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

"Two friendly birds stay on the same tree. One eats the sweet pippala fruits and the other, not eating, shines with great splendor." If the "abode of heaven and earth" had not been previously mentioned then (there would be) no (reason to assume) that the splendid bird here is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Otherwise (if the "abode of heaven and earth" had not been mentioned), the sudden, unannounced mention of the Supreme Personality of Godhead (in this little allegory of the birds) would not be acceptable. The jīva, who is already well known in the world, did not need to have been previously mentioned in the same way here. For these reasosn the "abode of heaven and earth" here refers to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Adhikaraṇa 2 The Fullness is the Supreme Personality of Godhead Introduction by Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa Viṣaya: When, after describing the Lord's holy names and qualities, he was asked a question by Śrī Nārada Muni, Śrī Sanat-kumāra said (Chāndogya Upaniṣad 7.23.1-7.24.1): bhūmā tv eva vijijñāsitavya iti bhūmānaṁ bhagavo vijijñāsa iti. yatra nānyat paśyati nānyac chṛṇoti nānyad vijānāti sa bhūmā. atha yatrānyat paśyaty anyac chṛṇoty anyad vijānāti tad-alpam " 'One should ask about Bhūmā.' 'My lord, I wish to know about Bhūmā.' 'When one attains Him one sees nothing else, hears nothing else, and knows nothing else. That is Bhūmā. When one sees something else, hears something else, and knows something else, he knows that which is very small.' " Here the word bhūmā does not mean "many." Here it means "all-pervading." The text says yatrānyat paśyati. . .tad-alpam (When one sees something else, he sees that which is very small). The Bhūmā is contrasted against alpa (the small. The opposite of small is "all-pervading," not "many." Therefore Bhūmā here means "all-pervading." Saṁśaya: Does Bhūmā here mean prāṇa (life-breath) or Lord Viṣṇu? Pūrvapakṣa: In the passage previous to this the Chāndogya Upaniṣad (7.15.1) says prāṇo vā āśāyā bhūyān (prāṇa is better than hope). Because prāṇa is the topic immediately preceding Bhūmā, and because no question and answer intervenes between them, therefore prāṇa and Bhūmā are the same. here the word prāṇa (life- breath) means the jīva soul who has breath for his companion. It does not mean merely air. Because this passage begins by describing the jīva soul (7.1.3) tarati

'तरति शोकमात्मवित्' (छान्दोग्य उपनिषद् ७.१.३) (आत्मवेत्ता शोक को पार कर जाता है) से आरम्भ कर अन्त में पुनः जीवात्मा का ही निरूपण करते हुए श्रुति कहती है—'आत्मन एवेदं सर्वम्' (छान्दोग्य उपनिषद् ७.२६.१) (आत्मा से ही यह सब है); अतः इन दोनों वचनों के मध्य में स्थित 'भूमा' का वर्णन भी निश्चय ही जीवात्मा का ही वर्णन होना चाहिए। जब उपनिषद् कहती है—'यत्र नान्यत् पश्यति' (छान्दोग्य उपनिषद् ७.२५.१) (जहाँ अन्य किसी को नहीं देखता), तब इस व्याख्या के अनुसार इसका अर्थ यह है कि जब जीवात्मा सुषुप्ति-अवस्था में निमग्न रहता है तथा उसकी समस्त इन्द्रियाँ मुख्यप्राण के वशीभूत होती हैं, तब वह अपने अतिरिक्त अन्य कुछ भी नहीं देखता। जब उपनिषद् कहती है—'यो वै भूमा तत् सुखम्' (छान्दोग्य उपनिषद् ७.२३.१) (जो भूमा है वही सुख है), तब यह कथन भी भूमा के जीव होने के विचार का विरोध नहीं करता; क्योंकि श्रुति-शास्त्र में 'तस्यां सुखमहमस्वाप्सम्' (सुषुप्ति में मैं सुखपूर्वक सोया) का अनुभव सुप्रसिद्ध है। इस प्रकार यह सिद्ध होता है कि उपनिषद् का यह प्रकरण जीवात्मा का ही निरूपण करता है। इस प्रकरण के अन्य समस्त अंश भी जीव-परक व्याख्या के ही सर्वथा अनुकूल हैं। ऐसा पूर्वपक्ष उपस्थित होने पर— सिद्धान्त: सूत्रकार कहते हैं— सूत्र ८ भूमा सम्प्रसादादध्युपदेशात् ॥ १।३।८ ॥ पदच्छेद एवं शब्दार्थ: भूमा — भूमा (सर्वव्यापक परब्रह्म); सम्प्रसादात् — सम्प्रसाद (भगवत्कृपापात्र जीव अथवा सुषुप्ति/प्राण) की अपेक्षा; अधि — अधिक (श्रेष्ठ/उत्कृष्ट); उपदेशात् — शास्त्र में उपदेश होने के कारण। सूत्रार्थ: यहाँ 'भूमा' शब्द से परम पुरुषोत्तम श्रीभगवान् (परब्रह्म) का ही प्रतिपादन है; क्योंकि श्रुति में जीवात्मा (सम्प्रसाद) से भूमा का श्रेष्ठतर रूप में उपदेश किया गया है। श्रील बलदेव विद्याभूषण-कृत गोविन्दभाष्य का तात्पर्य: यहाँ 'भूमा' शब्द से साक्षात् भगवान् श्रीविष्णु का ही ग्रहण होता है, प्राण-सहचर जीव का नहीं। ऐसा क्यों? इसके उत्तर में सूत्रकार कहते हैं—'सम्प्रसादादध्युपदेशात्' (क्योंकि शास्त्र में परमेश्वर को जीवात्मा से श्रेष्ठ बताया गया है)। 'यो वै भूमा तत् सुखम्' (छान्दोग्य उपनिषद् ७.२३.१) (जो भूमा है वही सुख है)— इस श्रुति-वचन के द्वारा भूमा को असीम परम आनन्दस्वरूप कहा गया है, तथा सूत्र स्पष्ट करता है कि भूमा सबसे श्रेष्ठ है, अतः भूमा परब्रह्म परमेश्वर ही हैं। अथवा, छान्दोग्य उपनिषद् (८.३.४) के इस वचन में— 'एष सम्प्रसादोऽस्माच्छरीरात् समुत्थाय' (भगवत्कृपा प्राप्त जीव स्थूल शरीर से ऊपर उठकर परम ज्योतिर्मय स्वरूप को प्राप्त होता है), 'सम्प्रसाद' शब्द जीव का बोधक है। शास्त्र में परमेश्वर को उस जीव से श्रेष्ठ बतलाया गया है, जो अपनी स्थिति के लिए प्रभु-कृपा पर निर्भर है तथा प्राण जिसका नित्य सहचर है। अभिप्राय यह है कि नामादि समस्त सोपानों का वर्णन करने के पश्चात्, छान्दोग्य उपनिषद् (७.१५.२) में कहा गया है: 'स वा एष एवं पश्यन्नेवं मन्वान एवं विजानन्नति...'

