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The System of the Vedanta according to Badarayana's Brahma-Sutras and Cankara's Commentary c10.s3.t3: 3. Can the Liberated assume a new Body?

The System of the Vedânta according to Bâdarâyana's Brahma-Sûtras and Çankara's Commentary c10.s3.t3

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3. Can the Liberated assume a new Body?

c10.s3.t3.1

An episode in 3, 3, 32, deals with the question, whether the Sage, after his body has turned to dust, can again assume a new body (p. 913, 2)?—True it is that from knowledge (and we must here understand *Samyagdarçanam* p. 915, 1) proceeds absoluteness (*kaivalyam*) yet the *Itihāsas* and *Purāṇas* relate how some knowers of Brahman have yet come again to embodiment (p. 913, 7); thus *Apāntaratamas*, *Vasisṭha*, *Bhṛgu*, *Sanatkumāra*, *Nārada* and others (p. 913), as too *Sulabhā* during her life temporarily left her body (p. 915, 8), and others again inhabited several bodies at the same time (p. 914, 2). Hence one might conclude that the knowledge of Brahman sometimes leads to liberation and sometimes not (p. 914, 5); but that is not so; for if those whom we have named returned to bodily existence, it was in fulfilment of a mission (*adhikāra*), *e. g.* to promote the spread of the Veda for the good of the world (p. 914, 6). "As yonder holy *Savitar* (the sun), after having fulfilled his earthly mission through a thousand world-periods, at length neither rises nor sets, but enjoys absoluteness—as the scripture (*Chānd.* 3, 11, 1) says: 'but then after he has risen up, he will no longer rise nor set, but stand alone in the centre' [a prophesy fulfilled since Copernicus],—and as also the living knowers of Brahman after the fruit of actions already entered on has been exhausted, enjoy absoluteness, as it is said (*Chānd.* 6, 14, 2, translated above p. 266): 'to this [world of action] I shall only belong until I am liberated, then shall I return home,'—as we must assume that those glorious ones also, *Apāntaratamas* and others entrusted by the Most Glorious with this or that mission, in spite of the fact that they possessed full knowledge which is the condition of perfection, continued their works not [yet] disappearing, so long as the mission lasted, and [only] after its completion were they dispensed therefrom" (p. 914, 8—915, 2). Wherein, we must assume that, besides the work committed to them, no further work came into existence which could have served as the seed of a new life, as otherwise their liberation would have become illusory (p. 915, 11). But that liberation should come to an end, is unthinkable after the works, which are the seed of future existence, have been burnt up by the fire of knowledge; as the Smṛiti says (the first verse in Bhagavadgîtâ 4, 37):—

c10.s3.t3.2

“As fiery heat to ashes turns the wood
“By knowledge are all works to ashes turned—
“As seed when it is burnt can grow no more,
“So the Soul's sufferings, by knowledge burnt.”

Cites (2)