Aphorisms on Brahman 2.671.6

2.671.6

atrocyate - brahmasaṃstha iti hi brahmaṇi parisamptirananyavyāpāratārūpaṃ tanniṣṭhatvamabhidhīyate /
tacca trayāṇāmā8māṇāṃ na saṃbavati /
svāśramavihitakarmānanuṣṭhāne pryavāyaśravaṇāt /
parivrājakasya tu sarvakarmasaṃnyāsātapratyavāyo na saṃbhavatyananuṣṭhānanimittaḥ /
śamadamādistu tadīyo dharmo brahmasaṃsthatāyā upodbalako na virodhī /
brahmaniṣṭhatvameva hi tasya śamadamādyupabṛṃhitaṃ svāśramavihitaṃ karma yajñādīni cetareṣāṃ tadvyatikrame ca tasya pratyavāyaḥ tathāca 'nyāsa iti brahmā brahmā hi paraḥ paro hi brahma tāni vā etānyavarāṇi tapāṃsi nyāsa evātyarecayat' (nārā. 78) 'vedāntavijñānasuniṣcitārthāḥ saṃnyāsayogādyatayaḥ śuddhasattvāḥ' (muṇḍa. 3.2.6. nārā. 1.2.3. kaivalya. 3) ityādyāḥ śrutayaḥ /
smṛtayaśca -'tadbuddhayastadātmānastanniṣṭhāstatparāyaṇāḥ' (gī. 5.17) ityādyā brahmasaṃsthasya karmābhāvaṃ darśayanti /
tasmātaparivrājakasyāśramamātrādamṛtatvaprāpterjñānānarthakyaprasaṅga ityeteṣo 'pi doṣo nvatarati /
tadevaṃ parāmarśo 'pītareṣāmāśramāṇāṃ pārivrājyaṃ tāvadbrahmasaṃsthatālakṣaṇaṃ labhyetaiva /
anapekṣyaiva jābālaśrutimāśramāntaravidhāyinīmayamācryoṇa vicāraḥ pravartitaḥ /
vidyata eva tvāśramāntaravidhiśrutiḥ pratyakṣā /
'brahmacaryaṃ parisampya gṛhī bhavedgṛhī bhūtvā vanībhavedvanī bhūtvā pravrajet /
yadi vetarathā brahmacaryādeva brahmacaryādeva pravrajedgṛhādvā vanādvā' (jābā. 4) iti /
na ceyaṃ śrutiranadikṛtāviṣayā śakyā vaktum /
aviśeṣaśravaṇāt /
pṛthagnidhānāccānadhikṛtānāma 'atha punareva vratī vāvratī vā snātako vāsnātako votsannāgniranagniko vā' (jābā. 4) ityādinā /
brahmadānaparipākāṅgatvācca pārivrājyasya nānadhikṛtaviṣayatvam /
tacca darśayati - 'atha parivrāḍvivarṇavāsā muṇḍo 'parigrahaḥ śuciradrohī bhaikṣāṇo brahmabhūyāya bhavati' (jābā. 5) iti /
tasmātsiddhā ūrdhvaretasāmāśramāḥ /
siddhaṃ cordhvaretaḥsu vidānādvidyāyāḥ svātantryamiti // 20 //

and, if we agree to take it in its conventional meaning, it follows that immortality may be reached by merely belonging to an âsrama, and hence that knowledge is useless!--To these objections we make the following reply. The term 'brahmasamstha' denotes fulfilment in Brahman, a state of being grounded in Brahman to the exclusion of all other activity. Now such a state is impossible for persons belonging to the three former âsramas, as scripture declares that they suffer loss through the non-performance of the works enjoined on their âsrama. The mendicant, on the other hand, who has discarded all works can suffer no loss owing to non-performance. Such duties as are incumbent on him, viz. restraint of the senses and the like, arc not opposed to the state of being grounded in Brahman, but rather helpful to it. For the only work enjoined on him by his âsrama. is the state of being firmly grounded in Brahman, wherein he is strengthened by restraint of the senses and so on--just as sacrifices and the like are prescribed for the other âsramas--and loss he incurs only by neglecting that work. In agreement herewith texts from scripture and Smriti declare that for him who is grounded in Brahman there are no works. Compare 'Renunciation is Brahman; for Brahman is the highest; for the highest is Brahman;

above those lower penances, indeed, there rises renunciation;' 'Those anchorites who have well ascertained the object of the knowledge of the Vedanta and have purified their nature by the Yoga of renunciation' (Mu. Up. III, 2, 6); and similar scriptural passages. And Smriti-texts to the same effect, such as 'They whose minds are fixed on him, who have their Self in him, their stand on him, their end in him' (Bha. Gîtâ V, 17). All these passages teach that for him who is founded on Brahman there are no works. From this there also follows the non-validity of the second objection raised above, viz. that the mendicant's reaching immortality through the mere stage of life in which he stands would imply the uselessness of knowledge.--In this way we understand that, although there is a reference to the other stages of life, that which is indicated by the quality of being grounded in Brahman is the state of the wandering mendicant.

This whole discussion has been carried on by the teacher without taking into account the text of the Gâbâlas, which enjoins the other stage of life. But there exists that text which directly enjoins the other stage, 'Having completed his studentship he is to become a householder; having been a householder he is to become a dweller in the forest; having been a dweller in the forest he is to wander forth; or else he may wander forth from the student's state; or from the house; or from the forest.' Nor can this text be interpreted as referring to those who are not qualified for works; for it states no difference, and there is a separate injunction (of the pârivrâgya-state) for those who are not qualified, viz. in the passage, 'May he have taken vows upon himself or not, may he be a snâtaka or not, may he be one whose fire has gone out or one who has no fire,' &c. That the text does not refer to such only as are not qualified for works, further follows from the fact that the state of the mendicant is meant to subserve the development of the knowledge of Brahman, as scripture declares, 'The wandering mendicant, with colourless dress, shaven, wifeless, pure, guileless, living on alms, qualifies himself for the intuition of Brahman.'--From all this it follows that the stages of life for which chastity is obligatory are established by scripture, and that knowledge--because enjoined on persons who have entered on those stages--is independent of works.