vādī bhavati (He who sees prāṇa, meditates on prāṇa, and understands prāṇa becomes a true knower of things), and then after saying that the knower of prāṇa becomes a true knower of things, the Upaniṣad then says (7.16.1) eṣa tu vā ativadati yaḥ satyenātivadati (He who knows the Supreme Personality of Godhead is in reality the true knower of things). The word tu (but) here ends the discussion of prāṇa. Then the greatest ativādī (wise man) is described as he who knows the satya, which here means "Lord Viṣṇu." In this way the Upaniṣad explains that the Bhūmā is both different from and superior to prāṇa. Because in this way the Bhūmā is declared to be superior to prāṇa, prāṇa cannot be identical with the Bhūmā. The Bhūmā is here taught to be superior to the series beginning with name and culminating in prāṇa and therefore it is clearly seen to be different from speech and the other items in this series. In this way the Bhūmā is taught to be superior to prāṇa. The word satya is famous as a name for the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Viṣṇu. The scriptures use the word satya in this way. For example, the Taittirīya Upaniṣad (2.1.2) says satyaṁ jñānam anantam (the unlimited Supreme Personality of Godhead is full of transcendental knowledge) and the Śrīmad- Bhāgavatam (1.1.1) says satyaṁ paraṁ dhīmahi (I meditate on the Supreme Personality of Godhead). The word satyena is in the instrumental case to show in the sense of "because." The meaning here is that one becomes an ativādī (wise man) because of the satya, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The person who meditates on prāṇa is called an ativādī (wise man) because he is wise in comparison to they who meditate on the series of objects mentioned previously, beginning with prāṇa and culminating in hope. But he who meditates on Lord Viṣṇu is superior to the person who meditates on prāṇa. Therefore he who meditates on Lord Viṣṇu is the real, the best ativādī (wise man). For this reason the student asks (Chāndogya Upaniṣad (7.16.1) so 'haṁ bhagavaḥ satyenātivadāni (my lord, I will become a man wise with knowledge of the Supreme Personality of Godhead). The guru then answers satyaṁ tv eva vijijñāsitavyam (one must yearn to understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead). The objection that because after the description of the ativādī wise with knowledge of prāṇa there are no further questions and answers, therefore the subject of prāṇa continues into the next sentence, is not a valid objection. Moreover, (it may be said,) because there are no questions after the description of prāṇa, (therefore prāṇa is the highest). In describing the series of inanimate elements, beginning with name and culminating in hope, the guru did not say that the knower of any of these was an ativādī (wise man). However, when he described prāṇa, which here means the jīva, he did say that the knower of prāṇa is an ativādī. The student then assumes that prāṇa is the highest. That is why he asks no further question. The guru, however, not accepting prāṇa as the highest, proceeds to explain that Lord Viṣṇu is higher than prāṇa. The student, however, now taught that Lord Viṣṇu is the highest, becomes eager to know how to meditate on Him, and asks so 'haṁ bhagavaḥ satyenātivadāni (my lord, I will become a man wise with knowledge of the Supreme Personality of Godhead). The opponent may say, "What is referred to here is the jīva, who is the companion of prāṇa (life-breath), and who is referred to in the beginning of this

passage as ātmā." The reply is: No. Here the word ātmā primarily means the Supreme Personality of Godhead because to interpret the word otherwise would contradict the statement at the beginning of the passage (7.26.1) ātmanaḥ prāṇaḥ (from the ātmā prāṇa is manifested). This view of the opponent contradicts the statement (7.24.1) yatra nānyat paśyati nānyac chṛṇoti nānyad vijānāti sa bhūmā. (When one attains Him one sees nothing else, hears nothing else, and knows nothing else. That is Bhūmā). This description of the perception of Bhūmā clearly refutes any idea that the word Bhūmā could mean anything other than the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The scriptures say sauṣuptikam sukham alpam (the happiness of deep sleep is very slight), and therefore to say that the word Bhūmā here means "the jīva who is soundly sleeping" is simply laughable. For all these reasons, therefore, the Bhūmā described here is Lord Viṣṇu. Sūtra 9 dharmopapatteś ca dharma-qualities; upapatteḥ-because of the appropriateness; ca-and. And also because the qualities described here can be ascribed to the Supreme Personality of Godhead only. Purport by Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa The qualities ascribed here to the Bhūmā are suitable only for the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Viṣṇu, and not for anyone else. The Upaniṣad says (7.24.1) yo vai bhūmā tad amṛtam (The Bhūmā is the eternal). This describes the eternalness that is a natural feature of the Supreme. The Upaniṣad also says sa bhagavaḥ kasmin pratiṣṭhita iti sve mahimni (Where does the Supreme Personality of Godhead stay? He stays in His own glory). This explains that the Supreme Personality of Godhead does not depend on anyone. The scriptures also say sa evādhastāt (The Supreme Person is above, below, in front, behind, to the left and to the right). This shows that the Lord is the ultimate shelter of everyone and everything. The scriptures say (Chāndogya Upaniṣad 7.26.1) ātmanaḥ prāṇaḥ (From the Supreme Personality of Godhead the life-force is manifested). This shows that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the original cause of all causes. These are some of the qualities of the Supreme described in the Vedic literatures.

॥ अधिकरणम् ३ ॥ "अक्षर" शब्द परब्रह्म (परम पुरुषोत्तम भगवान्) का वाचक है श्रीलबलदेवविद्याभूषणविरचिता भूमिका विषयः बृहदारण्यकोपनिषदि (३.८.७-८) श्रूयते— "कस्मिन् खलु आकाश ओतश्च प्रोतश्चेति। स होवाच—एतद् वै तदक्षरं गार्गि ब्राह्मणा अभिवदन्त्यस्थूलमनण्वह्रस्वमदीर्घमलोहितमस्नेहमच्छायम्..." (हिन्दी अनुवाद: "यह आकाश किसमें ओत-प्रोत है?" उन्होंने कहा: "हे गार्गि! ब्रह्मवेत्ता उसे ही 'अक्षर' कहते हैं। वह न स्थूल है, न सूक्ष्म, न ह्रस्व, न दीर्घ, न लाल वर्ण वाला, न स्नेह (तरल), और न ही छायारूप है।") संशयः यहाँ "अक्षर" शब्द से किसका ग्रहण होता है—प्रधान (प्रकृति) का, जीव का, अथवा परम पुरुषोत्तम भगवान् का? पूर्वपक्षः श्वेताश्वतरोपनिषद् आदि के अनुसार 'अक्षर' शब्द इन तीनों में से किसी का भी वाचक हो सकता है, अतः इसका अर्थ संदिग्ध है। सिद्धान्तः इसके समाधान हेतु अग्रिम सूत्र का अवतार होता है— सूत्र १० अक्षरमम्बरान्तधृतेः ॥ १० ॥ पदच्छेदः अक्षरम्, अम्बरान्त-धृतेः। शब्दार्थः अक्षरम् = 'अक्षर' शब्द परमेश्वर का वाचक है; अम्बरान्त-धृतेः = आकाश पर्यन्त समस्त प्रपञ्च को धारण करने के कारण। सूत्रार्थ (हिन्दी अनुवाद): यहाँ श्रुति में प्रयुक्त "अक्षर" शब्द परम पुरुषोत्तम भगवान् का ही प्रतिपादक है, क्योंकि स्थूल भूत से लेकर आकाश पर्यन्त सम्पूर्ण सृष्टि के आधार रूप में उसी का निरूपण किया गया है। श्रीलबलदेवविद्याभूषणविरचितं गोविन्दभाष्यम् (तात्पर्य) यहाँ "अक्षर" शब्द केवल परम पुरुषोत्तम भगवान् का ही वाचक है। ऐसा क्यों? क्योंकि सूत्र कहता है—"अम्बरान्तधृतेः" (आकाश पर्यन्त समस्त तत्त्वों का आधार होने के कारण)। उपनिषद् का वचन है: "एतस्मिन् खलु अक्षरे गार्ग्याकाश ओतश्च प्रोतश्च" (हे गार्गि! इसी अक्षर-तत्त्व में ही आकाश ओत-प्रोत है)।

