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The System of the Vedanta according to Badarayana's Brahma-Sutras and Cankara's Commentary c6.s5.t3: 4. Brahman and the Soul dwelling together in the Heart

The System of the Vedânta according to Bâdarâyana's Brahma-Sûtras and Çankara's Commentary c6.s5.t3

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4. Brahman and the Soul dwelling together in the Heart

c6.s5.t3.1

Sûtras 1, 2, 11—12.

c6.s5.t3.2

The transition to the Chapter which is to teach us to know Brahman as the Soul itself, may be formed by an isolated passage, in which the highest and the individual soul appear as united together in the heart; it is found in the Kâthaka-Up. 3, 1:

c6.s5.t3.3

“Drinking fulfilment of their deeds in life,
“The two have gone into the secret cave,
“In the highest, that one half is of the highest [that is in the heart];
“He calls these Light and Shade who Brahman knows.”

c6.s5.t3.4

For the theme of the Kāṭhaka-Up. Śaṅkara firstly infers that “the two” here either the organs of knowledge with Buddhi at their head and the individual soul, or the individual and the highest soul are to be understood (p. 179—181), then, that only the latter is permissible; for that which drinks fulfilment for its previous deeds, is undoubtedly the individual soul; and side by side with it only a kindred nature, therefore the highest soul, could be mentioned (p. 182, 3); that this dwells in the heart, is so often said in other places (p. 182, 5); that of it also it is said, it drinks, must not be taken literally, just as if it were said: “the people are carrying a parasol,” when only one of them is carrying it (p. 180, 12. 182, 9, and 3, 3, 34, p. 921, 7, where the subject is once more explained); they are called shadow and light, because the one is subject to Saṃsāra, the other being free from it, Saṃsāra itself existing only through Ignorance (p. 182, 11). The same contrast is found again not only in other passages of the Kāṭhaka-Up., but also in the verse [taken with changed meaning from Ṛigv. 1, 164, 20] of the Muṇḍaka-Up. 3, 1, 1 (= Śvet. 4, 6. 7):

c6.s5.t3.5

“Know thou two friends fair-feathered,
“Tied to a single tree;
“One eats at the sweet berry,
“Not eating, one looks on.”

c6.s5.t3.6

Here, by the one that eats, the individual soul is to be understood, by the one that looks on, the highest soul (p. 183, 12), as also in the verse that follows:

c6.s5.t3.7

“To such a tree sunk down, the spirit
“Is perplexed and sorrowful, without a lord;
“But when the lord is sought and found by him
“In majesty, then sorrow flees away.”

c6.s5.t3.8

In conclusion Śaṅkara mentions a view of the Paiṅgi-rahasya-brāhmaṇam (also quoted p. 889, 10, and, as Paiṅgi-Upanishad, p. 232, 12) according to which by the two are to be understood the sattvam (that is, the antaḥkaraṇam) and the individual soul, the latter, however, so far as it is raised above Saṃsāra and has gained unity with Brahman (p. 184—185).

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