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

118 VEDĀNTA-KAUSTUBHA [SŪ. 1. 2. 17. ADH 4.] 'through faith', i.e. through vidyā, which is a mental disposition given to the worship of the feet of the teacher, i e. through meditation, arising from the hearing and the thinking of the Vedānta, and men- tioned in the text 'The self should be meditated on' (Bṛh. 2.4.5; 4.5.6),—one should, seeking the self, meditate on it,—this is the grammatical construction By the phrase 'through chastity', the text shows the particular stage of life which is congenial to the hearing, the thinking and the rest of the Vedānta. By chastity and the like, not only the duties, incumbent on special stages of life, are to be understood. That those who are destitute of any devotion for Brah- man, but merely belong to one or other of the stages of life and are devoted to the duties, incumbent thereon, return once more and attain the world, is declared by the reverend Parāśara in a passage, which begins 'The Prājāpatya is for the Brāhmaṇas' and ends 'The Brāhma is declared in Smṛti to be for the Saṁnyāsins' That those who, among these, are devoted to the Supreme Brahman, attain His world, is mentioned in the passage: 'Those ascetics who are devoted to Brahman alone, who ever meditate on Brahman, to them belong that supreme place, which, verily, the wise see'. Hence, the Vāna-prastha and the rest should be understood as implying devotion to the Supreme Brahman, (and not as mere duties incum- bent on different stages of life). By 'chastity' is meant here the religious duties pursued by the Naiṣṭhikas ¹ who lead a life of chastity and are absolutely free from all desires for enjoyment, here or here- after The sense is that the search for Brahman should properly be made through such a permanent vow ² of 'chastity'. The sacred duty called 'chastity' is stated by the all-knowing 'Law of Salvation' ³ under the section called 'Vārsṇeya-adhyātma', thus: 'This unbroken chastity which is the form of Brahman is higher than all religious practices. By it, (people) reach the highest goal' (Mahā 12.7770 ⁴). Under the section treating of instruction, ¹ A Naiṣṭhika is a perpetual religious student, who observes the vow of chastity. M.W., p 570, Col. 1. ² I.e. 'Brahma-cārya' (=chastity) in the ordinary sense of the term means temporary chastity, which a student has to observe so long as he has not entered the stage of a house-holder But here the term means permanent chastity which a Naiṣṭhika, e.g. practises. ³ Mokṣa-dharma ⁴ P. 640, line 40, vol 3, Asiatic Society ed.