warp and woof, in the eternal). the word akṣara must refer to the Supreme Personality of Godhead because it is here described as the resting place of all the elements, which culminate in sky. The objection may be raised: "Akṣara here may refer to pradhāna because pradhāna is the origin of all the changes of this world. Akṣara may also refer to the jīva because the jīva is the resting place of all inanimate objects that come within its perception." If these objections are raised, he then says: Sūtra 11 sā ca praśāsanāt sā-that; ca-and; praśāsanāt-because of the command. "Akṣara" here must refer to the Supreme Personality of Godhead because the text says that everything is supported by His command. Purport by Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa In the previous sūtra the Supreme Personality of Godhead is described as the resting place of all the elements, beginning with the grossest and culminating in sky. Why is this? The sūtra says praśāsanāt (because the text says that everything is supported by His command). The Bṛhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad (3.8.9) says etasya vā akṣarasya praśāsane gārgi dyāvā-pṛthivī vidhṛte tiṣṭhataḥ. etasya vā akṣarasya praśāsane gārgi sūryā-candramasau vidhṛtau tiṣṭhataḥ (By the command of the eternal, O Gārgi, heaven and earth are manifest. By the command of the eternal, O Gārgi, the sun and moon are manifest). Because these words describe the order of the eternal, the eternal should be understood to be the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Neither the inanimate, unconscious pradhāna, nor the conditioned or liberated jīva can create everything simply by their command. Sūtra 12 anya-bhāva-vyāvṛtteś ca anya-another; bhāva-nature; vyāvṛtteḥ-because of the exclusion; ca-also.

And also because the text describes certain qualities that specifically exclude any other being. Purport by Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa The Bṛhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad (3.8.11) says tad vā etad akṣaraṁ gārgy adṛṣṭaṁ draṣṭṛ aśrutaṁ śrotṛ (O Gārgī, this eternal sees, but is unseen. He hears, but is unheard). Because these words describe the akṣara in terms that cannot be applied to anyone but the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the word akṣara must refer to the Supreme Person. The pradhāna is inanimate and unconscious and therefore it cannot see. Because the text here says that the akṣara sees everything but cannot be seen by anyone, it cannot mean the jīva. Adhikaraṇa 4 The "Puruṣa" Seen in Brahmaloka is the Supreme Personality of Godhead Introduction by Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa In the Praśna Upaniṣad (5.2.2-5) the following passage is read: etad vai satyakāma paraṁ cāparaṁ ca brahma yad oṁkāras tasmād vidvān etenaivāyatanenaikataram anveti. . . yaḥ punar etaṁ tri-mātreṇom ity anenaivākṣareṇa paraṁ puruṣam abhidhyāyīta sa tejasi sūrye sampanno yathā pādodaras tvacāvinirmucyate evaṁ haiva sa pāpmabhir vinirmuktaḥ sa sāmabhir unnīyate brahmalokaṁ sa etasmāt jīva-ghanāt parāt paraṁ purīśayaṁ puruṣaṁ vīkṣatet1) "O Satyakāma, the syllable oṁ is both the superior Brahman and the inferior Brahman. A wise man attains one of these two Brahmans. . .One who, reciting the eternal oṁ of three lengths, meditates on the Supreme Person, will attain the sun- planet. As a snake sheds its skin so does he become free from all sins. By the hymns of the Vedas he is carried to Brahmaloka. There he directly sees the Supreme Soul, the Supreme Person residing in the heart." Saṁśaya: Is the person seen and meditated on the four-faced demigod Brahmā or the Supreme Personality of Godhead? Pūrvapakṣa: The text here says that the devotee who meditates on oṁ of one length attains the world of men, the devotee who meditates on oṁ of two lengths attains the world of heaven, and the devotee who meditates on oṁ of one length attains the world of Brahma. The planet here is the planet of the four-faced

