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On brahmasUtravritti
by Sri Bhashya Swamigal, mahAdAnapuram
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Translated from Tamil into English by Divya Shivashankar
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Among the prasthAnatraya bhAshyAs that have been authored by our BhagavatpAdAL, the most exceptional is the brahmasUtrabhAshyam. The reason being, it is the sUtrabhAshyam that inquires into and determines the tAtparyA of the upanishads, gItA etc by the aid of pUrvapakshasiddhAntA. Since the style of the BhagavadpAda bhAshyA is graceful, it may appear to be very simple to the readers who glance over it. However to those who attentively study its contents, it will be evident that it is magnificent and endowed with significative fullness.
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Therefore, isn't it peculiar that this BhagavatpAdabhAshyA appears very simple to those with ApAthavyutpatti and appears to be magnificent to panditAs proficient in nyAyamImAmsAdi shAstrAs? However, this very peculiarity is the feature that is ornamental and an honour to the bhAshyAs of our BhagavatpAdAL.
As in the kEnOpanishad vAkyA 'avignAtam vignAnatAm vignAtamavijAnatAm' the brahmasvarUpA that is like a riddle, unknown to those who know and known to those who do not know, AchAryAL's BhAshyam appears also to be a riddle. The reason being, the BhAshyArthAs will appear to be easily comprehensible to ApAthagnAnIs who think the BhAshyam is too simple, looking at its graceful style. On the other hand, for the knowledgeable adept in all shAstrAs, it is common for the BhAshyA to appear to be like a magnificent ocean while the deciphering of all its BhAshyArthAs appears unfathomable.
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No other evidence is required for the magnificence of the BhagavatpAdaBhAshyA that the fact that its vyAkhyAna-upavyAkhyAnAs have multiplied. Similar to the advent of the 5 granthAs brahmasUtram, BhAshyam, BhAmatI, kalpatarU, and parimaLam, another panchagranthI - sUtram, BhAshyam, panchapAdI, vivaraNam, tattvadIpanam have been authored, and due to our good fortune have attained propagation throughout our bhAratadEshA like two tributaries of river Ganga. These are referred to as BhAmatIprasthAnam and vivaraNaprasthAnam.
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It is pratyakshAnubhavA to us till this day that similar to how the pure and majestic puNyatIrthA of river Ganga flows through several canals, covers different lands and helps vegetables and navadAnyAs such as wheat grow as per the nature of the land, the BhAshyagangA of our AchAryAL spreads through the several vyAkhyAnAs that are canals and according to the manOpakvA of countless adhikArIs flows through the fields that are their manas, growing the plant of jnAnA, and ultimately grants the mOkshasukhA.
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This uttama granthA 'brahmasUtravritti' of SrI sadAsivEndrAL shines exceptionally as a significant canal of the BhAshyagangA. Although the gangAtIrtham in actuality flows into nearby fields and helps plants grow, the fields that are in a distant region have to receive irrigation only through canals. Similarly, even though the BhAshyArthAs can be evident to mukhyAdhikArIs who undertake vichArA into the BhAshyAs directly, the BhAshyArthAs can be evident to manda-madhyamAdhikArIs only through vyAkhyAnAs. VyAkhyAnAs such as BhAmatI richly convey nyAyamImAmsAdi prakriyAs and hence can be useful only to shAstragnyAs. Although there are graceful vyAkhyAnAs such as the rAmAnandIyam etc, since they discuss many matters pertaining to shAstrA, they are not of much use to the commoner, and may take much longer time to be comprehended.
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On the other hand, since the brahmasUtravritti of SrI sadAsivEndrAL is simple, precise and significant in its content, it is beneficial to the manda-madhyamAdhikArIs. In the population of a crore, there may be one or two muKhyAdhikArIs, while mandhAdhikArIs are more in number. In order for crores of people to attain a higher plane, Sri Sadasivendral has graced us with great compassion by authoring this brahmasUtravritti.
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For our prasannagamBhIra AchArya BhAshyA, this is the only anuguNavritti.
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In the brahmasUtrA and bhagavadpAdaBhAshyA, there are contained 4 adhyAyAs, 16 pAdAs, and 192 adhikaraNAs. perhaps this formed the basis for the rupee-aNA vyavahArAs in earlier times. Since several varNakAs are enjoined in jignyAsAdhikaraNam, shAstrayOnitvAdikaraNam etc, this number includes them as well. A few varaNakAs have been left out in this sUtravritti only in order to not make the treatise too expansive.
