The System of the Vedanta according to Badarayana's Brahma-Sutras and Cankara's Commentary c6.s3.t2: 2. Brahman as the primordial Light
The System of the Vedânta according to Bâdarâyana's Brahma-Sûtras and Çankara's Commentary c6.s3.t2
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2. Brahman as the primordial Light
c6.s3.t2.1
Sûtram 1, 3, 22—23.
c6.s3.t2.2
Muṇḍ. 2, 2, 10 (= Kâṭh. 5, 15 = Ҫvet. 6, 14) says:
c6.s3.t2.3
“There shines not sun nor moon nor stars, nor shine these lightnings, far less earthly fire: after Him the shining One, all shines, from His light is lighted this whole world.”
c6.s3.t2.4
In this passage, as Ҫaṅkara explains, it is not some kind of light-element that is to be understood, but the highest Âtman, of which Chând. 3, 14, 2 says: “Light is his form, truth his resolve” (p. 272, 9), and which is spoken of (p. 274, 2) in what goes before (Muṇḍ. 2, 2, 5. 9). A Light-element is not to be thought of, because from such an element the sun etc. [hence the moon also!] cannot borrow their light, since they are themselves just as much light-elements (p. 272, 11); but they can all very well borrow their light from the Brahman, for a borrowing can also take place in the case of things of different kinds, as a glowing ball of iron burns after the fire, and as the dust blows after the wind (p. 273, 2); moreover, besides the light-elements named, the sun etc., no other exists (p. 274, 8).—From the shining of the Âtman “all this” would borrow light, that is, either: the sun, etc., in the sense in which Bṛih. 4, 4, 16 says: “Him the Gods honour as immortal Life, as the light of lights,” or it means: this whole world-development, as it has arisen in names and forms as “the reward of works to the doer” (kriyâ-kâraka-phala, p. 273, 12; the same formula p. 291, 6. 447, 3. 987, 6), has as cause the light-nature of the Brahman, just as the revelation of all forms has as its cause the light-nature of the sun (p. 273, 13). All that is perceived, is perceived through the Brahman as light, but the Brahman is perceived through no other light, because its own being is to be Self-shining, so that the sun etc. shine in him (tasmin). For the Brahman reveals the other, but the Brahman is not revealed by the other (p. 275, 1).
Linked texts (5)
- Muṇḍakopaniṣad — Sanskrit
- Chāndogyopaniṣad — Sanskrit
- Kaṭhopaniṣad — Sanskrit
- Bṛhadāraṇyakopaniṣad — Sanskrit
- Śvetāśvataropaniṣad — Śvetāśvatara, Sanskrit