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

[SŪ. 3. 2. 12. 526 VEDĀNTA-KAUSTUBHA ADH. 5.] sleep, there are texts like. “All creatures go to this world of Brahman day by day, (yet) do not find it, for they are carried away by untruth” (Chānd. 8 3 2) and so on,—all referring to the individual soul, but not to the Highest Similarly, it should be understood that in reference to death and the rest as well there is ‘statement of what is not that’ Our view is further confirmed by the texts designating the immor- tality of the Inner Controller and proving His faultlessness, viz.. ‘ “He is your soul, the inner controller, the immortal ” ’ (Bṛh 3.7.3, etc ). The same text is repeated in connection with each of the objects to be controlled,—beginning with the earth, water, fire and sky, and ending with the skin, understanding and semen ¹,—men- tioned in the Bṛhadāraṇyaka in the text which begins “He who dwelling in the earth is other than the earth, whom the earth does not know, of whom the earth is the body, who rules the earth from within” (Bṛh. 3 7.3). COMPARISON Śaṁkara Reading different, viz. adds “na” in the beginning thus: “Na bhedāt . . .”. Interpretation also different, viz.: “If it be objected that (Brahman is) not (nirviśeṣa), on account of difference (of forms), (we reply:) No, on account of the statement of what is not that in each case”. That is, it may be objected that since Brahman is desig- nated by Scripture as having various forms, e.g. as having four feet, sixteen parts and so on, it must be held to be saviśeṣa, i.e. possessed of attributes and forms; and there is no contradiction involved here in taking Brahman to be so, the difference of Brahman’s forms being due to limiting adjuncts. That is, Brahman is both saviśeṣa and nirviśeṣa according to Scripture. To this the reply is that Scripture depicts Brahman as nirviśeṣa only, even though it mentions its dif- ferent forms, due to limiting adjuncts,—for in every passage describing such adjuncts of Brahman, it is itself described as free from all diver- sity. Such designations are for the purpose of meditation only, but their real meaning is non-difference only ² ――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――― ¹ Vide Bṛh. 3.7.3–3.7.23. ² “Bhedasya upāsanārthatvād abhede tātparyyāt.” Ś.B. 3.2.14, p. 725.