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Therefore, SrI sadAsivEndrAL has clarified the 192 adhikaraNAs with several varNakAs, with appropriate and respective vishayavAkyAs. As per the vachanA, aDhikaraNA is 'viShayOtishayaschaiva pUrvapakshastathOttaram |
prayOjanam sangatischa shAstrEdhikaraNam smrutam ||'
a congregation of six angAs that are samshayam, pUrvapaksham, siddhAntam, sangati, and phalam. brahmEndrAL has very lucidly elaborated on these six angAs in each adhikaraNA. sangati means sambanDhA. It is of five kinds - 'sruthisangati:', 'shAstrasangati:', 'adhyAyasangati:', 'pAdasangati:' and 'adhikaraNasangati:'. Even though the BhAshyakArA has mentioned that the samanvayA occurs as suitably in either saguNA or nirguNabrahman for the vishayavAkyAs in each adhikaraNA since the first is the samanvayAdhikaraNA, the vrittikArA has briefly illustrated it and inculcates it in our minds.
In the first pAdA of the first adhyAyA, he has shown the samanvayA for the spashThabrahmalingakavAkyAs.
What is spashThA?
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jIvAdivishayakatvEnasamBhAvyamAna svArasyakalingAnaBhiBhUtatvam |
that is nirvachanA is done on lingAs suspected as jivaparA. The vrittikArA has explained this well and has shown what is spashThabrahmalingam and what is aspasThabrahmalingam. Since this grantham contains BhAshyavAkyAs in consonance with its vAkyAs like gold paired with precious gemstones, readers who have had the anuBhavA of reading the BhAshyA will realize the beauty of this granthA. We shall elaborate on this later.
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It is extraordinary that sUtrArthAs have been devised appropriate to the siddhAntA of BhagavatpAdA and EkadEsimathA in the AnandamayAdikaraNA, benefitting vidhyArthIs and vidwAns. Furthermore, this vrittIkArA has elaborated upon his own svAnubhavA in the mangaLaslOkA at the beginning ('AtmajyOtirupAsmahE') and at the end (tadasmi brahmachiddhanam). It is seen that vyAkhyAdAs such as rAmAnandA have done saguNasvarUpAnusandAnam as 'rAmanAmniparEdAmni', 'shrIrAmamsiddhamattAram etc. It is evident that brahmEndrAL is a brahmavarishThA from his abhEdaBhAvA-nirguNabrahmAnusandAnam. It is our prayer that everyone reads this vritti and attain all srEyas, since this vritti is a great aid to vEdAntashAstrA and is capable of inducing AtmAnuBhavA, simlar to how kaumudigranthA is a great aid even though granthAs such as vyAkaraNamahABhAshyam, sEkharam etc exist. Even though this preface is brief, the greatness of this vritti may be understood to an extent. However, let us dwell in a little detail on the briefly aforementioned adhikaraNA related matters, in the way adopted by this vrittikArAL. At the beginning of this granthA, he starts with the pUrvapIThikA - 'ihakhalu BhagavAn bADharAyaNa: prEkshAvatpravrityaupayikam ApAtata: traiyyantavachObhi: pratipannam anubandhajAtam nyAyatO nirNEtumidamArachayayAmchakAra, athAthO brahmajignyAsA itu |' Its meaning is as follows: When a reader starts to read a granthA, he first desires to know 'What is this granthA about?' Then he desires to know 'what is the benefit that accrues to me upon reading this granthA?' Then he desires to know, 'am I a suitable adhikArI to read this granthA?' After obtaining the answers for all these questions, the jignyAsa occurs: 'What is the sambandA between this granthA and the vishayA?', 'What is the sambandA between the prayOjanA and I?'
The pUrvAchAryAs refer to this as, 'siddhArtham siddhasambanDham shrOtum shrOtA pravartatE |
granThAdou tEna vaktavya: sambanDha: saprayOjana: ||'
In this sArIraka-mImAmsA granthA, vishayam, prayOjanam, adhikArI and sambandA have to be shown. These have to be elaborated upon by 'athAtO brahmajignyAsA'. Is it possible? The vrittikArAL has accomplished it. He lucidly illustrates it with the vAkyA - 'brahmajignyAsA ityanEna agnyAtatvEna vishayatvam gnAtatvEna prayOjanatvam cha brahmaNa uktam bhavati'. That is, he says, from the padA 'brahmajignyAsA', the anubanDhachathushThayA of vishayam, prayOjanam, sambandam, adhikArI are obtained. How?
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The sukhavisEshA desired by all in the world is mOkshA. This mOkshA has to be dukhanivrittI or Ananda avAptI. If dukhanivritti is considerd to be mOkshA, then just like how all the world is attributable to brahman, dukham is also similarly attributable. If all that dukhA attains nivritti, it is to be taken that it means that all the dukhA is annihilated. Annihilation is abhAvA; our siddhAntA says all abhAvA is adhikaraNasvarUpA. Therefore the abhAvA that is dukhanivritti is also adhikaraNasvarUpA.
