Aphorisms on Brahman 14.1

14.1

tṛtīye 'dhyāye parāparavidyāsvarūpaviśeṣavicāro vṛtta athedānīṃ tāsveva phalacintā varttiṣyate | ātmā vāre draṣṭavyaḥ śrotavyo mantavyo nididhyāsitavya iti so 'nveṣṭavyaḥ sa vijijñāsitavya iti tu cintyate kiṃ sakṛt pratyayaḥ karttavya asakṛditi | sakṛcchravaṇaṃ mananaṃ dhyānaṃ ca karttavyamāvṛttipramāṇābhāvāditi prāpta ucyate| pratyayāvṛttiḥ karttavyā| kasmāt | asakṛdupadeśāt | śrotavyo mantavya iti śravaṇamananayorasakṛtkriyamāṇayorajñānasaṃśayaviparyayanivarttakamātmaviṣayakatvajñānamutpadyate dṛṣṭārthatvādavahantyādivat | yathā ca mīmāṃsāśāstreṣu bahuśaḥ śravaṇāt mananādarthajñānaṃ prakarṣājjāyate tadvat | api ca nātra visaṃvaditavyaṃ siddhāvṛttirupāsanaśabdādantarnītāvṛttivacano 'yaṃ vede prayujyate vidinā samānārthaḥ | katham | na sa vedākṛtsno hyeṣa ātmetyevopāsīta yastadveda sa vedasāṃ devatāmupāsa iti yo hyasakṛdanuvṛttiṃ karoti sa eva mukhyate | na hi śabdaśaktiḥ paryyanuyoktuṃ śakyate | yathā śaktirdhātvantarārthaparyavasāyāt śaknoti vaktuṃ kartuṃ ceti parisamāpyate| bhavati ca vedādapi śabdārthavyutpattiḥ trivṛdādiśabdānāmiva | trivṛcchabdaḥ stotragatāyāṃ navasaṃkhyāyāṃ prayuktaḥ | atrāhābhyupagamyate 'smābhiḥ śravaṇamananābhyāmasakṛdanuṣṭhitābhyāṃ tattvaṃ padārthavyutpattipuraḥsaraṃ ātmasvarūpaviṣayajñānaṃ kasya cidyaḥ sakṛdeva brahmātmatvamanubhavituṃ na śaknuyāt cittasaṃskārapāṭavābhāvāt | tathā hi chāndogye tattvamasi śvetaketo ityupadiśya tattadapratipattikāraṇaṃ nirākṛtya upadiṣyate | yāvadavidyānuvarttate tāva-
uktaṃ tattvamanādṛtya dugrahro gṛhyate yadi | tatrāsmābhiridaṃ vācyaṃ gṛhyatāṃ gṛhyatāmiti || śāstrārthaṃ tattvato jñātvā cariṣyāmo vayaṃ sadā | na no vyasanitā kāciddimamatipratibodhane || yadapyucyate aniyojyā brahmavidaḥ śāstrāviṣayatvādupāsanāyāmāśramakarmaṇi cānadhikāra iti | tadapi samayamātraṃ manyāmahe | yato naikajanmani pravṛttājñānasvābhāvikakarmavāsanāmalapracayāpakarṣāpekṣitvānmukteḥ | bhojanaśaucācamānādiṣu buddhipūrvaṃ rāgaprayukteṣu varttase | brahmībhūtaścetsarvatrāniyojyatvamaviśiṣṭam | śāstrārthaikadeśānuṣṭhānaṃ na ca prayuktam | tathā hi | kriyate karma kiñcittu tyajyate kiñcidityapi | na labhyaṃ śāstramullaṅghya svacchandaparikalpanam || śaucādyapi na karttavyaṃ jīvanmuktyabhimāninā | nāsambandhāccharīrasya nātmano nityaśuddhita iti || yastu brūyāttattvaṃ padārthaviveke sati vākyārthajñānamutpadyata iti tadanantaraṃ samastadvaitapratibhāsanābhāvāccharīrapāta iti | atrocyate | sādhuparyālocanaṃ sūkṣmadhiyo bhavato dvitrirvā svayaṃ jyotirbrahmāṇi śrute tattvaṃ padārthavyutpattirupajāyate | padārthajñānaṃ ca nimittaṃ vākyārthajñānasyetyanantaraṃ tena bhavitavyam | yadi ca padārthavyutpattiḥ śravaṇamananagurūpāsanasāmagrīsampattau satyāmapi notpadyate kālāntare 'pi kā te pratyāśā | ārabdhaphalakarmapratibandhānnotpadyata iti cenna kadācijjñānotpattiḥ sambhavedārabdhaphalakarmapratibandhasyāvaśyambhāvitvājjīvataḥ pravṛttiphalena pratibandhāt mṛtasya cetareṇeti | na ca vākyārthajñānaṃ mṛtihetuḥ | śrutyabhāvāt | karmakṣayo hi taddheturaviduṣāṃ taddarśanādyāsabhīṣmādīnāṃ ca brahmavidyāpravarttakānāṃ smaraṇādyatkiñcidetaditi |