Sri Vedanta-sutra, Part 33
BY: SUN STAFF
Nov 8, CANADA (SUN) — Sri Vedanta-sutra - Volume Two by Srila Baladeva Vidyabhushana.
Adhikarana 5
The "Purusha" of the Kaushitaki Upanishad Is Brahman
Introduction by Srila Baladeva Vidyabhushana
In the next passage the author of the sutras) again refutes the sankhya theory. In the Kaushitaki Upanishad 4.18 Balaki Vipra promises “I shall tell you about Brahman," and proceeds to describe 16 purushas, beginning with the sun-god, as Brahman. King Ajatasatru then rejects these instructions and says: “O Balaki, the person who is the creator of these 16 purushas, the person engaged in this karma is the actual Brahman."
Samsaya: At this point the doubt may be raised: "Is the superintendent of matter, the enjoyer described in the sankhya texts, or is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Vishnu, to be understood as the Brahman mentioned here?
Purvapaksha: Someone may object: Because the use of the word karma here identifies this Brahman with the experiencing the results of good and bad work, because it the next passage this Brahman is described as sometimes sleeping (tau ha suptam purusham ajagmatuh, and because in the passage after that this Brahman is described as an enjoyer (tad yatha sreshthi svair bhunkte), it should be understood that the Brahman here is the jiva (individual spirit soul) described in the tantras. The use of the word prana (life-breath) here also confirms that the Brahman described here is the living individual soul. This Brahman (the jiva), which is different from matter, should thus be understood as the original cause of the many enjoyer purushas and the original cause of their sinless activities as well. In this way it has been proven that the Brahman described in this passage is the individual spirit soul (jiva). The theory that there is a Supreme Personality of Godhead is separate from the individual spirit soul (jiva) is thus completely untenable. The text (sa aikshata) that explains that the creator thinks is thus very appropriate if it is understood that the original cause, the controller of the material energy that creates this world, is in fact the individual soul (jiva).
Siddhanta: In response to this:
Sutra 16
jagad-vacitvat
jagat-the world; vacitvat-because of the word.
(The word Brahman here means the Supreme Personality of Godhead, because the word "karma" here should be understood) to mean "jagat" (creation).
Purport by Srila Baladeva Vidyabhushana
The word Brahman here does not mean the kshetrana (individual spiritual soul) described in the tantras, but rather it means the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is known by study of Vedanta. Why? Because of the use of the word jagat. Because it is accompanied by the word jagat, the word karma in this passage means "the material world composed of a mixture of matter and spirit." Because He is the original creator, this karma (material world) may be understood to be His property (yasya karma). The truth is this: the word karma, which is derived from the verb kri (to do, create) here means “creation". When this interpretation is accepted the actual meaning of the word here is understood. This interpretation refutes the mistaken idea that the individual spirit soul (jiva) is the original creator. Even the Kapila-tantra does not accept the individual living entity as the original creator. One also cannot say that by adhyasa (association) the individual living entity may be considered the creator of the material world, for all the scriptures maintain that the spirit soul is always aloof from matter. For these reasons it is the Supreme Personality of Godhead who is the original creator of the material world. It cannot be that King Ajatasatru speaks lies in this passage. Rejecting Balaki's teaching that the sixteen purushas (persons) are Brahman, Ajatasatru promises, "I will tell you about Brahman." If Ajatasatru then teaches that the jivas (individual spirit souls) are Brahman then his teaching is no different than Balaki's, and he is dishonest to reject Balaki's instruction as untrue, and then teach the same instruction as the truth. In this way the meaning of this passage is understood. "You have described these purushas (persons) as Brahman, but I will tell you of someone who is the creator of all of them," is the gist of Ajatasatru's statement. In this way it should be understood that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the original cause and the entire material world is His creation.
Purvapaksha: If someone objects "Because it mentions mukhya-prana (the chief breath of life) the Brahman here must be the jiva and not anyone else," then he replies:
Sutra 17
jiva-mukhya-prana-lingan neti cet tad-vyakhyatam
jiva-the individual spiritual entity; mukhya-the chief; prana-breath of life; lingan -because of the characteristics; na-not; iti -thus; cet -if; tad-that; vyakhyatam-has been explained.
