Taittiriya Upanishad Bhashya Vartika
by R. Balasubramanian | 151,292 words | ISBN-10: 8185208115 | ISBN-13: 9788185208114
The English translation of Sureshvara’s Taittiriya Vartika, which is a commentary on Shankara’s Bhashya on the Taittiriya Upanishad. Taittiriya Vartika contains a further explanation of the words of Shankara-Acharya, the famous commentator who wrote many texts belonging to Advaita-Vedanta. Sureshvaracharya was his direct disciple and lived in the 9...
Verse 2.638
Sanskrit text and transliteration:
अन्तरेण नियोगं च स्वात्मबोधस्य सिद्धितः ।
स्वाध्यायोऽध्येतव्य इति ब्रूहि स्यात्किं नियोगतः ॥ ६३८ ॥
antareṇa niyogaṃ ca svātmabodhasya siddhitaḥ |
svādhyāyo'dhyetavya iti brūhi syātkiṃ niyogataḥ || 638 ||
English translation of verse 2.638:
Since the knowledge of the Self can arise even without a separate injunction other than the general one, viz., “Every one shall study his own section of the Veda,” please tell, what is the purpose served by an injunction?
Notes:
The Niyogavādin may argue in a different way. It may be conceded that knowledge of its own accord gives rise to its result, viz., the manifestation of an object, and that it does not seek the help of an injunction in this regard. But knowledge must first come into existence.
In the absence of an injunction, the Niyogavādin argues, knowledge cannot arise at all. It means that knowledge, according to this argument, is in need of an injunction in order that it may come into existence.
This argument is untenable. It has already been stated that the adhyayana-vidhi, viz., “Every one shall study his own section of the Veda,” is enough to prompt a person to undertake a formal study of the Veda. In the course of his study, he obtains the knowledge of the Self from the śruti texts like tat tvam asi. No other injunction is required for this purpose.