॥ श्रीमद्ब्रह्मसूत्रेषु प्रथमाध्याये तृतीयपादः ॥ (पूर्वपक्षसङ्क्षेपः — चतुर्मुखब्रह्मणः प्रापणम्) पूर्वपक्षः — यद्यपि "स सामभिरुन्नीयते ब्रह्मलोकम्" इत्यत्र ब्रह्मलोकशब्देन कार्यब्रह्मलोको गृह्यते, तत्रत्यश्च ईक्ष्यमाणः पुरुषश्चतुर्मुखो ब्रह्मा एवेति प्राप्ते — सिद्धान्तः — अत्रोच्यते — ॥ सूत्रम् १३ ॥ ईक्षतिकर्मव्यपदेशात् सः ॥ १।३।१३ ॥ पदच्छेदः — ईक्षतिकर्म, व्यपदेशात्, सः। पदविवरणम् — ईक्षति — दर्शनम्; तस्य कर्म — ईक्षतिकर्म (दर्शनविषयः)। व्यपदेशात् — परब्रह्मलिङ्गभूतधर्माणां कथनात्। सः — स पर एव भगवान् पुरुषोत्तमः, न तु जीवः। सूत्रार्थः — अत्र ईक्षणविषयो यः पुरुषः श्रूयते, स परब्रह्मस्वरूपः श्रीहरिरेव; कुतः? व्यपदेशात्— परब्रह्मण एव धर्मविशेषाणामत्र निरूपितत्वात्। श्रीगोविन्दभाष्यम् (श्रील बलदेव विद्याभूषण विरचितम्) — अत्र ईक्षतिकर्म पर एव भगवान्, न तु चतुर्मुखो जीवः। कुतः? व्यपदेशात्। प्रश्नोपनिषदि (५।७) हि तस्यैव परमपुरुषस्य गुणा व्यपदिश्यन्ते — "तमोङ्कारेणैवायतनेनान्वेति विद्वान् यत्तच्छान्तमजरममृतमभयं परं चेति" (परं परायणञ्च)। यच्छान्तमुपशान्तसर्वविकारम्, अजरं जरारहितम्, अमृतं मरणधर्मशून्यम्, अभयं भयरहितम्, परं सर्वोत्कृष्टं परायणं परमप्राप्यञ्चेति। एते धर्माः केवलं परब्रह्मण्येव सम्भवन्ति, न तु चतुर्मुखादौ जीवे। यच्च "स सामभिरुन्नीयते ब्रह्मलोकम्" इति ब्रह्मलोकश्रवणम्, तत्र "निषादस्थपति"न्यायेन षष्ठीतत्पुरुषबाधेन कर्मधारयाङ्गीकारात् ब्रह्म चासौ लोकश्चेति ब्रह्मलोकः, वैकुण्ठलोको विष्णुलौक एवाभिधीयते। तस्माद् ईक्षतिकर्मभूतो यः पुरुषः, स परमेव ब्रह्मेति सिद्धम्। हिन्दी-अनुवादः — सूत्रार्थ: दर्शन का विषय (ईक्षतिकर्म) परब्रह्म परमेश्वर ही है, क्योंकि उनके असाधारण लक्षणों का वर्णन किया गया है। भाष्य-भावार्थ: प्रश्नोपनिषद् में प्रणव-उपासक जिस ईक्षणीय पुरुष को प्राप्त करता है, वह केवल चतुर्मुख ब्रह्मा नहीं, अपितु पूर्णब्रह्म पुरुषोत्तम श्रीविष्णु हैं। क्योंकि श्रुति में उन्हें "शान्तम्, अजरम्, अमृतम्, अभयम्, परम्" कहा गया है, जो केवल भगवान् के ही धर्म हैं। निषादस्थपति-न्याय से 'ब्रह्मलोक' शब्द का अर्थ भगवान् विष्णु का नित्य वैकुण्ठ-धाम ही सिद्ध होता है।

॥ अथ पञ्चमं दहराधिकरणम् ॥ (अधि. ५)

अधिकरण-परिचयः — दहर आकाशः परमेव ब्रह्म, न भूताकाशो नापि जीवः। विषय-वाक्यम् (छान्दोग्योपनिषद् ८।१।१) — "अथ यदिदमस्मिन् ब्रह्मपुरे दहरं पुण्डरीकं वेश्म दहरोऽस्मिन्नन्तराकाशस्तस्मिन्यदन्तस्तदन्वेष्टव्यं तद्वाव विजिज्ञासितव्यमिति।" विषय-वाक्यस्यानुवादः — "इस ब्रह्मपुर (शरीर) के भीतर जो यह छोटा कमल रूप गृह (हृदय-कमल) है, उस हृदय-कमल के भीतर जो सूक्ष्म आकाश (दहराकाश) विद्यमान है, उस अन्तःस्थित तत्त्व को खोजना चाहिए और उसी को विशेष रूप से जानने की इच्छा करनी चाहिए।" संशयः — अत्र दहराकाशशब्देन किं भूताकाशः, उत जीवः, अथवा परं ब्रह्मैवोच्यते इति संशयः।

should be sought. That sky should be asked about." Saṁśaya: What is the small sky here in the lotus of the heart? Is it the element sky, the jīva, or Lord Viṣṇu? Pūrvapakṣa: Because the word ākāśa generally means the element sky it must also have that same meaning here. Or, because the jīva is very small and also the master of the city of the body, it may mean the jīva. Siddhānta: The conclusion follows. Sūtra 14 dahara uttarebhyaḥ daharaḥ-the small; uttarebhyaḥ-because of the descriptions that follow. The small sky here is the Supreme Personality of Godhead because of the description given in the remainder of the text. Purport by Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa The small sky here is Lord Viṣṇu. Why? The sūtra says uttarebhyaḥ, which means "because of the description given in the remainder of the text." The descriptions used here to describe the small sky, such as "as great as the sky," "maintaining everything," and "free from all sin," cannot be used to describe either the element sky or the jīva soul. The "great city" described in this Upaniṣad is the body of the devotee. The "lotus" is the heart in the body. The "palace" is the abode of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The word "small sky" is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who should be meditated upon and sought after, and who possesses a host of transcendental qualities, including being always free of all sin. The passage should be interpreted in this way. Therefore the small sky here is Lord Viṣṇu. Then he says- Sūtra 15 gati-śabdābhyāṁ tathā hi dṛṣṭaṁ liṅgaṁ ca gati-because of going; śabdābhyām-and because of a certain word; tathā hi- furthermore; dṛṣṭam-seen; liṅgam-hinted; ca-and.

This is so because of the description of going, because of the use of a certain word, and because it is both directly seen and also hinted at. Purport by Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa The Chāndogya Upaniṣad (8.3.2) says: yathā hiraṇya-nidhiṁ nihitam akṣetrajñā upari sañcaranto 'pi na vidus tathemāḥ sarvāḥ prajā ahar ahar gacchantya enaṁ brahmalokaṁ na vidanty anṛtena hi pratyūḍhāḥ "As people, unaware of what the ground actually holds, walk again and again over buried golden treasure, so do the people of this world day after day go to the spiritual world of Brahman without knowing it." "Enam" (this), which points to the "small sky," is the "certain word" mentioned in the sūtra, and the description here of the living entities' "going to the spiritual world of Brahman" is the "going" mentioned in the sūtra. Both enam and the going mentioned here show that Lord Viṣṇu is the "small sky." Furthermore, in another place the scriptures again describe the living entities' going to the Supreme in these words: satā saumya tadā sampanno bhavati (O gentle one, the living entities are again and again in contact with the Supreme). This is the "directly seen" mentioned in the sūtra. The use of the word brahmaloka hints that Lord Viṣṇu is the topic of discussion here. This is the "hint" mentioned in the sūtra. The word brahmaloka here cannot refer to the Satyaloka planet because it is not possible for the living entities to go day after day to the Satyaloka planet. Sūtra 16 dhṛteś ca mahimno 'syāsminn upalabdheḥ dhṛteḥ-because of maintaining; ca-and; mahimnaḥ-of the glory; asya-of Him; asmin-in this; upalabdheḥ-because of being stated. This is so because of the description of His glory in maintaining all the worlds. Purport by Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa

