ESSENCE OF BRAHMA SUTRAS - Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham

Section III: Brahman is woven from Heaven and Earth, the Aakasha or the Imperishable, the Omkara, theDaharaakaasha, the Great Illumination, the Thumb Sized Brahman not to be confused as the IndividualSoul, the Prana, the Jyoti, the Elemental Ether, the Vigjnanamaya Individual Soul!Section IV: This Fourth Section of the First Chapter is basically directed against the Sankhya argumentsor the Doctrine of Pradhana: The words of ‘Avyakta’ or Blurred / Unclear and ‘Mahat’or Intellect inSankhya philosophy actually mean as Subtle Form or Sukshma Shareera as also the Gross Body andMahat is Brahman in Advaita Shankara.According to Adi Shankara, the Tri Guna Swarupa that Svetasvatara Upanishad.(IV.i.1-4) very clearlyestablishes: Ya eko varno bhahudaa shakti yogaadvarnaan anekam nihitaartho dadhaati, vichati chaantevisvam aadau sa devah na bhudyaa shubhaaya samyunaktu// Tdeevaagnis taadityas tad vayustadyuchandramaah,tadeva shukram tad brahma tad aapas tat prajaapatih/ Twam stri twam pumaan asi,twam kumaaraa ura kumari; twam jeerno dandena vanchasi, twam jaato bhavasi yashvato mukhah/Neelaah patango harito lohikaakshas tadid garbha ritvas samudrah, anaadimat twam vibhutvena vartaseyato jaanaani bhuanaani vishwah/ (The Supreme in His multi-splendoured distinction of Unity , withneither colours nor forms but of undescribable powers that are displayed- some transperent and manyhidden but all such diffused variations forged into Unique Oneness. The creations include Agni, Aditya,Vaayu, Chandra, as also Brahma the Hiranyagarbha floating on ‘Aapas’ or water; the latter createdPrajapati the Virat Purusha and Maya the feminity to further ‘Srishti’ or Creation. But the UnknownMaster Craftsman never ever referred to the Pradhana of Sankhya School of Thought! The Svetaashvataraalso vide V.ii. further clarifies: Yo yonim yonim adhitishthati eko vishvaani rupaani yonischa sarvah/Rishim prasutam kapilam yastamagre jnaanair bibhrati jaayamaanaanaam cha pashyet/ Ekaikam jaalambahudhaa vikurvan, asmin kshetre amharati esha devah, bhuyah shrastvaapayatas tatheshahsarvaadhipatyam kurute mahaatmaa/ ( Brahman is the Singular source of allm the forms and facts ofexistence and Hiranyagarbha or Brahma as clearly distinguished from Brahman as the intermediary ofboth of the two! ‘Yo yonim, yonim adhishthati ekovishvani rupaani yonih’ or the Single Source sourcesseveral sources and Maharshis like kapila might even put forth their thoughts of sankhya philosophydifferetely initially. ‘Eaikam jaalambahudaa vikurvan’ or the Supreme Lord of the Universe is spread outfar and wide and up appears several Devas of whom are individual powers of their own ‘amshas’ orsparks of the same fund of luminosity, besides of the Greatest Self of Maha Purusha or Prajapati).It is also refuted that the Concept of Pancha- Pancha Janah of the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad (IV.iv.17)is different from the Principles of Sankhyas that is, Yasmin pancha pancha janaah aakaashaschapratishthitaah, tameva manya atmaanaamvidwaan brahma amritritormitam/ or Parama Brahman is inthe five groups of Gandharvas, Pitru Devatas, Devas, Asuras, and Rakshasaas, besides Subtle Ether. Andto realise the Inidividual Self is to realise them all; that is Immortal Brahman Himself. Also, there is noconflict of order of Creation as attributed by the Upanishad. Instead, it is amply proved that the allsignificant Brahman being the high seat of Knoweledge is the cause of the Universe himself intead of aproxy. The Scriptures further prove that the Maker of the Universe is neither of Praana or the VitalEnergy nor the Individual Soul but Brahman himself. Indeed that the Supreme Self is what is visualized,heard and felt but not the Individual Soul as expressed by a host of Maharshis like Jaimini, Asmartya,Audolomi and Kasakritsna. Brahman is not only the ‘Nimitta’ or the operative cause but also the materialcause as well. The Universe springs from Brahman by Parinama Sutra or the Modifying Theory as well!In sum, all other Theories besides that of Pradhana too get scotched and that Brahman is the Uniquenessand Infinity that the Universe is all about!

