They (i.e. the Vājasaneyins) speak of him, viz. Vaiśvānara who has heaven for his head, etc.—i.e. the highest Self—as within that, i.e. the body of the devotee, so as to form the abode of the oblation to Prāṇa; viz. in the text,'Of that Vaiśvānara Self the head is Sutejas,' and so on. The context is as follows. The clause 'He who meditates on the Vaiśvānara Self as prādeśamātra,' etc. enjoins meditation on the highest Self having the three worlds for its body, i.e. on Vaiśvānara. The following clause 'he eats food in all worlds' teaches that the attaining of Brahman is the reward of such meditation. And then the text proceeds to teach the Agnihotra offered to Prāṇa, which is something subsidiary to the meditation taught. The text here establishes an identity between the members—fire, sun, etc.—of the Vaiśvānara enjoined as object of meditation (which members are called Sutejas, Viśvarūpa, etc.), and parts—viz. head, eye, breath, trunk, bladder, feet—of the worshipper’s body. 'The head is Sutejas'—that means: the head of the devotee is (identical with) heaven, which is the head of the highest Self; and so on up to 'the feet,' i.e. the feet of the devotee are identical with the earth, which constitutes the feet of the highest Self, The devotee having thus reflected on the highest Self, which has the three worlds for its body, as present within his own body, thereupon is told to view his own chest, hair, heart, mind and mouth as identical with the altar, grass and the other things which are required for the Agnihotra; further to identify the oblation to Prāṇa with the Agnihotra, and by means of this Prāṇa-agnihotra to win the favour of Vaiśvānara, i.e. the highest Self. The final—conclusion then remains that Vaiśvānara is none other than the highest Self, the supreme Person.—Here terminates the adhikaraṇa of 'Vaiśvānara.'

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