वेदान्त पारिजात सौरभ (भगवद् निम्बार्काचार्य - द्वैताद्वैत वेदान्त ब्रह्मसूत्र भाष्य सटीक)

[sū. 1. 1. 30. ADH. 11.] VEDĀNTA-PĀRIJĀTA-SAURABHA 83 requested, Pratardana too, wishing for the highest goal of men, said to him, who was very modest, free from pride, and desirous of inti- mating the means to the highest goal of men, '"Do you yourself choose a boon for me"' and so on. Thereupon, the vital-breath was taught to Pratardana as the object to be worshipped, in the passage: '"I am the vital-breath"' (Kauṣ. 3 2) and so on. How can the vital-breath, taught thus as the highest goal of men, be an individual soul? How can the text: '"Worship me"' (Kauṣ. 3.2) be intelligible except as designating the worship of the Supreme Brahman? The individual soul, the witness of the three states ¹, being a part and not fit to be attained by another individual soul, is not attainable through the intuition of a knower And (the adjective) 'most beneficial' (in the text '"What you consider to be the most beneficial for mankind"') does not apply to anything else except to the attainment of Brahman. (The qualities like) 'being the intelligent self', 'bliss', 'agelessness', and 'immortality', mentioned in the passages '"Worship me as life, as immortality"' ² (Kauṣ. 2.3), 'This alone, verily, is the intelligent self, bliss, ageless, immortal' (Kauṣ 3 8), fit in only if Brahman be understood, and not otherwise. Hence, the words 'Indra', 'vital- breath' and so on were used by the celebrated Indra with a view to designating Brahman, and not his own self. SŪTRA 30 "IF IT BE OBJECTED THAT (BRAHMAN IS) NOT (DENOTED), ON ACCOUNT OF THE SELF OF THE SPEAKER BEING TAUGHT, (WE REPLY:) BECAUSE THERE IS A MULTITUDE OF REFERENCES TO THE SELF IN IT" Vedānta-pārijāta-saurabha If it be objected: The object denoted by the words 'vital-breath' and the rest cannot be Brahman. Why? Because in the text: '"Know me alone"' (Kauṣ 3.1 ³), the very self of the speaker is taught,— ¹ Viz waking, dream, deep sleep. ² Correct quotation translated. 'tam mām' ³ Ś, R, Bh, ŚK, B.