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

[sū. 1. 1. 1. ADH. 1.] VEDĀNTA-KAUSTUBHA 9 the Lord ¹ is seen' (Muṇḍ 2.2.8), 'Stainless, he attains a supreme identity' (Muṇḍ. 3.1 3), 'When he sees his glory, he becomes freed from grief' (Muṇḍ 3.1.2, Śvet 4.7), ' "Then knowing me in truth, he forthwith enters into that" ' (Gītā 18.55), and so on Thus, with a view to having an access to 'seeing',²---which is known from another text, which consists in a direct vision of the Lord, and which is the unique means to salvation,---it is 'meditation',³---which is an intimate and inner means to it (viz. 'seeing'),---that is enjoined here.⁴ By the term 'knowledge', the reverend Bādarāyaṇa designated, in the aphorisms, the very same thing (viz. meditation), which is a synonym for the words 'contemplation', 'knowledge', 'supreme devotion', 'steadfast remembrance', the rule being that tho aphorism and the text indicating the subject-matter (viz. the Upaniṣad-texts) must both have the same meaning. Now, here also, the texts denoting the subject-matter are of a greater weight, as they, as the primary object, are authoritative by themselves; and hence, the meaning of the aphorisms is to be interproted in accordance with them alone, otherwise they cannot stand in a relation of subject-matter and what treats of the subject-matter.⁵ In Scripture, 'hearing' ⁶ and 'thinking' ⁷ are laid down as moans to 'meditation',⁸ since these two also are indirect means to the attainment of salvation. Thus, having ascer- tained that the Vedānta-texts are concerned with demonstrating the nature, attributes and the rest of the Lord, one approaches a preceptor, who has directly intuited the nature and the rest of Brahman, the object to be worshipped demonstrable by the Vedānta-texts, and learns the meaning of those texts from him who has himself realized

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¹ Correct reading 'Tasmin dṛṣṭe parāvare', or when he, who is high and low, is seen Vide Muṇḍ. 2.2.8, p 31, C.U, p 528 ² Śravaṇa. ³ Nididhyāsana. ⁴ That is, in the above text (Bṛh.), the Lord is not enjoined to be seen but to be meditated on, meditation leading to seeing or direct vision which is the immediate cause of salvation. ⁵ That is, the Vedānta-sūtras lay down what is contained in the Upaniṣads Henco tho Vedānta-sūtras are the viṣayin or what treat of the subject-matter, and the Upaniṣad-texts are the viṣaya, or the subject treated. Now, the viṣayin and the viṣaya must, evidently, refer to the same thing. And here, the viṣaya bemg of a greater force, the viṣayin must be understood in accordance with the viṣaya, or the sūtras are to be understood in the light of the Upaniṣads. Hence as the latter enjoin meditation, the former must also do so. ⁶ Śravaṇa. ⁷ Manana. ⁸ Nididhyāsana.