Brahma-Sūtra 1.4.28

English of translation of Brahmasutra 1.4.28 by Roma Bose:

“Hereby all is explained, explained.”

Nimbārka’s commentary (Vedānta-pārijāta-saurabha):

“Hereby”, i.e. by the totality of the sections, ‘all’ the Vedāntas ‘are explained’ as referring to Brahman, “explained”.

Here ends the fourth quarter of the first chapter of the Vedānta-pārijāta-saurabha, an interpretation of the Śārīraka-mīmāṃsā texts, and composed by the reverend Nimbārka.

Śrīnivāsa’s commentary (Vedānta-kaustubha)

Now, the reverend author of the aphorisms is showing the concordance of all the Vedāntas with regard to Brahman by means of extended and analogical application.^[1] “Hereby”, i.e. through the above mode of concordance, “all” Vedāntas, mentioned or non-mentioned, should be known to be “explained” as referring to Brahman. It should be known that the Vedas also are in concordance with regard to Brahman alone, in accordance with the scriptural text; ‘The word which all the Vedas record’ (Kaṭha 2.15); and in accordance with the Smṛti text: ‘“I alone am to be known through all the Vedas”’ (Gītā 15.15). The repetition shows the end of the chapter. Hence it is established that Lord Kṛṣṇa, the cause of the origin and the rest of the universe, the sole topic of all the Vedas, and denoted by the terms‘Brahman’, ‘Nārāyaṇa’ and the rest, is to be worshipped by one, desirous of salvation, through hearing, thinking, meditating and so on.

Here ends the section entitled ‘The explanation of all’ (8).

Here ends the fourth quarter of the first chapter of the Vedānta-kaustubha, a commentary on the Śārīraka-mīmāṃsā, and composed by the reverend teacher Śrīnivāsa, dwelling under the holy lotus-feet of Nimbārka, the founder and teacher of the sect of the venerable Sanatkumāra.

Comparative views of Śaṅkara and Bhāskara:

Interpretation different, viz. they connect this adhikaraṇa more directly with the refutation of the Sāṃkhya doctrine, which Nimbārka does not. Thus, the meaning of the sūtra according to Śaṅkara and Bhāskara is: ‘Hereby’ (i.e. by the mode of refuting the Sāṃkhya view), all (i.e. other doctrine like Atomism and the rest) are explained (as negated), explained’.^[2]

Comparative views of Baladeva:

Interpretation different, viz. ‘Hereby (viz. by the method indicated above) all (the words like pradhāna, Śiva and the rest) are explained (as denoting Brahman alone), explained’.^[3]

Thus, we find that Nimbārka, Rāmānuja and Baladeva direct the entire pāda, except the last adhikaraṇa, to the refutation of the Sāṃkhya view, but surprisingly enough make no reference to the Sāṃkhya view in the last adhikaraṇa, bringing in different topics. Nimbārka and Rāmānuja speak of the general concordance of the Vedānta texts in the last section, while Baladeva speaks of the significance of all names.

No less surprising is the procedure of Śaṅkara and Bhāskara. Śaṅkara finishes with the refutation of the Sāṃkhya doctrine in adhikaraṇa 3, and takes the inter veiling four adhikaraṇa as concerned, not with the refutation of the Sāṃkhya doctrine, but with the general concordance of the Vedānta texts, etc. Then, all of a sudden, he refers to the Sāṃkhya doctrine in the last adhikaraṇa.

Bhāskara closely follows Śaṅkara. He too finishes with the refutation of the Sāṃkhya doctrine in adhikaraṇa 3, takes the intervening three adhikaraṇas as concerned with the general concordance of texts, but takes the last two adhikaraṇas as referring to the Sāṃkhya doctrine.

Śrīkaṇṭha is the most consistent of all. He finishes with the refutation of the Sāṃkhya doctrine in adhikaraṇa 3, once for all, and directs the remaining adhikaraṇas to other topics.

Resume

The fourth section of the first chapter consists of:—

1. 28 sūtras and 8 adhikaraṇas, according to Nimbārka.
2. 28 sūtras and 8 adhikaraṇas, according to Śaṅkara.
3. 29 sūtras and 8 adhikaraṇas, according to Rāmānuja.
4. 27 sūtras and 8 adhikaraṇas, according to Bhāskara.
5. 29 sūtras and 8 adhikaraṇas, according to Śrīkaṇṭha.
6. 28 sūtras and 8 adhikaraṇas, according to Baladeva.

Rāmānuja and Śrīkaṇṭha split sūtra 26 in Nimbārka-bhāṣya into two separate sūtras, while Bhāskara takes the sūtras 17 and 18 in Nimbārka-bhāṣya as one sūtra.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Atideśa. For the explanation of ‘atideśa’ see Vedānta-kaustubha 2.1.3.

[2]:

Brahma-sūtras (Śaṅkara’s commentary) 1.4.28, p. 436; Brahma-sūtras (Bhāskara’s Commentary) 1.4.27, p. 86.

[3]:

Govinda-bhāṣya 1.4.28.