If the objection is raised that the jiva or chief breath of life is described as Brahman in this passage, then I say, "No. This has already been explained (in 1.1.31)."
Purport by Srila Baladeva Vidyabhushana
In sutra 1.1.31, which dealt with the conversation of Indra and Pratardana, this question was conclusively decided. There it was explained that in a passage where in both the beginning and the end Brahman was explicitly named, what in the beginning may seem perhaps by its characteristics to refer to the jivas or something else (without them being explicitly named) must be taken as referring to Brahman also.
This passage from the Kaushitaki Upanishad begins with the words brahma te bravani (Now I will tell you about Brahman), and ends with the words sarvan papmano 'pahatya sarvesham bhutaanam sreshtham adhipatyam paryeti ya eva veda (A person who understands this becomes free from all sins. He becomes the king of all men). Because of these words understood according to the explanation given in the conversation of Indra and Pratardana (1.1.31) and because of the other arguments given here the words yasya caitat karma in this passage of Kaushitaki Upanishad should not be understood to refer to anything other than Brahman, the Personality of Godhead.
Samsaya: Certainly you may connect the words karma and prana with the word etat and then interpret them to refer to Brahman, but still there are direct references to the jiva in this passage (of Kaushitaki Upanishad). The evidence of the questions and answers in this passage make it impossible to consider Brahman different from the jiva. In the question about the sleeper the jiva is asked about, and in the questions about the place of sleep, the nadis, and the senses, the jiva, who is here called prana, is also asked about. It is the jiva who awakens (at the end). In this way the entire passage is about the jiva. In this way it may be understood that the jiva is the Supreme.
To answer this doubt he says:
Sutra 18
anyartham tu jaiminih prasna-vyakhyanabhyam api caivam eke
anya-another; artham -meaning; tu -but; jaiminih -Jaimini; prasna-with the questions; vyakhyanabhyam -and answers; api -also; ca-and; evam -in this way. eke-some.
Jaimini thinks these questions and answers convey a different meaning and some versions of the text also give a different meaning.
Purport by Srila Baladeva Vidyabhushana
The word tu (but) is used here to dispel doubt. The description of the jiva here has a different meaning. Jaimini considers that this passage explains that Brahman and the jiva are different. Why? Because of the questions and answers in this passage. The questions ask about the living soul, sleeping and awake, who is different from the life-breath. The text reads: kvaisha etad balake purusha sayishta kva va etad abhut kuta etad agat (O Balaki, where does this person rest while he sleeps? From where does he come when he wakes?) In this question the difference between Brahman and the jiva may be clearly seen. The answer is given yada suptah svapnam na kancana pasyati tathasmin prana evaikadha bhavati (When he sleeps without seeing a dream he becomes one with the life-breath). The passage etasmad atmanah prana yathayatanam vipratishtante pranebhyo deva devebhyo lokah (From that Supreme Self the breath of life comes. From the breath of life the demigods come. From the demigods the planets come.) shows the difference between Brahman and the jiva. The word prana here means Lord Paramatma because Paramatma is famous as the resting-place of dreamless sleep. Into Him the jivas merge and from Him they become manifested again. The meaning of the following passage is that the nadis are merely the gateways leading to the realm of sleep. The Paramatma should be understood to be the realm where the sleepy jiva sleeps and from which the jiva emerges to enjoy (in wakefulness). In the Vajasaneyi recension of this conversation between Balaki and Ajatasatru the jiva is described as vijnanamaya, full of knowledge, and Brahman is clearly distinguished from him. In that reading the question is: ya esha vijnanamayah purushah kvaisha tadabhut kuta etad agat (O Balaki, where does this person full of knowledge rest while he sleeps? From where does he come when he wakes?) and the answer is given: ya esho 'ntar hridaya akasas tasmin sete (He rests in the sky within the heart). In this way the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the object of knowledge taught in this passage.
