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

754 VEDĀNTA-KAUSTUBHA [SŪ. 3. 4. 36. ADH. 9 ] Vedānta-kaustubha It has been stated above that those who belong to one or other of the stages of life are entitled to knowledge, and that the works per- formed by them are auxiliaries to knowledge. Now a discussion is being undertaken with a view to establishing that even those who stand midway are entitled to knowledge and the works done by them also are auxiliaries to knowledge. The doubt is as to whether those who stand ‘between’ the stages of life, such as widowers and so on, are entitled to the knowledge of Brahman or not. The prima facie view is that the knowledge of Brahman depends for its origin on the duties incumbent on the stages of life and since those who stand “between” have no duties incumbent on the special stages of life, they are not so entitled. With regard to it, we reply: “Between”. That is, even those who stand between, i.e. outside, the stages of life are entitled to the knowledge of Brahman. Why? “On account of that being seen,” i.e. because “that”, viz the right to the knowledge of Brahman, is found in Scripture and Smṛti to be belonging to Raikva, Saṁvarta and so on. The scriptural text indicating that Raikva is entitled to the knowledge of Brahman has been quoted in the first chapter.¹ The details of the story of Saṁvarta, the son of Aṅgiras, may be seen in the Mahā-bhārata in the chapter treating of the horse-sacrifice thus: ‘“O King, Saṁvarta, Aṅgiras’s son, a pious man, roamed about in all directions, sky-clothed (i.e. naked), perplexing all beings” (Mahā. 14. 137 ²) and so on. The purport is this: Religious duties like sacrifices and the rest, auxiliaries to knowledge and mentioned in the scriptural text: “Him” (Bṛh. 4.4.22) and so on, are to be understood, in the case of house-holders, as Agni-hotra and the rest, productive of knowledge and fit for a house-holder who desires for salvation. In the case of those who belong to those stages of life in which chastity is compulsory, the religious duties, incumbent on those stages of life and other than Agnihotra and so on, are to be understood (as productive of know- ledge). Similarly, in the case of those also who do not belong to any stage of life, muttering of prayers, fasting, worship of the deity and so ¹ Vide V.K. 1.3.34. ² P. 278, line 1, vol. 4.