Brahma Sutras (Shankara Bhashya)
by Swami Vireshwarananda | 1936 | 124,571 words | ISBN-10: 8175050063
This is the English translation of the Brahma-sutras including the commentary (Bhashya) of Shankara. The Brahma-sutra (or, Vedanta-sutra) is one of the three canonical texts of the Vedanta school of Hindu philosophy and represents an early exposition the Vedantic interpretation of the Upanishads. This edition has the original Sanskrit text, the r...
Chapter II, Section III, Adhikarana IV
Adhikarana summary: Fire created from air
Brahma-Sutra 2.3.10: Sanskrit text and English translation.
तेजोऽतः, तथा ह्याह ॥ १० ॥
tejo'taḥ, tathā hyāha || 10 ||
tejaḥ—Fire; ataḥ—from this; tathā—so hi—verily; āha—says.
10. Fire (is produced) from this (i.e. air), so verily says (the Sruti).
“From air (is produced) fire” (Taitt. 2. 1.) shows that fire springs from air. Again we have, “That (Brahman) created fire” (Chh. 6. 2. 3). These two texts can be reconciled by interpreting the Taittiriya text to mean the order of sequence: Brahman, after creating air, created fire. This Sutra refutes such an ingenious explanation and says that fire is produced from Vayu or air. This does not contradict the Chhandogya text, for it means that as air is a product of Brahman, it is from Brahman, which has assumed the form of air, that fire is produced. The general proposition that everything is created from Brahman requires that all things should ultimately be traced to that cause, and not that they should be the immediate effects. Hence there is no contradiction.