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

[sū. 1. 1. 4. ADH. 4.] VEDĀNTA-KAUSTUBHA 37 purport’ (Pū. Mī. Sū. 1.2 7¹). That is, since the artha-vādas are unanimous with the injunctive texts, let them be authoritative ‘through having glorification as their purport’, i.e. by way of glorifying the matters to be enjoined. Similarly, in order to prevent the absolute purportlessness of the Vedānta-texts which are wanting in injunction and prohibition and teach an accomplished object (viz. Brahman), it is reasonable to take them too as indirectly connected with action,— which is something to be accomplished,—as included under the very mantras and artha-vādas, since they (viz. the Vedānta-texts) admit injunctions regarding the study of the Veda. But if they be taken to be independent (of action) they would lead to no fruit, and hence they must be understood to have fulfilled their purpose through establishing the agent, who is a part of a sacrifice (and not to be independent of action). Among these, the texts concerning the ‘that’ (viz. Brahman) and ‘thou’ (viz. the individual soul)² glorify the deity and the agent of the sacrificial act, and the knowledge concerning it (viz. the ‘that’) called the ‘higher knowledge’,³ glorify the fruit. (Thus, we conclude :) The Vedānta-texts are not concerned with Brahman, but are like the artha-vāda-texts, since they are con- cerned with proclaiming the excellence of the agent, who is a subordi- nate factor in a sacrifice. (Here ends the original prima facie view.⁴) (Author’s conclusion.) To this we reply:⁵ No, because this is a mere imagination, in- vented by you; and because (on the contrary), works, being generative of knowledge which is a means to salvation, indirectly refer to Brahman alone, as declared by the scriptural text:—‘The Brāhmaṇas desire to know this self through the study of the Veda, through sacrifice, through penance, through fasting’ (Bṛh. 4.4.22). Here, if in the statement ‘They desire to know through sacrifice’, there be a direct connection of the instrument, viz. ‘sacrifice’, with the meaning of the root,⁶ as in the sentence ‘He desires to go by the horse’, then the sacrificial act should be known to be serving the purpose of knowledge (i.e. helping the rise of knowledge), and thereby referring to Brahman.

¹ P. 42, vol. 1. ² Cf the famous text ‘Thou art that’ (Chānd. 6.8.7, etc) ³ Vide e.g. Mund 1.1 4-5. ⁴ It began on p. 35. ⁵ The correct conclusion begins here ⁶ Viz. ‘vid’=to know.