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

Assuming at will whatever form he desires he bestows benefits on the whole world effected by him. Glory, strength, dominion, wisdom, energy, power and other attributes are collected in him, Supreme of the supreme in whom no troubles abide, ruler over high andp. 87 low, lord in collective and distributive form, non-manifest and manifest, universal lord, all-seeing, all-knowing, all-powerful, highest Lord. The knowledge by which that perfect, pure, highest, stainless homogeneous (Brahman) is known or perceived or comprehended — that is knowledge : all else is ignorance' (Vishnu Purana VI, 5, 82-87). — ' To that pure one of mighty power, the highest Brahman to which no term is applicable, the cause of all causes, the name "Bhagavat " is suitable. The letter bha implies both the cherisher and supporter ; the letter ga the leader, mover and creator. The two syllables bhaga indicate the six attributes — dominion, strength, glory, splendour, wisdom, dispassion. That in him — the universal Self, the Self of the beings — all beings dwell and that he dwells in all, this is the meaning of the letter va. Wisdom, might, strength, dominion, glory, without any evil qualities, are all denoted by the word bhagavat. This great word bhagavat is the name of Vasudeva who is the highest Brahman — and of no one else. This word which denotes persons worthy of reverence in general is used in its primary sense with reference to Vasudeva only ; in a derived sense with regard to other persons' (Vi. Pu. VI, 5, 72 ff.) ; 'Where all these powers abide, that is the form of him who is the universal form : that is the great form of Hari. That form produces in its sport forms endowed with all powers, whether of gods or men or animals. For the purpose of benefitting the worlds, not springing from work (karman) is this action of the unfathomable one ; all-pervading, irresistible ' (Vi. Pu. VI, 7, 69-71) ; ' Him who is of this kind, stainless, eternal, all-pervading, imperishable, free from all evil, named Vishnu, the highest abode* (Vi. Pu. I, 22,53); * He who is the highest of the high, the Person, the highest Self, founded on himself; who is devoid of all the distinguishing characteristics of colour, caste and the like ; who is exempt from birth, change, increase, decay and death ; of whom it can only be said that he ever is. He is everywhere and in him everything abides ; hence he is called Vasudeva by those who know. He is Brahman, eternal, supreme, imperishable, undecaying ; of one essential nature and ever pure,

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He is everywhere and in him everything abides ; hence he is called Vasudeva by those who know. He is Brahman, eternal, supreme, imperishable, undecaying ; of one essential nature and ever pure,

88 vedanta-s£tras.

as free from all defects. This whole world is Brahman, comprising within its nature the Evolved and the Unevolved ; and also existing in the form of the Person and in that of time ' (Vi. Pu. I, 2, 10-14) ; ' The Prakrzti about which I told and which is Evolved as well as Unevolved, and the Person — both these are merged in the highest Self. The highest Self is the support of all, the highest Lord ; as Vishnu he is praised in the Vedas and the Vedanta-texts ' (Vi. Pu. VI, 4, 38, 39). * Two forms are there of that Brahman, one material, the other immaterial. These two forms, perishable and imperishable, are within all things : the imperishable one is the highest Brahman, the perishable one this whole world. As the light of a fire burning in one place spreads all around, so the energy of the highest Brahman constitutes this entire world ' (Vi. Pu. I, 23, 53~55)* ' The energy of Vishnu is the highest, that which is called the embodied soul is inferior ; and there is another third energy called karman or Nescience, actuated by which the omnipresent energy of the embodied soul perpetually undergoes the afflictions of worldly existence. Obscured by Nescience the energy of the embodied soul is characterised in the different beings by different degrees of perfection ' (Vi. Pu. VI, 7, 61-63).

These and other texts teach that the highest Brahman is essentially free from all imperfection whatsoever, comprises within itself all auspicious qualities, and finds its pastime in originating, preserving, reabsorbing, pervading, and ruling the universe ; that the entire complex of intelligent and non-intelligent beings (souls and matter) in all their different estates is real, and constitutes the form, i.e. the body of the highest Brahman, as appears from those passages which co-ordinate it with Brahman by means of terms such as jarira (body), rupa (form), tanu (body), atfâra (part), jakti (power), vibhuti (manifestation of power), and so on ; — that the souls which are a manifestation of Brahman's power exist in their own essential nature, and also, through their connexion with matter, in the form of embodied souls (kshetra^a); — and that the embodied souls, being engrossed by Nescience in the form of good and evil works, do not recognise theirp. 89 essential nature, which is knowledge, but view themselves as having the character of material things. — The outcome of all this is that we have to cognise Brahman as carrying plurality within itself, and the world, which is the manifestation of his power, as something real.

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essential nature, which is knowledge, but view themselves as having the character of material things. — The outcome of all this is that we have to cognise Brahman as carrying plurality within itself, and the world, which is the manifestation of his power, as something real.

When now the text, in the sloka, ' where all difference has vanished ' (Vi. Pu. VI, 7, $$), declares that the Self, although connected with the different effects of Prakrzti, such as divine, human bodies, and so on, yet is essentially free from all such distinctions, and therefore not the object of the words denoting those different classes of beings, but to be defined as mere knowledge and Being ; to be known by the Self and not to be reached by the mind of the practitioner of Yoga (yogayu^*) ; this must in no way be understood as denying the reality of the world. — But how is this known ? — As follows, we reply. The chapter of the Pura/^a in which that ^loka occurs at first declares concentration (Yoga) to be the remedy of all the afflictions of the Sawsara ; thereupon explains the different stages of Yoga up to the so-called pratyahara (complete restraining of the senses from receiving external impressions) ; then, in order to teach the attainment of the ' perfect object ' (^ubha^raya) required for dhara^a, declares that the highest Brahman, i. e. Vishnu, possesses two forms, called powers (^akti), viz. a defined one (murta) and an undefined one (amurta) ; and then teaches that a portion of the c defined ' form, viz. the embodied soul (kshetra^a), which is distinguished by its connexion with matter and involved in Nescience — that is termed 'action,' and constitutes a third power — is not perfect. The chapter further teaches that a portion of the undefined form which is free from Nescience called action, separated from all matter, and possessing the character of pure knowledge, is also not the ' perfect object/ since it is destitute of essential purity ; and, finally, declares that the * perfect object ' is to be found in that defined form which is special to Bhagavat, and which is the abode of the three powers, viz. that non-defined form which is the highest power, that non-defined form which is termed embodied soul, and constitutes the secondary (apara) power, and

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