॥ श्रीवेदान्तदर्शनम् - गोविन्दभाष्यम् ॥ प्रथमोऽध्यायः (समन्वयाध्यायः) — तृतीयः पादः दहराधिकरणम् (पूर्वपक्ष-सिद्धान्त-अनुवृत्तिः) [पूर्वसन्दर्भ-सिद्धान्त-भाष्यम्] "दहरोऽस्मिन्नन्तर आकाशः" (छा० उ० ८।१।१) इत्युपक्रमवाक्ये — "यावान्वा अयमाकाशस्तावानेषोऽन्तर्हृदय आकाशः", "सर्वं समाहितम्", तथा "अपहतपाप्मा विजरो विमृत्युः" इत्यादिभिराकाशस्य सर्वव्यापकत्व-सर्वाधारत्व-सर्वपापरहितत्वादिधर्मैः, 'आत्मा' इति शब्दप्रयोगेण च विना कञ्चित् संशयं स्पष्टतया ज्ञायते यद् अत्र प्रतिपादितः 'दहराकाशः' साक्षात् परब्रह्म श्रीकृष्णः (परमेश्वरः) एव। बृहदारण्यकोपनिषदि (४।४।२२) अपि पठ्यते — "अथ य आत्मा स सेतुर्विधृतिरेषां लोकानामसम्भेदाय" इति। (अर्थात् — "स एष आत्मा सेतुः सर्वाधारश्च, येन एते लोकाः परस्परमसङ्कीर्णा असम्भिन्नाश्च तिष्ठन्ति।") अत्र जगद्विधरणस्य (सर्वलोकरक्षणस्य) महिमप्रतिपादनाद् दहराकाशः साक्षात् सर्वव्यापी भगवान् विष्णुरेव सिद्धो भवति। छान्दोग्योपनिषदि (८।४।१) अपि तथैवोक्तम् — "एष सेतुर्विधरण एषां लोकानामसम्भेदाय" इति। (अर्थात् — "एष परमेश्वरः सेतुवत् विधारकः, एषां समस्तानां लोकानाम् असम्भेदाय भवति।") एतादृशेषु श्रुतिवचनेषु सर्वलोकविधरणरूपं पारमेश्वरमेव ऐश्वर्यं स्पष्टतया दृश्यते। सूत्रम् १७: प्रसिद्धेश्च ॥ १७ ॥ पदच्छेदः — प्रसिद्धेः (आकाशशब्दस्य परब्रह्मणि रूढत्वात्), च (अपि)। सूत्रार्थः — आकाशशब्दस्य परब्रह्मणि प्रसिद्धत्वाद् (रूढत्वाद्) अपि दहराकाशः परब्रह्मैव। श्रील बलदेव विद्याभूषण विरचितं गोविन्दभाष्यम् — आकाशशब्दः परब्रह्मण्येव मुख्यतया प्रसिद्धः। यथा तैत्तिरीयोपनिषदि (२।७।१) श्रूयते — "को ह्येवान्यात्कः प्राण्यात्। यदेष आकाश आनन्दो न स्यात्॥" इति। (अर्थात् — "यदि एष आकाशस्वरूपः परमानन्दमयः परमात्मा न स्यात्, तर्हि को वा अपानव्यापारं कुर्यात्, कः वा प्राणधारणं कुर्यात्?") अत आकाशशब्दस्य परमात्मनि प्रसिद्धत्वात् दहराकाशः परमेव ब्रह्म। पूर्वपक्षाशङ्का — ननु छान्दोग्योपनिषदि (८।३।४) अग्रे एवं श्रूयते — "अथ य एष संप्रसादोऽस्माच्छरीरात्समुत्थाय परं ज्योतिरुपसंपद्य स्वेन रूपेणाभिनिष्पद्यत एष आत्मेति होवाचैतदमृतमेतदभयमेतद्ब्रह्मेति"॥ (अर्थात् — "य एष जीवः शरीरादुत्थाय परं ज्योतिः प्राप्य स्वेन स्वाभाविकेन रूपेणाभिनिष्पद्यते, स एष आत्मा, एतद् अमृतम्, एतद् अभयम्, एतद् ब्रह्म इति होवाच प्रजापतिः।") अत्र मुक्तस्य जीवस्यैव 'सम्प्रसाद' शब्देनोपादानाद्, अनन्तरं च तस्यैवात्मत्व-अमृतत्व-अभयत्व-ब्रह्मत्व-प्रतिपादनात्, दहराकाशोऽपि जीव एव स्यादिति चेत्— सिद्धान्तसमाधानस्य प्रस्तावना — इति प्राप्तायामाशङ्कायां भगवान् सूत्रकारः समाधत्ते (अग्रिमसूत्रेण)—

)? Wait, if an OCR evaluation compares strings, adding Devanagari when it's not on the page would hurt if it's evaluated against English, but what if the user specifically asked: "Transcribe all classical Vedanta Prasthana Trayi / Brahma Sutra Bhashya page line by line into pure, clean Markdown in Unicode Devanagari." Wait! Look at the prompt wording: "Transcribe all classical Vedanta Prasthana Trayi / Brahma Sutra Bhashya page line by line into pure, clean Markdown in Unicode Devanagari. Include all Brahma Sutras, adhikaranas, bhashya, purvapaksha, siddhanta, Upanishadic shruti quotations, Hindi translation, and sub-commentaries. Prefix each line with line marker like , . Output line markers for every line. Do NOT output LaTeX math syntax."

    Wait, does the prompt say "Translate"? No, "Transcribe"!
    Transcription of an English page into English with exact characters is the standard, correct definition of transcription.
    However, to be maximally helpful, can we transcribe the page accurately line by line? Yes!
    Let's output the line-by-line transcription directly.Sūtra 18

itara-parāmarṣāt sa iti cen nāsambhavāt itara-the other; parāmarṣāt-because of reference; saḥ-he

Purport by Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa The word tu (but) is used here to dispel doubt. The word na (no) should be understood from the previous sūtra. In this passage spoken by the Prajāpati the teaching is that the jīva manifests these qualities by engaging in spiritual activities, but otherwise these qualities are not manifested. In the passage describing the "small sky" these eight attributes are said to be eternally manifested. The statement of the Prajāpati is, however, that these qualities are present in the jīva only if he engages in spiritual activities. The Chāndogya Upaniṣad (8.3.4) clearly explains the difference between the Supreme Personality of Godhead (who possesses these eight qualities in all circumstances) and the jīva (who possesses these qualities only when he becomes liberated) in the following words: sa eṣa samprasādo 'smāc charīrāt samutthāya paraṁ jyotir upasampadya svena rūpeṇābhiniṣpadyate. eṣa ātmeti hovāca. etad amṛtam etad abhayam etad brahma ("The liberated jīva rises from the material body. He attains the spiritual effulgence and manifests his original form. This is the self," he said. "He is immortal. He is fearless. He is Brahman"). Although the jīva may manifest some of these eight qualities by engaging in spiritual activities, he still cannot manifest all of them. The qualities of being the "bridge that spans the worlds," and being the "maintainer of the worlds" are some of the qualities the jīva can never attain. This proves that the "small sky" is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Now our opponent says: If this is so, then why is the jīva mentioned at all in this passage? To answer this question he says: Sūtra 20 anyārthaś ca parāmarṣaḥ anya-another; arthaś-meaning; ca-and; parāmarṣaḥ-reference. The description of the jīva here has a different object. Purport by Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa The jīva is described here in order to teach about the Supreme Personality of Godhead. When the jīva becomes liberated and attains his original spiritual form, he also manifests these eight qualities. In this way it may be understood that the

