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The System of the Vedanta according to Badarayana's Brahma-Sutras and Cankara's Commentary c10.s3.t2: 2. The Dissolution of the Psychic Apparatus

The System of the Vedânta according to Bâdarâyana's Brahma-Sûtras and Çankara's Commentary c10.s3.t2

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2. The Dissolution of the Psychic Apparatus

c10.s3.t2.1

As we have already frequently seen, the individual Soul is surrounded by a complicated apparatus of Upādhis, which in part dwell with it in the heart (above p. 311), in part are concentrated in it at death (above p. 379), in order to depart along with the Soul. To this complex of *Upâdhis* which accompanies the Soul in all its wanderings, there belong: *Indriyas*, *Manas*, *Prâna*, and *Sûkshmam Çarîram*, which are as it were knit together into a knot that death cannot loose. This knot of the heart (if we may take *hridaya-granthi*, Mund. 2, 2, 8; cf. Kâth. 6, 15, in this concrete sense, which however is unsupported by any authority) is cut for the Sage, and while at death others do indeed enter into the highest Godhead, yet they do so in such a way that a germ remains over for the new existence, which consists in this very apparatus, folded up and charged with the works of each particular life (above pp. 340. 373), thus while in them the seed-powers just named remain over as a residue (p. 1103, 3), the resolution of the dying sage into Brahman, on the contrary, takes place without residue (*niravaçesha*) and he enters into indivisibility with all his parts (p. 1103, 4). For thus says the scripture (Praçna 6, 5):

c10.s3.t2.2

¹³⁷ Śaṅkara reads instead of samavanīyante, p. 1099, 12, samavalīyante, and instead of ucchvayati, p. 1099, 13. 14, ucchayati, ucchayana, which the Gloss explains as vāhya-vāyu-pūraṇād vardhate.

c10.s3.t2.3

"Just as those flowing rivers, which take their course to
"the ocean, when they have reached the ocean, come to rest.—
"their names and forms perish and they are now called ocean
"only—just so too the sixteen parts of the all-beholder [of
"him who possesses the *Samyagdarçanam*] which take their
"course to the Spirit (*purusha*), after they have reached the
"Spirit, come to rest, their names and forms perish, and they
"are then called Spirit only; this is that partless, immortal
"one."

c10.s3.t2.4

By the "sixteen parts" Çankara here understands "the *Indriyas* called *Prâna* and the Elements" (p. 1102, 4), of which, however, according to his system there are seventeen. In the passage of the Praçna the following parts are originally meant: 1. *Prâna*, 2. *Çraddhâ*, 3. Ether, 4. Air, 5. Fire, 6. Water, 7. Earth, 8. the ten *Indriyas*, 9. *Manas*, 10. Food, 11. Force (*vîryam*), 12. Asceticism, 13. the *Mantras* of the Veda, 14. Works, 15. the Worlds, 16. the Name.

Cites (3)