As per the nyAyA, 'aDhiShThAnAvashESHO hi nAsha: kalpitavastuna:
if kalpita dukhAs attain nivritti, then it becomes spashThA that it becomes kalpanAdhishThAna brahmarUpA, and therefore the rUpaprayOjanA of dukhanivritti is indeed brahmasvarUpA.
Similarly the mOkshA that is Ananda avApti is also brahmasvarUpA.The reason being, for the brahmavit there isn't a difference between AnandA and the self that attains that AnandA. If there did exist at least a little difference, it is Bhayam that is engendered according to the shrutivAkyA 'yadAhyEvaiSHa Etasmantudaramantaram kurutE | aThatasya Bhayam bhavati', and not aBhayabrahmaprApti. Therefore it is to be understood that Ananda avApti is to shine as AnandasvarUpA itself. This is proved elsewhere by the shrutivAkyA 'brahmavittbrahmaiva Bhavati'. In taittriyam as well, it is explained - brahmaNA vipaschitEti, that is the brahmavitt attains all AnandA as brahmasvarUpA. Therefore since the BhAshyakArA has also concluded that there is no BhEdA as the brahmavitt becomes verily AnandasvarUpA in mOkshadasA, the arthA here is that Ananda avApti means to appear verily as AnandasvarUpabrahmam.
brahmam and Anandam both are one and the same. Therefore since two kinds of prayOjanAs (duKhanivritti, suKhAvApti:) have been elaborated upon through the brahmapadA 'brahmajignyAsA' in the sUtrA, the vrittikArAL has in two words 'brahmaNa: gnyAtatvEnaprayOjanatvam' briefly explained the prayOjanAmshA in the anubandha chatushtayam. Therefore, those who study this sArIraka mImAmsAsAstram, both the above prayOjanAs may accrue. Therefore it is concluded that suitable adhikArIs may undertake vichArA of this granthA. This is explained by vrittikArAL as mOkshasAdhana brahmAparOkshagnAnAya vEdAntavichAra: kartavya: while elaborating on the sUtrArthA.
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Similar to how prayOjanA is obtained through brahmapadA, vishayA is also obtained. Everyone knows that only the unknown vastU is to be undertaken vichArA into. jignyAsA does not occur to anyone when it comes to known vastU. Seeing a pot in bright light, would anyone suspect 'what is this vastU' or proceed to do vichArA? Never. We venture to known brahmam only because we are not aware of it. Therefore vrittikArAL says brahmaNa: agnyAtatvEna viShyatvam. That is the tAtparyA is that singular brahmam is vishayA in agnyAtAvasthA and prayOjanA in gnyAtAvasthA.
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In this manner, even after vishayA and prayOjanA have been obtained, if who the adhikArI is is yet unkown then we can automatically assume that whoever desires to know brahmam is the adhikArI. However, though all desire to know brahmam, it is not that they are all adhikArIs. From the aTha shabdA, it is understood that the one endowed with sADhanachatushtayasampatti is the adhikArI. 'aTha' means after the attainment of sADhanachatushtayasampatti. The tAtparyA is nityAnityavastuvivEka: ihAmutrArThaphalaBhOgavirAga: shamAdhiShatkasampatti: mumukshutvam - these four sAdhanAs must have matured coupled with an intense desire in mOkshA. Since the sUtrArtham derived is that only after these four have been attained should brahmavichAram be done, it is understood that the one with sADhanasampatti is the adhikArI. We are to understand that there is pratipADhyapratipAdakaBhAvasambanDha: between the granthA and the vishyA, and there is prApyaprApakaBhAvasambanDhA: between the prayOjanA and the adhikArI.
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Let us dwell, in some detail, on the sADhanachathusThayasampatti that vrttikArAL has mentioned:- (1) nityAnityavastuvivEka: the inquiry through sruthi, yukti, and anuBhavAs that it is the only the Brahman that is nithyA; the rest are all anityA, impermanent. (2) ihAmutrArThaphalabhOgavirAga: - cognizing that just like how the sukhasADhanAs (DhanakanakavastuvAhanAdi) perish, those that exist in paralOkAs are also perishable, and therefore developing a bitterness and indifference towards them. (3) shamAdisADhanasampatt, shamadamOparati titikshA shraddhAsamADhAnAni (i) shamam - antarindriyanigraham (ii) damam - nigrahA of bahirindriyAs such as chakshu, (iii) uparati - sarvasanghapartiyAgA or sannyAsA, (iv) shraddhA - visvAsabuddhI in guruvEdAntavAkyAs, (v) titIkshA - to bear opposite pairs of heat and cold and the like; (5) samAdhAnam - to concentrate the manas on the goal that is AtmasvarUpA. shAmAdhishatkasampatti means these these six together. The fourth sADhanA that is mumukshutvam is the intense desire to attain mOkshA and not rebirths.
