An Important Maxim of Interpretation

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SUTRA I. 1. 2.

जन्माद्यस्य यतः ॥१.१.२॥

janmādyasya yataḥ ..1.1.2..

… Janma, birth. … Adi, and the rest, sustenance and dissolution. … Asya, of this (universe). …: Yatah, from whom; from what Lord.

Note: The Sangati is Akshepiki.

2. He, from whom proceeds the creation, preservation, and reconstruction of the universe, is Brahman — 2.

COMMENTARY

The word ‘Janmadi’ of the Sutra is a Bahu-brihi compound of the kind, called ‘Tat guna sam vijnana’. It literally means creation, maintenance, etc. The word «etc». includes preservation and destruction. The word ‘Asya’ means, of this: namely, these fourteen planes or ‘Lokas’, peopled by the various Jivas beginning with the highest Brahma and ending with the humblest grass, where the souls enjoy or suffer the rewards or punishments of their actions: this mysterious universe whose deeper depths no human intellect can fathom; this wonderful world of strange construction. The word ‘Yatah’ means «from whom»: namely, from that Supreme God, whose power is inconceivable, who Himself is the agent of creation as well as the material cause, from whom proceeds this universe, He is Brahman. He is the subject to be enquired into by the Vedanta Sutras.

The words ‘Bhuma and ‘Atma principally apply to the Supreme Lord, because both etymologically moan ‘all-pervading’. This will be fully explained in Bhumadhikarana (I. 3: 7) and in Vakya Anvaya Adhikarana (I. 4: 19). Therefore the word Brahman applies only to God, as it denotes the possession of unlimited and unsurpassed attributes, and is valid only with regard to God, (who is the Lord of creation and destruction).

In the Vedas the word Brahman means, ‘in whom all the attributes reach to the infinity’. Brahman primarily means Supreme God; secondarily, the word applies to those beings other than God, because they also manifest some of the god-like qualities. Thus as the word king may be applied in its secondary sense to the servants of the crown. So God alone, who is the ocean of compassion and love towards his devotees, should be the object of enquiry, in order to get release, by all beings who are scorched by the three-fold sorrows of existence and are panting to obtain peace. Therefore, the object of enquiry is the Supreme Being only called Para Brahman. Nor can we say that these attributes are superimposed on Brahman, and that consequently the Jiva may be called Brahman in the sutra. Therefore, even according to the literal meaning of the word Brahman, namely, ‘He in whom all the attributes reach to infinity’, this term is applied to God and not to Jiva, (for etymologically the word Brahman cannot be applied to man).

The word ‘Jijnasa’ means ‘the desire to know, to acquire Jnana’. Jnana is of two sorts: (i) direct or intuitive, (ii) indirect or inferential. As we know from the Shruti: ‘Vijnaya prajnam kurvita’ ‘Having known Him, lot him practice meditation’ (Br. Up., IV., 4. 2.). Here ‘Vijnaya’ refers to indirect knowledge. Prajnam is direct or intuitive knowledge. The first is merely the gateway, while Prajnam or meditation is the direct means of acquiring knowledge. It will be explained more fully further on. Knowledge of one’s own individual self is a great help in obtaining a knowledge of Brahman. Hence the Shruti teaches: ‘Know the understanding (Jiva) as Brahman’. he who knows himself is on the high road to the knowledge of the Supreme Self. The text ‘Know the understanding (Jiva) as Brahman’ does not moan that Jiva is Brahman, because it is clearly established in this Shastra that the Jiva is separate from Brahman. Thus see Sutras I. 1. 16, I. 1. 17, I. 3. 5, I. 3. 21, I. 3. 41. These five Sutras explain that Brahman is separate from Jiva. Even in the state of release, the Jiva is never one with Brahman, but remains separate from him, as will be explained later on.

In interpreting a text there are certain maxims to be observed. One of those is laid down in the following verse:

‘The beginning (Upakrama), the conclusion (Upasamhara), the repetition (Abhyasa), peculiarity (Apurvata), the object (Phalam), the explanation of purpose (Arthavada) and suitableness (Upapatti) are the six indications, by means of which the purport of a doubtful text may be arrived at’.

Applying all these six marks of interpretation to Upanishad texts, we find that they all load to the conclusion that Jiva is different from Brahman.

As we find in the Shvetashvatara Upanishad, IV. 6. 7.:

«Two birds, inseparable friends, cling to the same tree. One of them cats the sweet fruits, the other looks at it without eating.

«On the same tree a man sits grieving, immersed, bewildered by his own impotence (Anisha). But when he sees the other Lord (Isa) contented, and knows His glory, then his grief passes away».

Now in these two verses the Upakrama or the opening words are two birds (showing there is duality and not monism); the conclusion or Upasamhara is Anyam Isham «the other who is the Lord» (which shows that the Lord is Anyam or different from Jiva), the repetition is «the other looks on without eating»; and «when he sees the other lord»; the Apurvata or peculiarity consists in this that the difference between man and God could not have been known but through the Shastras, and this passage teaches such difference; a fact which could not have been known but through revelation. The object (Phalam) is «his grief passes away». Arthavada is «He who knows his glory», while suitableness is «one remains without eating».

Thus applying all these six marks to the above passage of the Shvetashvatara Upanishad, we come to the conclusion that the Shruti in all its parts, teaches difference between Jiva and Brahman. The same maxim may be applied to other texts also.

Objection: An objector says that the object of every Shastra is to teach something which is not known; and the knowledge of which leads to some great result. Therefore, the Shastra teaches the unity of Jiva and Brahman. For what was the necessity of teaching that the Jiva and Brahman are two separate Beings, when every one knows it by his ordinary consciousness and such a knowledge is of no great use. Therefore, Advaita or the ideal Monism is the real doctrine taught in this Shastra, and not Theism or Dvaita. Therefore, the verses that describe the difference between the Jiva and Brahman are merely the reassertion of a well-known popular fact, and not a teaching of something rare and unknown.

Answer: To this objection we say, that there is no force in this argument, for there are other verses also in the Upanishads which show the same duality or difference between Jiva and Brahman. Thus in Shvetashvatara Upanishad, I. 6.:

«When he sees himself as different from the Lord of the world, then he is blest by Him, then he gets immortality».

Moreover the whole world knows generally that man is different from God, yet it does not know that man and God are differentiated from each other by having contrary attributes. (One is almighty, the other is of limited capacity; one being all-pervading, the other is atomic; one being controller, the other is controlled. (Nor does this world know by mere common sense, unillumined by revelation, that the Jiva and Brahman, though possessing these diametrically opposite attributes, yet have a certain co-relation to each other). Therefore, arises the necessity of teaching Dvaita, while Advaita is something inconceivable, even according to its expounders; and so is not a true doctrine. It is a nonentity like the horn of a hare. The Advaita is a state of no fruitions. The holders of this theory maintain that the soul in release is in absolute isolation. And since the Advaitins do not acknowledge the existence of consciousness in the state of Moksha, that state is as good as non-existent.

Those few texts of the Upanishads which apparently teach an Advaita doctrine, have been construed by the author, Badarayana, himself, in a Dvaita sense. he explains the phrase that ‘everything is Brahman’ in the sense that everything is under the control of Brahman and pervaded by Him. This would be explained fully later on. The same view is taught by the author in the Sutra I. 1. 30.

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