The System of the Vedanta according to Badarayana's Brahma-Sutras and Cankara's Commentary c6.s7.t2: 2. Brahman as the Place of the Liberated

The System of the Vedânta according to Bâdarâyana's Brahma-Sûtras and Çankara's Commentary c6.s7.t2

Language: English

2. Brahman as the Place of the Liberated

c6.s7.t2.2

In the Muṇḍaka-Upanishad 2, 2, 5 it is said:

"The place in which the heavens, and earth, and mind,
"The sky with all the senses are entwined,
"That place as nought but Âtman shall ye know,
"All other turns of speech shall ye forego⁸⁹
"He is the bridge of immortality."

c6.s7.t2.4

⁸⁹ In the text the indicative stands: jânatha, vimuñcatha.

c6.s7.t2.5

Here, says Śaṅkara, we might think of something other than Brahman, perhaps primordial matter, or the wind, or the individual soul, which in a certain sense could be called the place of things (p. 225), for the bridge mentioned seems to presuppose another shore (something outside it), which is not true of Brahman (p. 224, 8). But the place, in which the whole world is woven, can only be Brahman (p. 225, 10), as is shewn by the word Âtman, which in its full sense is only valid for Brahman (p. 226, 1). The world is, of course, not related to it as the roots, trunk and branches to the tree (p. 226, 7), but is only a product of Ignorance (p. 226, 11); for the scripture warns us against accepting unreal plurality (p. 227, 3), when it is said (Kâṭh. 4, 10. Bṛih. 4, 4, 19):

c6.s7.t2.6

"Their never ending death they weave,
"Who here a manifold perceive."

c6.s7.t2.7

What is said of the bridge, only means that Brahman keeps things asunder (cf. above p. 133. 162), not that He has another shore (p. 227, 10). But that Brahman alone can be the place, follows from the fact that He is afterwards indicated as the place to which the liberated go. For just this illusion that the I consists in the bodily nature, is Ignorance; the esteem of this body is Passion (râga), the despising of it is Hate, thoughts of injury to it are Fear, and so on according to the names of the host of the unreal (p. 228, 10). Liberation from all these defects is a going to the place which is here spoken of; it is further said concerning it (Muṇḍ. 2, 2, 8):

c6.s7.t2.8

“He who this highest, deepest views, “For him the heart's knots are untied, “For him his doubts are all resolved, “His works all pass to nothingness;” and again (Muṇḍ. 3, 2, 8): “As rivers run, and in the deep, “Lose name and form, are lost to sight, “The sage released, from name and form, “Enters the highest spirit of light.”

c6.s7.t2.9

Here neither primordial matter nor the wind can be spoken of (p. 230), nor yet the individual soul (p. 231, 1), which, by the words: “This place alone you know the Âtman is,” is distinguished as subject from the highest soul as object (p. 231, 8).