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

[SŪ. 3. 3. 52. ADH. 21 ] VEDĀNTA-KAUSTUBHA 693 CORRECT CONCLUSION (Sūtra 52) SŪTRA 52 “BUT (THE INDIVIDUAL SOUL IS TO BE MEDITATED ON IN ITS STATE OF RELEASE) DIFFERENT (FROM ITS STATE OF BONDAGE, AND) NOT (IN ITS STATE OF BONDAGE), BECAUSE OF BECOMING OF THAT NATURE, AS IN THE CASE OF REALIZATION.” Vedānta-pārijāta-saurabha ¹At the time of meditation, the individual soul is to be conceived of in its freed state, different from its state of bondage,—since during release, it is to become of that very form, just as one attains the Highest Self in accordance with meditation. Vedānta-kaustubha With regard to it, we reply: The word “but” implies emphasis. The individual soul is not to be conceived of simply in its state of bondage, i.e. simply in its form of a knower, a doer and so on. On the contrary, it is the real nature of the soul, in its state of release, possessed of the manifested attributes of freedom from sins and so on, and possessed of the attri- butes of being a knower and so on, which is “different” from its nature in its state of bondage, that is to be conceived of at the time of meditation. Why? “Because of becoming of that nature,” i.e. because during the state of release, the soul becomes “of that nature”, i.e. of the nature of its real form, conceived, in accordance with Scripture, at the time of meditation,² “As in the case of realiza- tion”. That is, just as there is the realization of Brahman in accord- ance with meditation, so is the case here, as declared by the scriptural texts: “As the purpose of man is in this world, so will he be on depart- ing” (Chānd. 3.14.1). “Howsoever he meditates on him, such alone he becomes” (Śat. Br. 10.5.2, 20 ³). Hence it is established that during ¹ The C.S.S. ed. adds “Tan na”—“that is not so”, p. 68. ² I.e. the form which is meditated on during bondage is the form which is attained later on during salvation. ³ P. 725, line 13. Cf. a very similar passage in Mudg. 3, p. 384, lines 8-9.