The Vedânta-Sûtras with the Commentary of Râmânuja, Part III — SBE Vol. 48 (trans. George Thibaut, 1904)

20. And thus Perception and Inference show.

p. 769

That the energies connected with the rule of the entire world are exclusive attributes of the highest Person, Scripture and Smrz'ti alike declare. Compare scriptural texts such as ' From fear of him the wind blows,' &c. (Taitt. Up. II, 8, 1) ; ' By the command of that Imperishable one sun and moon stand, held apart ' (Brt. Up. Ill, 9) ; ' He is the lord of all, the king of all beings, the protector of all beings ' (Brt. Up. IV, 4, %%). And Smrz'ti texts such as i With me as Supervisor, Prakrzti brings forth the Universe of the movable and the immovable, and for this reason the world ever moves round ' ; * Pervading this entire Universe by a portion of mine I do abide ' (Bha. Gi. IX, 10 ; X, 42). Scripture and Smrzti likewise declare that of the bliss which is enjoyed by the released soul the highest Person alone is the cause — ' For he alone causes blessedness ' (Taitt. Up. II, 7) ; * He who serves me with unswerving devotion, surpasses these qualities and is fitted for becoming one with Brahman. For I am the abode of Brahman, of infinite immortality, of everlasting virtue, and of absolute bliss ' (Bha. Gi. XIV, 2,6-2,7). The exalted qualities of the soul — freedom from evil and sin and so on — which manifest themselves in the state of Release no doubt belong to the soul's essential nature ; but that the soul is of such a nature fundamentally depends on the Supreme Person, and on him also depends the permanency of those qualities ; they are permanent in so far as the Lord himself on whom they depend is permanent. It is in the same way that all the things which constitute the means of enjoyment and sport on the part of the Lord are permanent in so far as the Lord himself is permanent. It thus appears that the equality to the Lord which the released soul may claim does not extend to the world-ruling energies.

21. And on account of the indication of the equality of enjoyment only.

The previous conclusion is confirmed by the further fact that the text directly teaches the released soul to be equal to Brahman in so far only as enjoying direct insight into the true nature of Brahman. * He reaches all objects of

[48] 3 d

770 vedanta-sCtras.

desire, together with the all-knowing Brahman ' (Taitt. Up. II, i, i). — The conclusion thus is that we have to shape our ideas as to the powers of the released soul in accordance with what the texts say as to the Lord only possessing the power of ruling and controlling the entire world, and that hence the latter power cannot be attributed to the soul. — But if the powers of the released soul altogether depend on the Lord, it may happen that He, being independent in all his doings, may will the released soul to return into the Sawsara. — Of this doubt the next Sutra disposes.

22. Non-return, according to Scripture ; non-return, according to Scripture.

— Of this doubt the next Sutra disposes.

22. Non-return, according to Scripture ; non-return, according to Scripture.

We know from Scripture that there is a Supreme Person whose nature is absolute bliss and goodness ; who is fundamentally antagonistic to all evil ; who is the cause of the origination, sustentation, and dissolution of the world ; who differs in nature from all other beings, who is all-knowing, who by his mere thought and will accomplishes all his purposes ; who is an ocean of kindness as it were for all who depend on him ; who is all-merciful ; who is immeasurably raised above all possibility of any one being equal or superior to him ; whose name is the highest Brahman. And with equal certainty we know from Scripture that this Supreme Lord, when pleased by the faithful worship of his Devotees — which worship consists in daily repeated meditation on Him, assisted by the performance of all the practices prescribed for each caste and ajrama — frees them from the influence of Nescience which consists of karman accumulated in the infinite progress of time and hence hard to overcome ; allows them to attain to that supreme bliss which consists in the direct intuition of His own true nature : and after that does not turn them back into the miseries of Sa/#sara. The text distinctly teaching this is ' He who behaves thus all his life through reaches the world of Brahman and does not return ' (Kh. Up. VIII, 15). And the Lord himself declares * Having obtained me great-souled men do not come into rebirth, the fleeting abode of misery ; for they haveIV ADHYAYA, 4 PAD A, 22. 77 1 reached the highest perfection. Up to the world of Brahmd the worlds return again, O Argaina; but having attained to me, O son of Kunti, there is no rebirth ' (Bha. Gi. VIII, 15-16). As, moreover, the released soul has freed itself from the bondage of karman, has its powers of knowledge fully developed, and has all its being in the supremely blissful intuition of the highest Brahman, it evidently cannot desire anything else nor enter on any other form of activity, and the idea of its returning into the Sa/^sâra therefore is altogether excluded. Nor indeed need we fear that the Supreme Lord when once having taken to himself the Devotee whom he greatly loves will turn him back into the Sa/^sara. For He himself has said, ' To the wise man I am very dear, and dear he is to me. Noble indeed are all these, but the wise man I regard as my very Self. For he, with soul devoted, seeks me only as his highest goal. At the end of many births the wise man goes to me, thinking all is Vasudeva. Such greatsouled men are rarely met with ' (Bha. Gi. VII, 17-19). — The repetition of the words of the Sfttra indicates the conclusion of this body of doctrine. Thus everything is settled to satisfaction. — Here terminates the adhikara^a of ' with the exception of the world-energies.'

