Chapter IV, Section III, Adhikarana VI

Adhikarana summary: Only those who have worshipped the Saguna Brahman without a symbol attain Brahmaloka

Brahma-Sutra 4.3.15: Sanskrit text and English translation.

अप्रतीकालम्बनान्नयतीति बादरायणः, उभयथाऽदोषात्, तत्क्रतुश्च ॥ १५ ॥

apratīkālambanānnayatīti bādarāyaṇaḥ, ubhayathā’doṣāt, tatkratuśca || 15 ||

apratīka-ālambanāt—Those who do not use a symbol (of Brahman) in their meditations; nayati—(the superhuman being) leads; iti bādarāyaṇaḥ—so says Badarayana; ubhayathā— if this distinction is made; adoṣāt—there being no contradiction; tat-kratuḥ—as is the meditation on that (so does one become); ca—and.

15. Badarayana says that (the superhuman being) leads (to Brahmaloka only) those who do not use a symbol (of Brahman) in their meditations, there being no contradiction if this distinction is made, and (it being construed by the principle) as is the meditation on that (so does one become).

The question is raised whether all worshippers of the Saguna Brahman go to Brahmaloka, being led by the superhuman being mentioned in Chh. 4. 15. 5. The opponent holds that they do, according to 3. 3. 81 ante, where it is expressly stated that all, whatever be their Vidya, go to Brahmaloka. This Sutra says that only those worshippers of the Saguna Brahman who do not use any symbol of Brahman in their meditation go there. This, however, does not contradict what is said in 3. 3. 81 if we understand that by ‘all’ are meant all those worshippers who do not take the help of any symbol. Moreover, this view is justified by the Sruti and Smriti declarations which say, “In whatever form they meditate on Him, that they become.” In the worship of the symbols the meditations are not fixed on Brahman, the symbols being the chief thing in them, and so the worshipper does not attain Brahmaloka. But the case of one who worships the five fires is different, as there is a direct scriptural statement saying that he goes to Brahmaloka. Where there is no such direct scriptural statement, we have to hold that only those whose object of meditation is Brahman, go to Brahmaloka, not others.

 

Brahma-Sutra 4.3.16: Sanskrit text and English translation.

विशेषं च दर्शयति ॥ १६ ॥

viśeṣaṃ ca darśayati || 16 ||

viśeṣaṃ—Difference; ca—and; darśayati—the scripture declares.

16. And the scripture declares a difference (with respect to meditations on symbols).

“One who meditates upon name as Brahman becomes independent so far as name reaches” (Chh. 7. 1. 5); “One who meditates upon speech as Brahman becomes independent so far as speech reaches” (Chh. 7. 2. 2). In these texts the Sruti tells of different results according to the difference in the symbols. This is possible because the meditations depend on symbols, while there could be no such difference in results if they depended on the one non-different Brahman. Hence it is clear that those who use symbols for their meditations cannot go to Brahmaloka like those who meditate on the Saguna Brahman.