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The vrittikArAL has illustrated well that the adhikAri becomes suitable for brahmavichArA only if the aforementioned sADhanAs have come to fruition. From the following sentence, the stance of the vrittikArAL becomes clear : sADhanachathushThaya sampannasya aDhikAriNa: mOkshasADhana brahmAparOkshagnAnAya vEdAntavichAra: kartavya: That is vEdAntavichArA is done for aparOkshagnAnA to dawn. That is to attain mOkshA. Therefore, the one that is qualified to indulge in vEdAntavichArA is the one endowed with sADhanachatushThayasampatti. Thus the vrittikArAL has explained this clearly. We are forever indebted to our vrittikArAL for having illustrated the visEshArthAs that exist here and there within the BhAshyA.
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In what other way is the srIsadAsivEndravritti exceptional compared to other vrittis? It is extraordinary that the sadAsivEndravritti illustrates the six angAs vishayam, samshayam, pUrvapaksham, siddhAntam, sangati, phalam in each adhikaraNA. Let us now explain the same with a few examples.​
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In the brihadAraNyakA, in the following maitrEyIbrAhmaNavAkyA - 'AtmA vA arE drashtavya: SrOtavyOmantavyOnidhiDHyAsitavyaha', the padA 'SrOtavyaha' means to do SravaNam. SravaNam as in - sarvEShAm vEdAntAnAm advitIyE brahmaNyEvatAtparyam iti nirNayAnukUlO mAnasOvyApAraha' The meaning being, sravaNam is the anuguNamanOvritti that helps conclude that the tAtparyA of all upanishad vAkyAs is the singular brahmam. Just listening via ears alone cannot be sravaNam. Because, by the padA 'drashtavyaha' the uddEshyam mentioned is Atmadarshanam. That is, sravaNam is mandated with Atmadarshanam as uddEshyAm. That Atmadarshanam can come by only by vEdAnta vichAram and not just by listening via ears. Therefore 'sravaNam = AtmavichAram' is the meaning obtained. That vichAram too, cannot be done as per the whim of each. Only when vichArA into upanishAd vAkyAs are done with the aid of pUrvamImAmsAnyAyAs (srutilingavAkyaprakaraNasthAnasamAkhyAhA) and uttaramimAmsAnyAyAs (upakramOpasamhArau aBhyAsOpUrvatAphalam | aTharvAdopapattIchalinga tAtparyanirNayE | ) can it be sravaNam. Only then will the tAtparyam of the sruthivAkyAs be understood. This method of vichArA is the one shown to us by srIbAdarAyaNAchAryAL. Therefore, this shArIrakamImAmsA that is the vichArarUpasAstrA becomes the vishayA for the vidhivAkyA 'SrOtavyaha'. This is the vishayam referred to in 'vishayO vishayaschaiva'.
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A doubt occurs - does such a vichArarUpa vEdAnta sAstram have to come to be or not? If the vishayaprayOjaNAs occur, this sAstram can be commenced, and not in the former's absence. A doubt occurs - will the vishayA and prayOjanA occur or not? This type of doubt is mentioned as the second aDhikaraNAngA 'samshayaha'.​
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For the vidhi 'SrOtavyaha' this sAstram that is vEdAntavichArarUpA is the vishayam. For that sAstram, the vishayA is jIvabrahma aikyam. The samshaya if this jIvabrahma aikyam will occur or not is mentioned here as aDhikaraNAngasamshayaha. Why can't jIvabrahma aikyam not occur, is because everyone has the pratyaksham nAham brahmA. Also, since there are contradicting dharmAs between the kartrtvAdi jIvAs and the kartrtvAdirahitA brahmam, jIvabrahma aikyam cannot occur, just like how there can be no aikyam of dark and light. This is clarified by the vyAkhyAtAs as 'jIvaparamAtmAnau aikyashUnyau parasparavirudDhaDharmavatvAt tamahaprakAshavat' via anumAnaprayOgA. Therefore the pUrvapakshins say that since vEdam is seen to be both by pratyakshA and anumAnA, jIvabrahma aikyam cannot occur.
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​For the siddhAntIs, the kartrtvAdIs that appear in the jivA are not real. The DharmAs such as kartrtvam BhOktrtvam are ArOpitam on the jIvA. In actuality, they are DharmAs of the antahkaraNAs. Since there isn't discriminatory knowledge that antahkaraNam is different from the jivA, the DharmAs in the antahkaraNA appear in the Atman. When a piece of iron is heated in fire, the black iron turns into red. The piece of iron that was earlier cold now becomes hot. Then the vyavahArA 'ayOdahati' occurs (the iron is hot to touch). Even though the Dharmam 'dagDhrtvam' (to be hot to touch) is of the fire, since that fire has mingled with the iron, does not the vyavahArA 'ayOdahati' occur considering the fire and iron to be one and the same? Similarly, due to non discrimination that antahkaraNam and chaitanyam are different, the vyavahArA 'aham kartA aham BhOktA' occurs.
