Chapter III, Section III, Adhikarana XXIII

Adhikarana summary: The Sruti enjoins reciprocal meditation in Ait. Ar. 2. 2. 4. 6 and not merely one way

Brahma-Sutra 3.3.37: Sanskrit text and English translation.

व्यतिहारः, विशिंषन्ति हीतरवत् ॥ ३७ ॥

vyatihāraḥ, viśiṃṣanti hītaravat || 37 ||

vyatihāraḥ—Reciprocity (of meditations); viśiṃṣanti—(the scriptures) prescribe (this); hi—for; itaravat—as in other cases.

37. (There is) reciprocity (of meditation), for the;scriptures prescribe this, as in other cases.

In the Aitareya Aranyaka we have, “What I am, that He is; what He is, that am I” (2. 2. 4. 6). The question here is whether the meditation is to be of a reciprocal nature, i.e. identifying the worshipper with the being in the sun, and then, inversely, identifying the being in the sun with the worshipper; or only in the first named way. The opponent holds that the meditation is to be one way only and not in the reverse way also. For the first meditation has a meaning, inasmuch as it raises the Jiva to the level of Bramnan; but lowering Brahman to the Jiva state is meaningless. The present Sutra refutes this view and says that the meditation is to be both ways, for otherwise such a statement would be useless. Sruti expressly prescribes the reverse meditation, even as it prescribes elsewhere that the Lord is to be meditated upon as having true determination (Satya Sankalpa) and so on. This is not lowering Brahman, since He who has no body can be worshipped even as possessing a form.