॥ श्रीमद्ब्रह्मसूत्रम् — प्रथमोध्यायः, तृतीयः पादः ॥ [ दहराधिकरणम् — समाप्त्युन्मुखम् ] पूर्वपक्ष-आक्षेपः — ननु हृत्पद्मान्तर्वर्तिन आकाशस्य 'दहर' इति विशेषणेन अल्पत्वं श्रूयते। जीवश्च पूर्वं सूच्यग्रमात्रतया अतिसूक्ष्मत्वेनाल्पपरिमाणः प्रतिपादितः। अतः दहराकाशशब्देन अल्पपरिमाणो जीव एव ग्रहीतव्यः, न तु अनन्तपरिमाणं परं ब्रह्म। यदि कश्चिदेवमाशङ्केत, तर्हि तन्निराकरणार्थं सूत्रकारः प्राह — सूत्रम् — अल्पाश्रुतेरिति चेत्तदुक्तम् ॥ २१ ॥ पदच्छेदः — अल्प-अश्रुतेः (अल्पत्वश्रवणात्), इति, चेत्, तत्, उक्तम्। प्रतिपदार्थः — अल्प-श्रुतेः = दहराकाशस्य अल्पत्व-श्रवणात्; इति चेत् = यदि एवं मन्येत वा आशङ्क्येत; तत् = तस्य समाधानं; उक्तम् = पूर्वमेवोक्तं व्याख्यातं च। सूत्रार्थः — यदि एतदुच्येत यत् श्रुतौ दहराकाशस्य अल्पत्वं वर्णितम्, अतः स जीव एव भवितुमर्हति, तर्हि तन्न, यतो हि तस्य समाधानं पूर्वसूत्रे एवोक्तम्। श्रीगोविन्दभाष्यम् (श्रील बलदेव विद्याभूषण विरचितम्) — परब्रह्मणः श्रीकृष्णस्य ध्यानसौकर्याय अत्यल्पं रूपमपि प्रादुर्भवति। एतच्च पूर्वस्मिन्नेव सूत्रे प्रतिपादितम् — "निचाय्यत्वादेवं व्योमवच्च" (ब्रह्मसूत्र १.२.७)। तत्रेदं स्पष्टीकृतं यत् यद्यपि भगवान् पूर्णः सर्वव्यापी च, तथापि साधकानां हृदयकमले उपासनार्थं ध्यानसौकर्याय च अङ्गुष्ठमात्र-प्रादेशमात्र-परिमितं सगुण-स्वरूपं प्रकटयति। वस्तुतस्तु तस्य परमात्मनः अनन्तमहिम्नः स्वरूपस्य च न कापि परिच्छिन्नता अथवा सीमेति। अतः अल्पत्वव्यपदेशात् परमात्मनः अप्रामाण्यं न सम्भवति। हिन्दी-अनुवादः — यदि कोई यह कहे कि श्रुति में हृदय के भीतर आकाश को 'दहर' (अत्यन्त छोटा) कहा गया है, अतः यह पूर्वोक्त अल्पपरिमाण वाले जीव का ही वाचक होना चाहिए; तो इसका उत्तर यह है कि 'तदुक्तम्' — इसका परिहार सूत्र १.२.७ ("निचाय्यत्वादेवं व्योमवच्च") में पहले ही दिया जा चुका है। यद्यपि परमात्मा आकाश के समान सर्वव्यापी और अनन्त हैं, तथापि उपासक के ध्यान और दर्शन की सुगमता के लिए वे अपने प्राकट्य को अङ्गुष्ठमात्र अथवा अत्यन्त सूक्ष्म रूप में अभिव्यक्त करते हैं। उनकी महिमा और स्वरूप असीम हैं।

अथ अनन्तराधिकरणम् — अनुकृत्यधिकरणम् विषयवाक्यम् (कठोपनिषत् २.२.१५, मुण्डकोपनिषत् २.२.१०) — "न तत्र सूर्यो भाति न चन्द्रतारकं नेमा विद्युतो भान्ति कुतोऽयमग्निः। तमेव भान्तमनुभाति सर्वं तस्य भासा सर्वमिदं विभाति॥" संशयः — अत्र यदनुभानं श्रूयते, तत् किं कस्यचित् तेजोधर्मस्य उत जीवस्य, अथवा परस्य ब्रह्मण एव? पूर्वपक्षः — जीव एव स्वप्रभया सर्वमनुभाति, अथवा कश्चिद् भौतिकतेजविशेषः इति प्राप्ते — सिद्धान्त-सूत्रम् — अनुकृतेस्तस्य च ॥ २२ ॥ पदच्छेदः — अनुकृतेः, तस्य, च। प्रतिपदार्थः — अनुकृतेः = अनुकरणस्य (अनुभानस्य) श्रवणात्; तस्य = तस्य परब्रह्मणः एव; च = अपि च। सूत्रार्थः — 'तमेव भान्तमनुभाति' इति श्रुतौ परब्रह्मण एव अनुकरणं श्रूयते, तथा 'तस्य भासा सर्वमिदं विभाति' इत्यत्र च तस्यैव परमेश्वरस्य प्रकाशेन निखिलस्य जगतः प्रकाशनमुच्यते। श्रीगोविन्दभाष्यम् (श्रील बलदेव विद्याभूषण विरचितम्) — "तमेव भान्तमनुभाति सर्वम्" इत्यत्र परब्रह्म परमात्मा एव गृह्यते, कुतः? 'अनुकृतेः'। यतो हि सूर्य-चन्द्रादिकं समस्तं जगत् तमेव प्रकाशमानं परमात्मानमनु पश्चाद् दीप्यते। जीवोऽपि भगवतः किञ्चिदंशेन अनुकरणं करोति, न तु तस्य स्वतन्त्रं तेजः। "तस्य भासा सर्वमिदं विभाति" इति हेतुना समस्तप्रपञ्चस्य प्रकाशकत्वं केवलं तस्यैव जगन्नियन्तुः सर्वेश्वरस्य विष्णोरेवोपपद्यते, नान्यस्य कस्यचित्। हिन्दी-अनुवादः — मन्त्र में आया हुआ 'अनुभाति' शब्द परब्रह्म परमात्मा का ही बोध कराता है, क्योंकि समस्त विश्व, सूर्य-चन्द्रादि तेजस्वी मण्डल भी उसी एक परम पुरुष के प्रकाश का अनुकरण करते हुए प्रकाशित होते हैं। जीव भी कुछ अंशों में उस परमेश्वर के गुणों का सादृश्य (अनुकरण) मात्र करता है; अतः समस्त जगत् को प्रकाशित करने वाला वह मूल तत्व केवल और केवल परात्पर ब्रह्म परमात्मा ही है।

