Chapter I - Questions

The purpose of the sequel.

It has been said that “the knower of Brahman reaches the Supreme,” not the ignorant man who holds to the unreal (asat). With a view to demonstrate this truth, the śruti proceeds with the sequel.—(S).

Now the following question arises: If Brahman is common to—is the essential being of—both the enlightened and the unenlightened alike, the attainment or non-attainment of Brahman may apply to both alike, there being apparently no ground whatever for a distinction between the two. Now, the purpose of the sequel is to shew wherein the distinction between the two lies.—(S & A).

Or, since the mind (antaḥ-karaṇa) of the one in the darkness (of ignorance) is wedded to mere forms of Evolution (kāryamātra), i. e., since the unenlightened man identifies himself with the sheaths (kośas), he cannot recognise the existence of the Supreme Self, though He is a self-evident Being. So the sequel is intended to prove the existence of the Self who is beyond all creation, as also to answer the two questions that follow here.—(S & A).

 

Śrāvana and Manana.

Having finished the exposition of Brahman, i. e., the section of śrāvana (hearing), the śruti next proceeds with the section of manana (reflection) dealing with the rationale of the Brahma-vidyā, for the benefit of those who are engrossed in outward forms. Now, at the beginning of the section, the śruti formulates the questions that arise in the mind of the disciple.

Owing to perversity of the disciple’s intellect (buddhi), many doubts arise in his mind with reference to the teachings of the master; and the śruti therefore raises here such questions as are naturally suggested by what has been taught already. That the process of manana (reflection) follows that of sravaua (hearing master’s exposition), as suggested here by the word ‘then,’ is quite clearly expressed elsewhere by the śruti:

“The Self, verily, my dear, should be heard, reflected and meditated upon.”^[1]

These two processes are further explained by the smṛti in the following words:

“(The Self) should be heard (studied) through the words of the śruti, and reflected upon in reason.”

Their purposes are distinguished by the śruti in the following words:

“The heart’s knot is dissolved, all doubts are cut apart.”^[2]

When the true nature of Brahman has been learnt from instructions (upadeśa), the heart’s knot, i. e. the illusion of oneness of the Inner Self with the antaḥ-karaṇa, is dissolved. Doubts are cut asunder by reflection (manana), in the process of finding the rationale of what has been taught in the instruction. Therefore questions are raised here embodying the doubts to be cut asunder.

 

The Questions of the Disciple.

अथातोऽनुप्रश्नाः । उताविद्वानमुं लोकं प्रेत्य । कश्चन गच्छती ॥ ३ ॥
आहो विद्वानमुं लोकं प्रेत्य कश्चित्समश्नुता ३ उ ॥ ३ ॥

athāto'nupraśnāḥ | utāvidvānamuṃ lokaṃ pretya | kaścana gacchatī || 3 ||
āho vidvānamuṃ lokaṃ pretya kaścitsamaśnutā 3 u || 3 ||

3. Hence, then, the questions that follow: whether does any one who knows not, departing, goes to that region? Or, does any one who knows, departing, attain that region?

Because such is the case^[3], these then are the disciple’s questions following upon the teacher’s exposition.^[4]

Because Brahman is the Self of both the enlightened and the unenlightened and is unknowable, the disciple addressed the following questions to the teacher after hearing his exposition.— (S).

Brahman, indeed, is the same in the enlightened and the unenlightened, as He is the cause of ākāśa,^[5] etc. Therefore, it may be supposed that the attainment of Brahman is possible even in the case of the unenlightened.—Hence the question: Does even he who knows not,hence departing^[6], attain that region, the Supreme Self (Paramātman)? Or does he not attain?—This second question should be here understood, because of the (Sanskrit) plural^[7] “questions”; two other questions referring to “him who knows.”

If, though Brahman is the cause of both alike (of him who knows and of him who knows not), he who knows not does not attain Brahman, one may suppose that even he who knows does not attain Brahman. Hence arise two questions:—Does he who knows Brahman, hence departing, attain that region? Or does he, like him who knows not, not attain?—This latter question is the second one (concerning him who knows).

......Brahman who is the cause of the whole.universe and who, as jīva, has entered all bodies, is present in the unenlightened as well as in the enlightened. If, therefore, the latter attains Brahman, the former too may attain Him. If the unenlightened cannot attain Brahman, even the enlightened may not attain Him.

Or,^[8] only two questions are here meant, concerning (respectively) him who knows not and him who knows. The plural, however, holds good, as embracing a third question suggested by implication.—To explain: The words “if he as non-beiūg knows Brahman,” and “if one knows that Brahman is,” (vide ante p. 491), give rise to the doubt whether Brahman exists or not. Hence the first question which naturally arises close upon the master’s instruction is: Does Brahman exist or not? Brahman being the same in all, a second question arises, Does he who knows not attain Brahman or not? If he who knows not does not attain Brahman who is the same everywhere, then, even he who knows, it may be supposed, does not attain Brahman. Hence the third of the questions which follows: Does he who knows attain Brahman or not?

That is to say, if the unenlightened does not attain Brahman, what evidence is there to shew that the enlightened attains Brahman?—(S).
 

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Bṛ. Up. 2-4-5.

[2]:

Muṇḍ.-Up. 2-2-8.

[3]:

i. e., because Brahman is the same in all.

[4]:

From the foregoing exposition, the disciple has come to understand that the knower of Brahman reaches the Supreme and that He who is thus attainable through knowledge is the source of all being, is the essence of all, is the all.

[5]:

i. e., as He is the source of all jīvas associated with matter (bhūtas)—(A).

[6]:

i.e. after death.

[7]:

shewing that three or more questions are meant here.

[8]:

The answer begins with the words “He desired,” which cannot be construed as an answer to any of the four questions. Hence the alternative interpretation.