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If it is realized that the shuddhachaitanya svarUpa jIvA does not have the kartrtvaBhOktrtvAdi samsAra sambandam, that is if the jivA is separated from the antahkaraNAdi upAdIs, then it is possible for that jivA to attain aikyam with the brahmam. When the vishayA that is jIvabrahmaikyam is fructified, the prayOjanA simultaneously fructifies. Because when jIvabrahmaikyA is not known, it is said as vishayA. If the jIvabrahmaikyam is known it becomes prayOjanA. This is referred to by the vrittikArAL at the beginning: 'agnyAtatvEnaviShayatvam tasyaiva gnyAtvEna prayOjanatvam |'
That is, only when one thinks that he is a jIvA endowed with dEhEndriyAdi upAdIs he remains a jIvA. Through the shAstrAchArya-upadEshA, if he realizes that he is indeed brahmam he becomes brahmam itself. Therefore it is the same vastu that is jIvA in the ajnAnAvastA and brahmam in the jnAnAvastA. The siddhAntIs say that since, in this way, the vishayaprayOjanAs that are jIvabrahmaikyarUpA fructify, shAstravichAram can be undertaken.
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In this way, the four aDhikaraNAnga vishayAdIs (vishaya:, samshaya:, pUrvapaksha:, siddhAnta:) have been proven until now in accordance with the vAkyAs of the vrttikArAL. Now let us elaborate on the next aDhikaraNAnA 'sangati:'. Let us elaborate a little more on what was mentioned in brief earlier. We have already mentioned its names:- 'shrutisangati:', 'shAstrasangati:', 'aDhyAyasangati;', 'aDhikaraNasangati:'. Now let us elaborate upon them in accordance with the vAkyAs of the vrttikArAL.
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(1) Srutisangati: = that is, the sambandhA between the srutivAkhyAs and this sUtram. The vrttikArAL has exclaimed this as 'vichAram viShayavEdAntavAkyaihi svArThanirNayAya asya apEkshitatvAt shrutisangatihi'. The import is as follows: vichAram means shArIrakamImAmsashAstram. What it does vichArA on is vEdAnta vAkyAs. Therefore the vishayA for vichAram is vEdAnta vAkyAs. Those vAkyAs in order to determine their meaning rely on this sUtram. Can their meaning not be ascertained without this sUtrA? It is possible to do so. However, nirNayA cannot be arrived at. If nirNayA has to be done, the benefits of pUrvapakshasiddhAnta yuktIs are to be analyzed. That vichArA can be done only using upakramOpasamhArAditAtparyalingAs. It is aThAtObrahmajignyAsA ityAdisUtram that determines that 'this indeed is the tAtparyam of this SrutivAkyam' post vichArA. It is this that is explained at the beginning of this vrtti as 'ApAtata: trayyantavachOBhi: pratipannam anubanDhajAtam nyAyEna nirNEtum idam sUtram ArachayAmchakAra'.
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Let us explain the purport of this vAkyam of vrttikArAL briefly now: When the following vAkyAs, 'parIkshyalOkAn karmachitAn brAhmaNO nirvEdamAyAt, shAntOdAnta-uparata: taDhyatEikarmachitO lOka: ShreeyatE taratishOkamAtmavit, ityAdishruti' are observed for their sAmAnya meaning, viShayaprayOjanAs and aDhikAri sambhandAs can be understood well by us. Therefore anubanDhachathuShtayam can be understood just by doing vichArA on just SrutivAkyAs. However, nirNayam is not obtained only through that. Because, doubts such as 'am I an aDhikAri or not; Is brahmam One; is jIvA different from brahmA or the same; is mOksham lOkAntarA like swargA or is it AtmasvarUpA?' can occur only to one with nityAnityavivEkAdi sADhana sampatti. If such a doubt occurs, it cannot be nirNaya jnAnA, it can only be ApAtajnAnA. It is only the sUtram that can decide on the same using several yuktIs. Therefore, only because the sUtram 'aThAtO brahmajignyAsA' has occurred, does the nirNayA that the tAtparyam of ShrutivAkyAs that can prove aDhikAri, vishayam, prayOjanam etc. occurs. Thus, the hEtuhEtumadBhAva: sambanDhA between this sUtram and shrutivAkyAs is clearly demonstrated due to the fact that thia aDhikaraNam was formulated just to determine the tAtparyA of SrutivAkyAs. This is demonstrated by vrttikArAL as svArThanirNayAya asya apEkshitatvAt Shrutisangati: . This is also said in granthA 'panchapAdikAvivaraNam' that is considered as a highest pramANA. vivaraNAchAryAL says, 'aDhikAryAdInAm AgamikatvEpi nyAyEnanirNayArThamidam sUtram'. Therefore since the vrttikArAL and vivaraNakArAl arrive at the same conclusion, there is no doubt that it is the hEtuhEtumadBhAvasangati: sambhandhA that occurs between the SrutisUtrAs. It is the brahmasUtram that is the nirNayahEtu here. What is to be determined or requires nirNayA is referred to as hEtumat. It is to be understood that vEdAntavAkyAs are hEtumat since vEdAntavAkyAs require nirNayam as to their purport. The sambandhA between both is hEtuhEtumadBhAva:. This is referred to by vrttikArAL as 'AyAtata: trayyantavachOBhi: pratipannam anubanDhajAtam nyAyEnanirNEtum idam sUtram'.
