Brahma Sutras (Shankara Bhashya)
by Swami Vireshwarananda | 1936 | 124,571 words | ISBN-10: 8175050063
This is the English translation of the Brahma-sutras including the commentary (Bhashya) of Shankara. The Brahma-sutra (or, Vedanta-sutra) is one of the three canonical texts of the Vedanta school of Hindu philosophy and represents an early exposition the Vedantic interpretation of the Upanishads. This edition has the original Sanskrit text, the r...
Chapter IV, Section II, Adhikarana VIII
Adhikarana summary: The digits (Kalas) of the knower of the Nirguna Brahman attain absolute non-distinction with Brahman at death
Brahma-Sutra 4.2.16: Sanskrit text and English translation.
अविभागः, वचनात् ॥ १६ ॥
avibhāgaḥ, vacanāt || 16 ||
avibhāgaḥ—Non-distinction; vacanāt—on account of the statement (of the scriptures).
16. (Absolute) non-distinction (with Brahman of the parts merged takes place) according to the statement (of the scriptures).
“Their names and forms are destroyed, and people speak of the Purusha only. Then he becomes devoid of digits and immortal” (Pr. 6. 5). The digits get absolutely merged in the Supreme Brahman. The merging in the case of the knower of Brahman is absolute, whereas in the case of an ordinary person it is not so; they exist in a fine potential state, the cause of future rebirth. But in the case of the knower of Brahman, Knowledge having destroyed ignorance, all these digits which are but its effects, get merged absolutely, without any chance of cropping up again.