Eight Adhyaya, Fourth Khanda (3 mantras)

Mantra 8.4.1.

1. This Self is a Bridge (refuge) and a support, so that these worlds (may he kept in their proper places and) may not clash with each other. Night and day do not pass that Bridge, nor old age, nor death, nor grief, nor the good deeds, nor the evil deeds (of men). All evils turn back from Him, because He is free from all evil. He is Brahman the Great Refuge.—543.

Mantra 8.4.2.

2. Therefore, having crossed everything else, when one goes to this Refuge, if he is blind, he gets his sight; if he is wounded, he gets healed, if he is afflicted he gets peace. Therefore, when that Refuge is reached, after having crossed everything else; the night becomes also verily turned into day, for it is perpetual light there. (Such is this Brahman, the Great Refuge.) This world of Brahman is lighted once for all.—544.

Note.—Compare Adhyāya three Khaṇḍa II, Verse 3.

Mantra 8.4.3.

3. Among the elect, those only reach this Brahman, the Refuge, who understand Divine Wisdom (for Brahmaloka is obtained by Brahmacarya alone). For them alone is the grace of Brahman, for them is the freedom of movements in all the worlds (deserved by them).—545.

Note.—Brahmacarya here does not mean celibacy alone; but that which leads one (char) to Brahman—the Divine Wisdom-Theosophy. The next Khaṇḍa would explain this further, otherwise, to say that celibacy was the only way of getting Salvation, would be against all the other teachings of the scriptures.

Madhva’s commentary called the Bhāṣya:

The Lord is called Setu or bound, because the whole universe is bound or regulated by Him. (He sets the bounds to the worlds and fixes their paths which they do not transgress). A man crossing everything else (discarding everything), and being free from all faults, goes towards this Bound. The Lord is attainable through Brahmcarya, performed with mind, speech, and deeds. The knowledge (Caraṇa) of the Supreme Brahman, is called Brahamcarya, or Divine Wisdom. By this Brahamcarya or Divine Wisdom, they may go to the worlds of Brahman or Brahmaloka. For them is the Brahmaloka, which also means the Divine Vision, the Beatific Vision. The word Brahmaloka meaning Beatific Vision, is so called, because the released see (Loka meaning to look, to see), and Brahma means the God, the state in which this Vision of God ḍs obtained is called Brahmaloka. (Or because the Lord looks upon the released souls with His great Grace, therefore it is called Brahmaloka). Of course, Brahmaloka means also the world of Brahman, the heavenly worlds like Vaikuṇṭha, &c,

Note.—The two most important words in this Khaṇḍa are Setu and Brahmacarya. The Setu is not to be crossed but approached—no one can cross Brahman—He Himself is the goal. Therefore the translation “he who crosses this Bridge” is wrong. The object of the verb tarati or tirtvā is not Setu, but anyat to be supplied. The word Setu is governed by some preposition and verb like “going towards.” The meaning is “going towards this Setu or Refuge, after having crossed every evil, etc.” Similarly Brahmacarya—the science of reaching God—does not mean here celibacy or vedic Study.