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Further let us dwell on shAstrasangati:
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(2) SAstrasangati: - the purport is the sambanDhA between this sUtram and SArIrakamImAmsASAstram. brahmaparavAkyatAtparyanirNAyakanyAyasUchakatvAt brahmavichArAtmakaSAstrasangati: is how vrittikArAL explains SAstrasangati: Let us illustrate this purport with an example. This granthA SArIrakamImAmsA does vichArA of the brahmasvarUpA, with the upanishad vAkyA. brahmaparavAkyam means upanishadvAkyAs. because, they are all determinants or proof for the brahmasvarUpA. Though the sAmAnya purport and the padapadArthAs of the upanishadvAkyAs are understood a little by us by aid of vyAkaraNa kOSAdis, it cannot be nirNayajnAnA. It can only be ApAtajnAnA. If its complete purport is to be understoof, nyAyAs and yuktis that determine the tAtparyA are required. Thse sUtrAs have been formulated to exemplify those yuktis and nyAyAs.
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This can be further explained with an example. Let us consider the sUtram tattu samanvayAt. Let us explain its purport using the vAkyA of vrttikArAL. vrttikArAL explains 'tat brahma vEdAntEShu pratipADhyatE | samanvayAt samyak tAtparyamatvEna vEdAntAnAm brahmANi anvayAt sambanDhAt |' That is, it is Brahman that is propounded in all Upanishads. Because, those upanishads with their tAtparyA have sambanDham with brahmam. When there is a sandEham 'vEdAntA: kartrAdiparAvA brahmaparAvA' mImAmsakAs do pUrvapaksham as kartAdiparA Eva. It is this sUtram that philosophises that 'vEdAntA: brahmaparA Eva' by repudiating that pUrvapaksham, and also shows the hEtu samanvayAt. The purport is there are upakramOpasamhAraikarUpyAdinyAyAs that can demonstrate the tAtparyA. Therefore the vrttikArAL concludes saying ' tasmAt upakramAdilingai: vEdAntA: brahmaparA EvEti siDDhim'.
The upakramAdilingAs are:
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upakramOpasamhArau aBhyAsOpUrvatA phalam |
arThavAdOpapattI cha lingam tAtparya nirnayE ||
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6 lingAs are needed is the purport. The tAtparyA can only be determined via these six lingAs. Only when these six lingAs are complete or deficient, can the nirNayA of tAtparyA come about. All upanishads have these lingAs. Let us consider the ChAndOgyaShaShtADhyAyA that contains the six lingAs. In it, since the sajAtIyavijAtIyasvagAt BhEdarahita brahmam is in upakramam as per sadEbasOmyEdamagna Aseet, it also demonstrates / proves EtadAtmayamidam sarvam. In this manner, the beginning and the end being the same is a tAtparyalingam termed upakramOpasamhAraikarUpyam. aBhyAsa:, tatvamasi, tatvamasi has been mentioned nine times. Since it says 'apUrvatA-atravAvakilasatsOmya na niBhAlayasE' - you haven't comprehended that that brahmam is in this kArya kAraNa sangAtam - since there is no pratyakshAdi pramANaviShayam, this is vilakshaNam and therefore the apUrvatvam is clear. yAvannavimOkshayE aTha sampatsyE - through this vAkyA the vidEhakaivalya rUpa phalam is also mentioned. The arthavAdAs such as anEna-jIvEnAtmanAnupravidhya nAmarUpEvyAkaravANi are also merits of advitIya brahmajnAnam. upapattIs such as yaThA sOmyaEkEnamrtpiNDEnasarvam mrnmayam vijnAtam syAt aslo explain advitIya brahmasvarUpam. Through this vAkyam, it is clear that kAraNavyatirEkENa kAryam nAsti. Since these six lingams refer to advitIya brahmam, this ChAndOgya Sruti explains verily brahmasvarUpA with tAtaparyA. It is this nyAyA that the sUtram shows by the samanvayAt padA. It is this that the vrttikArAL clearly proves in tattu samanvayAt sUtravrtti that upakramAdilingai: vEdAntA brahmaparA EvEtisiddham. Therefore, it is to show the nyAyAs that exemplify the tAtparyA of upanishad vAkyAs that sUtrAs have been formulated. This is referred to as shAstrasangati:.
