Sri Vedanta-sutra, Part 109

BY: SUN STAFF

Jun 22, 2021 — CANADA (SUN) — Sri Vedanta-sutra - Volume Six by Srila Baladeva Vidyabhushana, Translated by Sriman Kusakratha dasa.

Adhikarana 13

The Different Asramas

Introduction by Srila Baladeva Vidyabhushana

That transcendental knowledge is attained by three kinds of devotees, beginning with the svanishtha devotees, has already been explained. Now will be explained the way to make that transcendental knowledge very steady and secure. At the end of the Chandogya Upanishad (8.15.1) it is said:

acarya-kulad vedam adhitya yatha-vidhanam guroh karmatiseshenabhisamavritya kutumbe sucau dese svadhyayam adhiyano dharmikan vidadhatmani sarvendriyani sampratishthapyahimsan sarva-bhutany anyatra tirthebhyah sa khalv evam vartayan yavad ayusham brahmalokam abhisampadyate na ca punar avartate.

"From the acaryas one should learn the Vedas. One should perform his duties and also offer dakshina to his spiritual master. Then one should accept household life, live in a pure way, study the Vedas, perform his religious duties, engage all his senses in the Supreme Lord's service, not harm any living being, and go on pilgrimage to holy places. A person who passes his life in this way goes to the spiritual world. He does not return to this world of repeated birth and death."

Samsaya (doubt): Are they who are not in the grihastha-asrama able attain transcendental knowledge, or are they not able to attain it?

Purvapaksha (the opponent speaks): Here and there the scriptures may say that the sannyasis are able to attain transcendental knowledge, but this is only flattery, only empty words of praise. These passages merely mean that one should renounce everything for the sake of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The conclusion is that in order to attain the Supreme Personality of Godhead one must accept the grihastha-asrama. That is the teaching of the scriptures.

Siddhanta (conclusion): In the following words the author of the sutras gives His conclusion.

Sutra 48

kritsna-bhavat tu grihinopasamharah
But because of all the goal is by a grihastha.

Purport by Srila Baladeva Vidyabhushana

The word "tu" (but) is used here to dispel doubt. This passage from the scriptures declares that the goal is attained by a grihastha not because only they can attain liberation but because everything else (kritsna-bhavat) is contained in grihastha life. This means that all the duties of all the asramas are in some way included in the duties of grihastha life. Therefore the duties of other asramas, such as non-violence and sense-control, are duties for the grihasthas also. In fact no duty in any other asrama is incompatible with grihastha life. In the Vishnu Purana it is said:

bhiksha-bhujas ca ye kecit
parivrad brahmacarinah
te 'py atraiva pratishthante
garhasthyam tena vai param

"Sannyasis, brahmacaris, and all others who eat the food of begging depend on the grihasthas. Therefore the grihastha-asrama is the best of asramas."

Because the Sruti-sastras declare that the followers of the other asramas may also attain liberation, if it is said that the followers of the grihastha-asrama attain the goal of life it is because that asrama contains the duties of all the other asramas. This is explained in the following sutra.

mauna-vad itaresham apy upadesat

Because there is teaching of others like a silent sage.

Purport by Srila Baladeva Vidyabhushana

The words "mauna-vat" here refer to the spiritual perfection already described. In the Chandogya Upanishad (2.23.1) it is said:

trayo dharma-skandha yajno 'dhyayanam danam iti prathamas tapa eva dvitiyo brahmacaryacarya-kula-vasi tritiyo 'tyantam atmanam acarya-kule 'vasadayan sarva ete punya-loka bhavanti brahma-samstho 'mritatvam eti

"Religious life has three branches. The first branch is yajna, Vedic study, and charity. The second branch is austerity. The third branch is living as a brahmacari in the home of the spiritual master. By staying as a brahmacari in the home of the spiritual master, everyone becomes saintly and pious. However, only he who takes shelter of the Supreme Lord becomes immortal."

In the Brihad-aranyaka Upanishad (4.4.22) it is said:

etam eva viditva munir bhavaty etam eva pravrajino lokam abhipsantah pravrajanti

"One who understands the Supreme Personality of Godhead becomes wise. Desiring to travel to His transcendental world, the brahmanas become wandering sannyasis."

In this way it is seen that the scriptures teach that the wandering sannyasis, the naishthika-brahmacaris, and the followers of the other asramas, all can attain liberation. This is described in this sutra by the words, "itaresham apy upadesat". The word "itaresham is in the plural because the duties of the different asramas are very many. The four asramas are described in the following words of the Jabala Upanishad:

brahmacaryam samapya grihi bhavet. grihi bhutva vani bhavet. vani bhutva pravrajet. yadi vetaratha brahmacaryad eva pravrajed grihad va vanad va. atha punar avrati va vrati snatako vasnatako votsannagnir anagniko va yad ahar eva virajyet tad ahar eva pravrajet.

"When one completes his studies as a brahmacari, a man should become a grihastha. After he has been a grihastha he may become a vanaprastha. After he has been a vanaprastha he may become a wandering sannyasi. Or, leaving brahmacari life he may at once become a wandering sannyasi. Or, leaving grihastha life he may directly become a sannyasi. Or, leaving vanaprastha life he may become a sannyasi. They who have followed vows or not followed vows, become a snataka or not become a snataka, carefully kept the sacred fire, or not kept

In the Jabala Upanishad passage beginning with the words "paramahamsanam", the nirapeksha devotees are specifically described. When the grihasthas are singled out it is because the duties of the other asramas are all contained in the grihastha-asrama. Still, the Upanishad clearly says, "On the day one turns with distaste from the world, on that day one should become a wandering sannyasi." This means that when one sincerely renounces the world one should at once accept sannyasa. In this way the idea that the grihastha-asrama is the only proper asrama is refuted. Whether one still has material desires or one has lost all taste for material things determines whether one should accept the grihastha-asrama or the sannyasa-asrama. Still, when a person has peacefulness, self-control, tolerance, and other virtues, he may be within the varnasrama-dharma, or he may be above varnasrama-dharma, he will certainly attain transcendental knowledge. This has been clearly explained.

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