Dwiteeyopaadhyaaya (Chapter II) : Avirodha ( Reconciliation of Disagreements).Section I: This Avirodha Adhyaya or the Chapter on Abscence of Contradictions in the Pradhama Paadaor the First Chapter deals with the propositions of Smriti Virodha, Nyaya Virodha and Parihara orCritiques on Vedas and Tenets of Justice and Reconciliation. The Second Chapter constitutes an assaulton the Darshana Systems of Philosophy on their own grounds of justification while the Third and FourthChapters seek to bring about a unified consistency of divergent thoughts of cosmological andpsychological nature in the context of Scriptural Texts and their analyses.In the Pradhama Paada, variousobjections that Brahman is the Cause of Creation are cited and reconciled in the light of the basicphilosophy of Vedas; the objections are : that some of the Smritis stand on the fence by not being able toforcefully reject Sankhya Theories, Yoga Philosophy and the fact of dissimilarity of Brahman and theCreations; the Cause and Effect syndrome in the context of the General Dissolution, Sankhya andVaieshika Systems of Invisible / Atomic Theories; the Indivdual Self vis a vis the Suprem Soul;Brahman’s Sat Sankalpa or His own Will Power; His inability to entirely transform Him Self into theUniverse; His non-possession of certain faculties and instruments of action to create the world except byspecified projects; and His prejudices and partialities against the merits or demerits of Individual Souls.The Final Pradhikarana of the Pradhama Paada sums up how Brahman indeed is the Cause of theUniverse notwithstanding the above objections.Section II: Vyasa Maharshi analyses certain Theories critically that are inconsistent with Vedas andestablishes the undisputed superiority of Brahman as the Cause of Creation and the Origin of Universe.These are the disputes viz. the Sankhya Theory of Pradhana, Vaiseshika’s view point against Brahmanbeing the Cause, the Atomic Theory of the Vaiseshikas, the stand point of Buddhas and of Nihilists asalso of Buddha Realists, the view of Jainas, the Doctrine of Pashupatas that Brahman is only the efficientcause but not the material cause and the Pancha Ratra or Bhagavata Doctrine that Bhagavan originates theSupreme Soul.The predominant feature of the Sankhya argument about Pradhana is that the latter thoughoriginally is inert becomes active on its own and on conversion undergoes modification into intellect,egoism, mind, tanmatras, and flows as waters in rivers, rains from clouds or milk from cows quite unlikefrom the volition of Brahman. Pradhana works suo motto or on his own but not as an Agent and convertsas the Universe, comprising Three Gunas with equal weightage. The Atomic Theory reasons out that theindivisible and inanimate Atoms join by way of motion on the principle of ‘Adrishta’or Invisibility andcause combination to put up a mammoth Universe comprising the basic elements like earth, water, air,fire and sky . The Buddhist Theory of Kshanikavaada or Momentorism and the Sunyavaada or Nihilismare also demolished as baseless. Vaiseshikas are the Sarva Sthitavadins or Realists accept reality ofexternal objects and internal consciousness while Vigjnaana Vaadins that thought alone is real ie. Ideasare prevalent but external objects are inferred being unreal and dreamy! Jainas feel that every thing is, atonce, existing and non-existing, a view which is self contradictory. Pashupata System recognizes God asthe inert Primordial Matter and as the material cause of the world which is contrary to Vedas. The PanchaRatra or the Bhagavata doctrine is no doubt as per Shrutis as Vasudeva is the efficient and material causeof Creation but there are certain inconsistencies and contradictions of a few Vedic passages and hence canbe accepted only in parts but not in toto.7

Section III: The Third Section of Chapter Two describes the Creation of ‘Pancha bhutas’the FiveElements of Akasha (Space), Vayu ( Air), Agni (Fire), Aapas ( Water), and Prithvi (Earth) in the Order ofCreation mentioned in the ‘Shritis’. Issues related to the Origin, their co-eternity with Brahman, theirIssue from and withdrawal into Brahman at intervals is also discussed.The essential characteristics ofIndividual Souls, their Agency status of the Supreme Self, their true observance of Brahman’s injunctionsand directives and the doctrine of Brahman’s reflective nature are discussed too in the following fiftyBrahma Sutras. The first nine ‘Adhikaranas’ or Sub-Sections comprising fifteen Brahma Sutras aredevoted to ‘Pancha Bhutas’and the remaining eight Adhikaranas comprising thirty Brahma Sutras aredevoted to the Individual Soul and Brahman.Section IV. The Fourth and final Section of the Second Chapter of Brahma Sutras is all about Praanastheir Origin, nature, meanings, number of Praanas, organs and the Vital Force in each Individual as alsothe Cosmic Sense. Adhikarana-wise summary deals with the Origin of Prana viz. Brahman, the Numberof Praanas, their minute size and all-pervasiveness, about the Chief Praana also created by Brahman,distinction of Vayu and Praana, ‘Anu’ Praana and its quality of selective permeation and spread, organwise superintendence by special Deities, their subservience to Individual Soul, distinction of Praana andEleven Senses; Naam Rupa Vyakarana or the Account of Nomenclatures and Forms.Tritiyopadhaya: (Chapter III): Sadhana or Enabling Spiritual PracticeThe earlier Chapter on Avirodha or Non Contradictions of what Brahman is all about and explanations onreconciliations of various Concepts as per Vedic Sciptures propounding the fundamentals of HinduDharma Texts. The Current Chapter entitled ‘Saadhana’ or Spiritual Practice deals with ‘Vairagya’ orDispassion and subsequently with ‘Mumukshatwa’ or Extreme Spiritual Practice or Concentrated andRipened Endeavour. The Prathama Paada or the First Section deals with imperfections of Existence andas an inducement to Ideal Living the doctrine of Reincarnation. The Second paada defines the nature of anindividual and Brahman. The Third one deals with kinds of Meditation and finally the fourth one adiscussion on Moksha or Liberation. In the First Section, the First Praadhikarana details the dissolution ofa body of the Individual Soul as accompanied by Subtle Elements, Indriayas and Praanas all of whichattached to the Soul. In the Second Pradhikarana, the merits of the just concluded life of the body areassessed and the nature of the new mortal life is analysed at the resting Lokas concerned. Similarly thedemerits are analysed as well in the Third Praadhikarana. The subsequent Three Pradhi-karanas describethe methodology of the descent of the Subtle Body and the related Self by ether and so on for entering thematernal body concerned.Section I: This Section deals with the Individual Soul’s three States viz. that of awakenness, dream, deepsleep with a view to inculcate Vairagya or Dispassion; that fourth and final State is stated to be of‘Turiya’or of Super Consciousness which is described as of Tat twam asi or ‘you are that’. The FirstAdhikarana describes the Soul as of Dream State which tends to create objects as real in a fleetingexperience as knowledge and power of reality are obscured. The second Adhikarana t

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