Next, let us explain aDhyAyasangati.
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(3) aDhyAyasangati: - vrttikArAL explains thus - aThAtO brahmajignyAsA, ityAdiBhi: sUtrai: sarvavEdAntA: brahmaparA: iti samanvaya pratipAdanAt samanvayADhyAyasangati. That is, the sambandham samanvayADhyAyasangati: occurs since it is proved that vEdAnta vAkyAs have their tAtparyA to be brahmaN after each vedAnta vAkyA is analyzed by each sUtram starting from the first to the last using appropriate yuktis. For example, since in the sUtram janmADhyasya yata:, for the sruShtipratipAdakavAkyAs such as yatOvA imAni BhUtAni jAyantE are proved to have brahmatAtparyam using several yuktIs, sambanDhA has occurred in samanvayADhyAyam. Since it is also proved that there is no contradiction between vEdAnta vAkyAs and yuktIs in avirOdADhyAyA, avirODhADhyAyasangati occurs. Similarly, in the sADhana aDhyAyA, shravaNamananAdi sADhanAs are proved, therefore sAdhAnADhyAyAsangati occurs. In the fourth and final aDhyAyA, since the state of mOkshA is inquired into, phalADhyAyAsangati occurs.
(4) pAdasangati: - means the sambanDhA between the pAdAs and the sUtrAs. This is explained by vrttikArAL as praThamEpAdE spaShtabrahmalingAnAm vAkyAnAm vichAryatvAt pAdasangati: The meaning is as follows -- In this first pAdA, since the vEdAnta vAkyAs that clearly show brahmalingam are inquired into more, vrttikArAL says that there is sambandham between this pAdA and sUtrAs. What is spaShta - jIvAdiviShayakatvEna samBhAvyamAnasvArasyaka lingAnaBhiBhUtatvam spaShtatvam. Let us now dwell on it in a bit more detail: upanishad vAkyAs are of several types. In some vAkyAs, jivalingAs may appear to be more prominent. In others, brahmalingAs appear more prominently. It is very difficult to analyze and integrate into brahmasvarUpam the vAkyAs that occur as jIvaparA. Therefore these are kept in the second pAdA. It is easy to inquire into vAkyAs that have clear brahmalingAs in the first pAdA itself. In the janmADhyasya yata: aDhikaraNA, the vAkyam inquired into is yatOvA imAniBhUtAni jAyantE, through which brahman is said to have jagajjanmAdikAraNatvam that cannot occur in jIvAdIs. Because jIvAdIs are of limited shakti. While brahmam is of the vaiBhavAs sarvagnatvam, sarvashaktatvam etc. sriShtistiThisamhArakAraNatvam is not applicable for others except brahmam. Therefore it is appropriate that pAdasangati: occurs since vAkyAs with clear brahmalingAs are inquired into in this pAdam. That is in the aDhikaraNam sarvatra prasiddhOpadEshAt, when the vAkyAs manOmaya: prANasharIrOBhArUpa: etc are studied, since there occurs a doubt that whether they are jIvaparA, jIvalingABhiBhUtatvam occurs. Therefore they are considered to be asvashtabrahmalingavAkyAs. vrttikArAL has inquired into these vAkyAs as well using appropriate yuktIs and has shown that they are integrated into brahmam. In this manner, vrttikArAl has demonstrated in several places the sambanDhA between each aDhyAyA and pAdA.
In the end of the samanvayADhyAyA, vrttikArAL has demonstrated that all vEdAnta vAkyAs have tAtparyam only unto brahman - tasmAt-jagatkAraNE sarvagnE jignAsE brahmANi vEdAntAnAm samanvayO nAnyaThEtisiddhim. Also,
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brahmanAmni parEDhAmni pratyapAdi samanvaya: |
trayyanta santatEryasmin tadasmi jyOtirAtatam ||
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through this mangala shlOka, readers can understand the svAnuBhavA of this vrttikArAL. vrttikArAL does AtmAnusanDhAnam through the excuse of the mangala shloka that 'I am that akhanDAkAra vastu who is the sarvOtkrShta brahmasvarUpam into which all vEdAvAkyAs have been proven as integrated'.