Such greatsouled men are rarely met with ' (Bha. Gi. VII, 17-19). — The repetition of the words of the Sfttra indicates the conclusion of this body of doctrine. Thus everything is settled to satisfaction. — Here terminates the adhikara^a of ' with the exception of the world-energies.'

Here terminates the fourth pada of the fourth adhyaya of the commentary on the »Sariraka Mima;^sa, composed by the reverend teacher Ramânu^a. This completes the fourth adhyaya, and the whole work ; and the entire body of doctrine is thus brought to a conclusion.

3D2

INDEX OF QUOTATIONS.

A itareya-ara»y aka

X, 8 .

. . 71, 410

II, 4, i, i .

. 71,206,391,

8; 10; 1

1 . 558

461, 767

10 . .

. . 16

4, I, 2. .

. 81, 201, 461

10 ; 11

. . 489

4,2,4. .

• 417

20 . .

. . 21, 71, 102

39 • •

. . 21, 102

Aitareya-upanishac

41; 42

. . 102 i,i ...

. 240

42 . .

. . 86, 577, 612 sq., 769

Apastambiya-

XI, 53 ; 54

. . 16,617,710 dharma-sfitra

XII, 7 . .

. . 7i

1,8,22,4; 23,

2 410

XIII, 1 .

. . 58

11,1,2,3. .

. 590

p. 2

. . 21, 101

9, I3-I7 •

. 187

5 .
19 .

• • 72,571,577 . . 140, 479

Bhagavad-gita

19-21

. . 365

II, 12 . . .

. 7i

20 .

• 553

Ill, 27 . . .

• 553

21 .

• • 554

IV, 6 . . .

. 297

XIV, 2 .

• • 98, 325, 759

6; 8 . .

. 241

3 •

. . 140

V, 18; 19 .

. 96

4 •

. . 71

VI, 11 ; 12 .

. 721

5 •

• • 365

VII, 45 5 • •

• 139

15 •

. . 291

4-7

• 359

17 •

. . 18

6 .

. 71, 410

19 .

. 553

6; 7

. 86

26, 27

. 769

14 . .

22, 126

XV, 7 .

• 563, 577

16 .

p. 713

8 .

. 586

17 .

. 16

14 .

. 248

17-19

■ 771

15 . •

. 101, 356, 557

21-22

p. 627

15; 19

. 263

33 .

589, 627

16 . .

. 101, 310

26 .

p. 71

17 . .

. 145, 612 sq.

VIII, 6 .

p. 17

17; 18

. 86

15; 16

77i

18 . .

• 7i

16 . .

p. 749

XVI, 8-19 .

. 558

22 . .

p. 16

19 . .

. 488

23-26 .

p. 742

XVIII, 5 . .

. 700

24 . .

p. 652

14 . .

• 356

27 . .

p. 742

16 . .

• 554

IX, 4; 5 .

p. 86

46 . .

. 411, 488, 700

75 8 .

p. 140

61 . .

. 101, 263, 557

7; 8; 10 .

p. 365

61 ; 62 .

. 356

10 . . . .

140, 397, 612 sq., 769

Br/had-ara»yaka-

23; 24 . .

p. 411

upanishad

24 ... .

p. 627

1,3 .. •

. 633 sq.

X, 3 • •

86, 612 sq.

3, 22 .

. 575p. 774 vedanta-sOtras.

I> 4, i .

. . 28

III, 8, 10 .

• 7

4, 7 •

• • Mi 24, Hi,

9 • •

. 769 i79,374,466>

9, 28 .

. 24, 236, 240,

479,543,718

p. 402

4, io .

. . 24, 71, 253,

IV, 3, 1 .

. . 601

589,718

3, 7 •

• 60, 352, 546-

4, n .

. . 461, 767

p. 548

4, 15 •

. • 13,179,199

3, 10 .

. . 121, 601, 764

5, 3 •

. • 575

3, 14; 30

. 60

5, 13 •

. . 572

3, 21 .

. . 98, 192, 205,

5, 21 .

• • 574, 578

352,384,469,

5, 22 .

. . 568

p. 765

II, i, i .

. . 199

3, 30 .

. . 549 i, 18 .

. • 555, 576

3, 32 .

. . 318 i? 19 .

. . 604

3, 35 •

. • 98, 192, 352,

2, 3 •

. . 366

p. 469

3, 3 •

. . 568

3,38 .

• • 730

3,6 .

. . 611, 615-617,

4 • •

• • 734

p. 624

4, 2 .

• • 546,689,732

4, 5 •

. . 151, 179, 188,

4,5 •

. . 478

p. 709

4, 6 .

. . 726

4,6 .

• • J43, 399, 458,

4, 7 •