गोविन्द भाष्य (श्रील बलदेव विद्याभूषण - अचिन्त्यभेदाभेद वेदान्त ब्रह्मसूत्र भाष्य सटीक)

scriptures declares that the goal is attained by a gṛhastha not because only they can attain liberation but because everything else (kṛtsna-bhāvāt) is contained in gṛhastha life. This means that all the duties of all the āśramas are in some way included in the duties of gṛhastha life. Therefore the duties of other āśramas, such as non-violence and sense-control, are duties for the gṛhasthas also. In fact no duty in any other āśrama is incompatible with gṛhastha life. In the Viṣṇu Purāṇa it is said: bhikṣā-bhujaś ca ye kecit pārivraḍ brahmacāriṇaḥ te 'py atraiva pratiṣṭhante gārhasthyaṁ tena vai param "Sannyāsīs, brahmacārīs, and all others who eat the food of begging depend on the gṛhasthas. Therefore the gṛhastha-āśrama is the best of āśramas." Because the Śruti-śāstras declare that the followers of the other āśramas may also attain liberation, if it is said that the followers of the gṛhastha-āśrama attain the goal of life it is because that āśrama contains the duties of all the other āśramas. This is explained in the following sūtra. Sūtra 49 mauna-vad itareṣām apy upadeśāt mauna—silence; vat—like; itareṣām—of others; api—also; upadeśāt—from the teaching. Because there is teaching of others like a silent sage. Purport by Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa The words "mauna-vat" here refer to the spiritual perfection already described. In the Chāndogya Upaniṣad (2.23.1) it is said: trayo dharma-skandhā yajño 'dhyayanaṁ dānam iti prathamas tapa eva dvitīyo brahmacaryācārya-kula-vāsī tṛtīyo 'tyantam ātmānam ācārya-kule 'vasādayan sarva ete puṇya-lokā bhavanti brahma-saṁstho 'mṛtatvam eti