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Now let us dwell on aDhikaraNasangati:
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(5) aDhikaraNasangati: - meaning the sambanDhA between the pUrvADhikaraNam and the uttara aDhikaraNam. aThAtO brahmajignAsA is the first aDhikaraNam and therefore it does not have aDhikaraNa sangati. This is mentioned by vrttikArAL as 'prAThamyAdasyADhikaraNasya nADhikaraNasangati:'. Since the janmADhyasyayata: aDhikaraNam has sambanDhA with jignAsADhikaraNam, vrttikArAL refers to it as AkShEpikI sangati:. Similarly, the sangatis such as pratyudAharaNasangati:, prasangasangati:, svarUpApavAdasangati: etc have all been demonstrated / validated at the start of each respective aDhikaraNam.
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brahmEndrAL is forever worthy of our worship since he has linked 192 aDhikaraNAs like links on chain, with sambanDhAs between each other, while even demonstrating sangatIs for aDhyAyA and pAdA. He has done an unquantifiable favour to all seekers. Students of the BhAshyA will recognize well that, in the absence of this vritti, this linkage cannot be identified only with the help of vyAkhyAnAs.
Another specialty of this vrtti is that sUrtArThAs that cannot be understood by just AchArya BhAshyA and its vyAkhyAnAs are explained here and there. For example, it is an unquantifiable favour unto us that vrttikArAL has beautifully and clearly enunciated the BhAshyAnusAra meanings for the eight sUtrAs in AnandamayOBhyAsAt aDhikaraNam, followed by the meaning as per our siddhAntA.
Similarly, he explains the BhAshyArthA well, at places where the arguments of the tArkikAs are refuted. For example, in the sUtrA svapakshadOShA, he condemns sAnkhyAs who refute the vEdAntamatam and shows the faults on their side:
'sAnkhyAdayOpi niravayavam praDhAnam jagatpariNAmI tyangIchakru: tatrApi krtsna prasaktyAdidOSha: samAna: | aNuvAdinOpi paramANusamyOga: vyApavrttirvA avyApyavrttirvA uBhayaThApi dOShaEva, brahmavAdE sa dOShO na samasti'
Thus he establishes that our siddhAntam is blemishless, by skillfully debating, and condemns opposing arguments.
Finally, he conjoins his vAkyAs along the lines of the BhAshyavAkyAs at the end of the anAvrtti aDhikaraNam.
nirguNabrahmavidAm tu Avrttishankaiva nAsti | yata: saguNAvidAmapi nirguNAshrayaNE naiva anAvrtti: nAnyaThA | tasmAdbrahmavidAm nirastasamastaprapanchasvaprakAshachidEkarasa niratishayAnandAtmanAvasThitiriti ati-shOBhanam
-he concludes this granthA saying, for those who have comprehended nirguNabrahmam there is no recurring samsArabandham. Therefore there is no further obstacle in attaining Ananda avApti rUpa mOksham.
The mangaLa shlOkam is as follows,
yajnAnajjIvatO muktirutkrAntigatiruttarA |
brahmaprApti: pratyapAdi tadasmi brahmachidGhanam ||
In this, he explains jIvanmukti, utkaramaNam, gamanam, attainment of brahmaBhAvA, the subjects of the phalADhyAyA and the most auspicious brahmAnusandhAnam as well.
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Even while being equipped with such shAstrapANdityA and brahmaniShthA, he concludes with the following shLokA:
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jaDa: kvAham bAla: kvachagahanavEdAntasaraNi:
taThApyAmnAyArTha paramashivayOgIndrakrupayA |
vijAnan vyAkhyAnam vrachayamaham vEdaSirasa:
tadEtat kshantavyam mayi sadayaDhruShtyA buDhajanai: ||
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in which he portrays himself as an ignorant child and that he is not qualified enough to write this vrtti. We are moved to tears when he mentions that he has authored this vrtti only through the grace of his Guru and not through his own abilities, and that vidwAns may excuse this effort.
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May we also conclude this essay with a mangala-shlOka that induces the same tears of joy:
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SrIshankaram BhAshyakAram vrttikAram sadASivam |
BhUyOBhUyOBhinandAma: praNamAma: padEpadE ||
kvEyamvrtti: paramagahanA brahmavinmAtragamyA
kvAham bAlO jadima Bharita: shAstragam DhAnaBhignya: |
vrttErasyA: vivaraNamidam yanmayAkAri kinchit
sPhItA kAchidguruvarakrupA kEvalam tatra hEtu: ||
mangalam BhAshyakArAya vrtti-kArAya mangalam |
tadIyashiShyashiShyANAmasmAkam chAstu mangalam ||
sacchidAnandatIrThEna BhAShyasvAsyABhiDhAjuShA |
vrttErasThAstumAhAtmyalEshalEshOyamudDhruta: ||​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
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