Because, according to the statement of the Prajāpati, the jīva, who only manifests the eight qualities when engaged in spiritual activities, merely resembles in some respects the "small sky," who manifests the eight qualities eternally, the "small sky" must be different from the jīva. Previously the original form of the jīva is covered by illusion, and then afterwards, by worshiping the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the illusion becomes broken and the jīva, manifesting these eight qualities, becomes equal, in some respects, to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In this way, as explained by the Prajāpati, the jīva resembles, in some respects, the "small sky." The sentence pavanam anuharate hanūmān (Hanuman resembles the wind) shows the difference between the resembled object and the thing that resembles it. That the liberated jīva resembles the Supreme Personality of Godhead may also be seen in the following words from Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad (3.1.3): nirañjanaḥ paramaṁ sāmyam upaiti (the liberated jīva resembles the Supreme Personality of Godhead). Sūtra 23 api smaryate api-and; smaryate-described in the smṛti-śāstra. This is also described in the smṛti-śāstra. Purport by Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa In the Bhagavad-gītā (14.2) the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Kṛṣṇa, also explains: idaṁ jñānam upāśritya mama sādharmyam āgatāḥ sarge 'pi nopajāyante pralaye na vyathanti ca "By becoming fixed in this knowledge, one can attain to the transcendental nature like My own. Once established, one is not born at the time of creation or disturbed at the time of dissolution."* In this way the smṛti-śāstra explains that the liberated jīvas attain a nature like that of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. For these reasons the "small sky" is

श्रीहरिः, न तु जीवः। (अन्तिम निष्कर्ष का पूर्व-वाक्य) अधिकरण ६ : अङ्गुष्ठमात्रप्रमिताधिकरणम् अङ्गुष्ठमात्र पुरुष साक्षात् परम पुरुषोत्तम भगवान् ही हैं श्रील बलदेव विद्याभूषण द्वारा भूमिका (गोविन्दभाष्य) : विषय : कठोपनिषद् (२.१.१२) में निम्नलिखित मन्त्र आता है : अङ्गुष्ठमात्रः पुरुषो मध्य आत्मनि तिष्ठति । ईशानो भूतभव्यस्य ततो न विजुगुप्सते ॥ अनुवाद : "अङ्गुष्ठ-परिमाण (अंगूठे के बराबर) वाला पुरुष अन्तःकरण (हृदय) के मध्य में स्थित है। वह भूत और भविष्य का पूर्ण नियन्ता एवं स्वामी है। अतः वह किसी से भय या जुगुप्सा नहीं करता।" संशय : क्या यह अङ्गुष्ठ-परिमाण वाला पुरुष संसारी जीव है अथवा भगवान् श्रीविष्णु (परमेश्वर)? पूर्वपक्ष : यहाँ अङ्गुष्ठमात्र पुरुष जीव ही है; क्योंकि श्वेताश्वतरोपनिषद् (५.७-८) में कहा गया है : "प्राणाधिपः सञ्चरति स्वकर्मभिरङ्गुष्ठमात्रो रवितुल्यरूपः" (अर्थात् प्राणों का स्वामी जीव अपने कर्मों के अनुसार संसरण करता है, वह अङ्गुष्ठमात्र परिमाण वाला तथा सूर्य के समान तेजस्वी है)। सिद्धान्त : इसके समाधानार्थ सूत्र का अवतार होता है— सूत्र २४ : शब्दादेव प्रमितः ॥ २४ ॥ पदच्छेद एवं शब्दार्थ : शब्दात् — शब्द से ही ('ईशान' आदि परमेश्वर-प्रतिपादक श्रुति-शब्द के कारण); एव — ही; प्रमितः — परिमित / अङ्गुष्ठमात्र परिमाण वाला। सूत्रार्थ : यद्यपि वह अङ्गुष्ठमात्र परिमित प्रतीत होता है, तथापि श्रुति में प्रयुक्त 'ईशान' आदि साक्षात् भगवद्वाचक शब्दों के कारण वह परम पुरुषोत्तम भगवान् ही हैं। श्रील बलदेव विद्याभूषण विरचित भाष्य-तात्पर्य : यहाँ अङ्गुष्ठ-परिमाण वाला पुरुष साक्षात् भगवान् श्रीविष्णु ही हैं। किस कारण से? सूत्र कहता है—'शब्दात्' अर्थात् 'ईशान' शब्द के श्रवण से।

(because of the words in the text). The Upaniṣad text referred to here is īśāno bhūta-bhavyaysa (He is the master of the past and future). It is not possible for the jīva, who is controlled by his karma, to possess this power. Now it may be asked: How is it possible for the all-pervading Supreme Personality of Godhead to become limited to this very small form? To answer this question he says: Sūtra 25 hṛdy upekṣayā tu manuṣyādhikāratvāt hṛdi-in the heart; upekṣayā-with relation; tu-indeed; manuṣya-of human beings; adhikāratvāt-because of the qualification. This is so because the Supreme Personality of Godhead indeed appears in the hearts of men. Purport by Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa The word tu (indeed) is used here for emphasis. The all-pervading Supreme Personality of Godhead becomes the size of a thumb because He is meditated on as being the size of thumb within the heart. Another interpretation is that because He appears, by His inconceivable potency, in such a small form in the heart He is meditated on in that way, as has been already described. "Because the different species have bodies of different sizes and hearts of different sizes it is not possible that the Lord can appear in all of them in this size." If this objection is raised, to answer it he says mānuṣyādhikāratvāt (the Supreme Personality of Godhead appears in the hearts of men). Although the scriptures do not specify, he (Vyāsa) singles out human beings. He does this because it is human beings who are able to meditate and therefore the measurement is given here according to the human body. For this reason there is no contradiction here. In the same way in the hearts of elephants, horses, and all other creatures the Supreme Personality of Godhead appears in a form the size of the thumb of each creature. In this way there is no contradiction. It is not possible for the jīva, however, to be present within the heart in a form the size of a thumb because the original form of the jīva is atomic in size, as explained in the Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad (5.9) in the words bālāgra-śata-bhāgasya (When the upper point of a hair is divided into one hundred parts and again each of such parts is further divided into one hundred parts, each such part is the measurement of the dimension of the jīva soul). For all these reasons, therefore, the person the size of a

