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

[sū. 1. 1. 19. ADH. 6 ] VEDĀNTA-KAUSTUBHA 63 Hence that which consists of bliss is different from that (viz. the individual soul). Vedānta-kaustubha To the objection, viz. Pradhāna may very well be denoted by the term ‘consisting of bliss’, as it contains the quality of sattva which is the cause of bliss, and as it corresponds to the effect ¹,—we reply — The term ‘consisting of bliss’ contains no “reference” to “in- ference”, i. e. to that which is inferred, viz. pradhāna. Why? “On account of desire”, i.e. because the text, which refers to that which consists of bliss, viz. ‘He desired: “May I be many”’ (Tait. 2.6), mentions one who desires. The sense is that desire means volition, and that is not possible on the part of the non-sentient pradhāna, but is possible on the part of the omniscient Lord of all. Although pradhāna has already been set aside by the aphorism ‘Because (the creator) sees, not, non-scriptural’ (Br. Sū. 1.1.5), it is once more set aside here with a view to confirming the ‘universality of knowing’ ² and hence there is no fault of repetition. Or else, (an alternative explanation of the sūtra:)—if the indivi- dual soul be denoted by the term ‘consisting of bliss’, the topic of the present discussion, it must be the cause of the world as well; and in that case, just as potters have to depend on clay and the rest for creating pots, etc. so the individual soul too must depend on pradhāna, which is a synonym for ‘inference’. ³ But if the omnipotent Brahman be the cause of the world, no such fault arises,—this is the sense. COMPARISON Śaṁkara and Bhāskara This is sūtra 18 in their commentaries. Reading same, interpre- tation different, viz. ‘And on account of desiring, there is no reference

¹ That is, pradhāna, the non-sentient cause, is similar to the effect, the non- sentient world. Vide V.K. 1.1.5. ² Vide Br. Sū. 1.1.11, where it has been said that Brahman is universally known from all texts to be the cause of the world. ³ That is, pradhāna has been called ‘inference’ (anumāna) in the sūtra, because it is an object of inference.