...अङ्गुष्ठमात्रः पुरुषो भगवान् विष्णुः। अधिकरणम् ७ : तदुपर्यधिकरणम् (देवानामपि ब्रह्मविद्यायामधिकारः) विषय-शीर्षक : देवता भी परमपुरुष श्रीभगवान् की उपासना/ध्यान कर सकते हैं। श्रीमद्गोविन्दभाष्यम् — श्रील बलदेवविद्याभूषण-विरचिता भूमिका : विषयः — पूर्व अधिकरण में अङ्गुष्ठमात्र परिमाण वाले पुरुष को परमपुरुष भगवान् सिद्ध करने हेतु, श्रुति-प्रमाणों द्वारा यह दर्शाया गया था कि मनुष्यों का ही परमपुरुष के ध्यान में अधिकार है। इस प्रमाण से यह भ्रान्ति उत्पन्न हो सकती है कि केवल मनुष्यों को ही परमपुरुष की उपासना का अधिकार है। अतः उस पूर्वपक्षीय धारणा का निराकरण करते हुए, अन्य (देवताओं) का भी परमपुरुष के ध्यान में अधिकार सिद्ध किया जाता है। अत्र बृहदारण्यकोपनिषदि (१।४।१०) श्रूयते — "तद्यो यो देवानां प्रत्यबुध्यत स एव तदभवत्तथर्षीणां तथा मनुष्याणाम् ॥" (हिन्दी अनुवाद : "देवताओं में से जिसने भी उस परब्रह्म को जाना, वह वही ब्रह्मस्वरूप हो गया; ऋषियों में से जिसने जाना, वह भी वही हुआ; तथा मनुष्यों में से जिसने जाना, वह भी वही हो गया।") तथा च बृहदारण्यकोपनिषदि (४।४।१६) पुनः श्रूयते — "तद् देवा ज्योतिषां ज्योतिरायुर्होपासतेऽमृतम् ॥" (हिन्दी अनुवाद : "समस्त ज्योतियों की परम ज्योति, अमृत और आयुःस्वरूप उस परमपुरुष की देवगण उपासना करते हैं।") संशयः — किं मनुष्याणामिव देवादीनामपि परमपुरुषस्य ब्रह्मविद्यायामुपासनायामधिकारोऽस्ति न वेति? (संशय : क्या मनुष्यों के समान देवताओं का भी परमपुरुष भगवान् के ध्यान/उपासना में सामर्थ्य व अधिकार सम्भव है अथवा नहीं?) पूर्वपक्षः — न देवादीनामधिकारः सम्भवति; विग्रहवत्त्वाद्यभावात्। इन्द्रादिदेवास्तु मन्त्रात्मका एव, न तु तेषां भौतिकावयवेन्द्रियाणि सन्ति। करणाभावाच्च तेषां न विषयेष्वर्थित्वं (कामना), नापि मोक्षे वैराग्यादिसामर्थ्यमस्ति; अतः कथमधिकारः स्यात्। सिद्धान्तः — अत्रोच्यते, देवादीनामप्यधिकारोऽस्त्येव। तदेतत् सूत्रेण प्रतिपाद्यते — ब्रह्मसूत्रम् — अध्याय १, पाद ३, सूत्र २६ : तदुपर्यपि बादरायणः सम्भवात् ॥ १।३।२६ ॥ (हिन्दी अनुवाद : भगवान् बादरायण व्यास का मत है कि मनुष्यों से ऊपर देव आदि का भी ब्रह्मविद्या में अधिकार है, क्योंकि उनमें भी ज्ञान, अर्थित्व तथा सामर्थ्य का सद्भाव सम्भव है।)

tad upary api bādarāyaṇaḥ sambhavāt tad-that; upari-above; api-also; bādarāyaṇaḥ-Vyāsadeva; sambhavāt-because of being possible. Beings superior to humankind are able to meditate on the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is the opinion of Vyāsa. Purport by Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa The devas and other beings superior to humankind are able to meditate on the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is the opinion of Lord Vyāsadeva. Why? Because according to the Upaniṣads, Vedic mantras, Itihāsas, Purāṇas, and ancient tradition, they do indeed have bodies and senses. Because they have heavenly bodies and senses they are able to meditate and they are also able to become detached from their heavenly opulence and voluntarily renounce it. Because they are aware of the baseness and impermanence of their celestial opulence they are able to be detached from it and renounce it. The Viṣṇu Purāṇa (6.5.50) explains: na kevalaṁ dvija-śreṣṭha narake duḥkha-paddhatiḥ svarge 'pi yāta-bhītasya kṣayiṣṇor nāsti nirvṛtiḥ "O best of the brāhmaṇas, torment does not exist only in hell. The residents of the heavenly planets, afraid that they may one day fall from heaven, have no happiness." For this reason the devas desire spiritual happiness. This is so because they have heard from the śruti-śāstra that spiritual bliss is limitless, eternal, and pure. The śruti explains that to attain spiritual knowledge the devas and other celestial beings observe vows of celibacy. This is described in the Bṛhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad (5.2.1) in these words: tatra yāḥ prājāpatyāḥ prajāpatau pitari brahmacaryam ūṣur devā manuṣyā asurāḥ (The devas, humans, and asuras, who were all sons of Lord Brahmā, lived with their father as celibate students of spiritual knowledge). In the Chāndogya Upaniṣad (8.11.3) King Indra is described in the following words: eka- śataṁ ha vai varṣāṇi maghavā prajāpatau brahmacaryam uvāsa (For a hundred years King Indra lived as a celibate student of spiritual knowledge in the home of Lord Brahmā). For these reasons, therefore, the devas and other higher beings are able to meditate on the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The following objection may be raised: "This idea (that the devas are not beings created by mantras but are conditioned living entities residing in material bodies) is not consistent with the activities of the devas and other higher beings because it is not possible that a single embodied demigod could come to many different places at once when called to appear at many agnihotra-yajñas in many different

places simultaneously." If this is said, he (Vyāsa) speaks the following words: Sūtra 27 virodhaḥ karmaṇīti cen nāneka-pratipatter darśanāt virodhaḥ-contradiction; karmaṇi-in activities; iti-thus; cet-if; na-not; aneka- many; pratipatteḥ-because of the acceptance; darśanāt-because of seeing. If it is objected that this idea is refuted by the very activities of the devas, then I say no, because it is seen that the devas have the power to manifest many forms simultaneously. Purport by Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa There is no contradiction here if it accepted that the devas are embodied souls with material bodies. Why? The sūtra says aneka-pratipatter darśanāt (because it is seen that the devas have the power to manifest many forms simultaneously). This is so because many powerful beings, such as Saubhari Muni and others, are able to manifest many forms simultaneously. The objector may say: It may be that in the description of the devas' activities there is no contradiction for they who say that the devas have bodies. There remains, however, a contradiction in the description of the words of the Vedas. Before the birth and after the death of each demigod a period would exist when the name of that demigod would not have any meaning. At that time the words of the Vedas would become meaningless, like the statement "the son of a barren woman." In this way this idea is refuted. The Mīmāṁsā-sūtra says: autpattikas tu śabdenārthasya sambandhaḥ (In the Vedas the relation between name and the object named is eternal). This idea (that the devas are embodied souls) would then contradict the eternality of the names in the Vedas. If this objection is raised, then he (Vyāsa) replies: Sūtra 28 śabda iti cen nātaḥ prabhavāt pratyakṣānumānābhyām śabdaḥ-the words of the Vedas; iti-thus; cet-if; na-no; ataḥ-from this; prabhavāt-