हरि सर्वोत्तम । वायु जीवोत्तम | श्री गुरुभ्यो नमः
Lord Nārāyana in His avatāra as Veda Vyāsa descended to the world for preservation and propagation of correct knowledge. To this end, He not only compiled the Veda into four parts but also gave us the Brahmasūtra-s under the pen name of Bādarāyana.
As seen in the Mahabharata, towards the end of Dvāpara Yuga itself Dharma had taken a significant blow. So the beginning of Kali Yuga that followed was fraught with confusion and contention – disruptive philosophies ranging from to agnosticism, atheism and hedonism through nihilism abounded. To guide good souls forward in their spiritual journey, Brahmasūtra-s were given to us as critical and definitive aphorisms to help seekers interpret Vedānta Shāstra-s consistently and correctly.
Along with the Upanishad-s (lessons intuited by great seers), and Bhagavad Gita (the tutorial from Lord Yādava Krishna, i.e. Vāsudeva), the Brahmasūtra-s (aphorisms from Lord Vāshishtha Krishna, i.e. Dvaipāyana or Veda Vyāsa) complete the Prasthānatrayī. These are the three axiomatic sources that every school of Vedānta accepts as canonical knowledge upon which Bhāṣya-s or commentaries have been written by the founding Acharya-s of each school – at the very least on the Brahmasūtra-s with others covered later by followers in most cases.
However, Acharya Madhva has not only written Bhāṣya-s on ALL 10 major Upanishad & the Rig Veda, but TWO on Bhagavad Gita, but FOUR (!) commentaries on the Brahmasūtra-s alone. This not only highlights Acharya’s prowess but more fundamentally: (1) the importance of Brahmasūtra-s in establishing correct understanding of Shāstra-s; but (2) also the supreme divinity of the Author as Lord Almighty Himself descended only to jumpstart the Guru Parampara in Kali Yuga.
The shortest of Acharya Madhva’s four commentaries is the Aṇubhāṣya, a short and very pithy collection of just 32 verses that leads the enquirer into every topic covered in our Shāstra-s. It is a brilliant compaction composed by Acharya Madhva out of compassion for his aging Guru Achyutapreksha, who found it difficult to chant all the 564 shlokas of Brahmasūtra on Sādhana Dvādashi days before the deadline for breaking fast (pāraṇe).
Here is the Moola with direct translation adapted from the original work by Shri S. S. Raghavachar (Dharmaprakash Press, 1973).
ब्रह्मसूत्र अणुभाष्य (सर्वशास्त्रार्थ सङ्ग्रह)
॥ अथ प्रथमोऽध्यायः ॥
ॐ
नारायणं गुणैः सर्वैः उदीर्णं दोषवर्जितं ।
ज्ञेयं गम्यं गुरूम्स्चापि नत्वा सूत्रार्थ उच्यते ॥ १।१॥
With obeisance to Nārāyana, who surpasses in all excellences and untouched by any defect, and who is the (Supreme) object of knowledge and attainment and also to the preceptors, the import of the aphorisms (of Shri Bādarāyana) is being presented.
विष्णुरेव विजिज्ञास्यः सर्वकर्ताऽगमोदितः ।
समन्वयादीक्षतेश्च पूर्णानन्दोऽंतरः खवत् ॥ १।२॥
Vishnu alone is to be inquired into in particular, who is the Source of all (the ground of the origin etc., of all beings) and who is taught in the Scriptures as He constitutes their final significance and as He is accessible to their words, being the object of the Supreme vision to be gained through meditation in accordance with them. He abounds in bliss, delights in the inmost recess of all beings and is pervasive like ethereal space.
प्रणेता ज्योतिरित्यादैः प्रसिद्धैरन्यवस्तुषु ।
उच्यते विष्णुरेवैकः सर्वैः सर्व गुणत्त्वतः ॥ १।३॥
Vishnu who is the actuator (Prāna) is alone designated by all expressions such as light (jyoti) which mean other things in mundane usage, by virtue of His infinity of attributes.
सर्वगोऽत्ता नियंता च दृश्यत्त्वादुज्झितः सदा ।
विश्वजीवांतरत्त्वादैर्लिङ्गैः सर्वैर्युतः स हि ॥ १।४॥
He is installed in all. He eats up everything (as it were) at the time of the withdrawal of the Universe. He is eternally free from limitations such as physical perceptibility. It is indeed He who is always characterised by all the differentiating attributes, such as immanence in the physical world and individual selves.
सर्वाश्रयः पूर्णगुणः सोऽक्षरः सन् हृदब्जगः ।
सूर्यादिभासकः प्राणप्रेरको दैवतैरपि ॥ १।५॥
He is the shelter of all beings. He is filled with all perfections. He is imperishable and abides in the heart-lotus of every creature. He illuminates all the sources of illumination such as the Sun. He activates the life principle (Prana). He is to be known (devoutly) by even the deities.
ज्ञेयो न वेदैः शूद्रादैः कम्पकोऽन्यश्च जीवतः ।
पतित्त्वादिगुणैर्युक्तः तदन्यत्र च वाचकैः ॥ १।६॥
Shudras (ineligibles) and others cannot know Him through the Vedas. He causes beings to tremble. He is other than the individual self (Jivas). He has attributes such as over-lordship of all. He is signified even by names that stand for other things in ordinary usage.
मुख्यतः सर्वशब्दैश्च वाच्य एको जनार्दनः ।
अव्यक्तः कर्मवाक्यैश्च वाच्य एकोऽमितात्मकः ॥ १।७॥
Janaardana alone is the primary signification of all terms. He is the Unmanifested and is denoted by even the expressions applied to (sacred) acts. He is one although of infinite forms.
अवान्तरं कारणं च प्रकृतिः शून्यमेव च ॥ १।८॥
इत्यादन्यत्र नियतैरपि मुख्यतयोदितः ।
शब्दैरतोऽनन्तगुणो यच्छब्दा योगवृत्तयः ॥ १।९॥
The terms standing for derivative and proximate causes, the terms such as ‘Prakrti’ (nature) and even Shoonya (void) also refer to Him alone primarily even though they have other denotations in popular usage. Therefore He is to be understood as having infinitude of attributes as the terms are to be interpreted by etymological derivation (not by unenlightened usage).
॥ इति प्रथमोऽध्यायः ॥
॥ अथ द्वितीयोऽध्यायः ॥
ॐ
श्रौतस्मृतिविरुद्धत्वात् स्मृतयो न गुणान्हरेः ।
निषेध्दुं शक्नुर्वेदा नित्यत्वान्मानमुत्तमम् ॥ २।२ ॥
The Smrtis (like that of Kapila) cannot cancel the qualities of Hari, because they are in contradiction to the other Smrtis that are in accordance with the Shruti. The Vedas being eternal, constitute the highest source of knowledge.
देवतवचनादापो वदन्तीत्यादिकं वचः ।
नायुक्तवाद्यसन्नैव कारणं दृश्यते क्वचित् ॥ २।२ ॥
The texts such as ‘the waters say’ do not propound anything wrong, for they are speaking of the presiding deities. Nowhere is it observed that the non-existent can be the cause.
असज्जीवप्रधानादिशब्दाब्रह्मैव नापरम् ।
वदन्ति कारणत्वेन क्वापि पूर्णगुणो हरिः ॥ २।३॥
The terms such as non-being, jiva, and “pradhaana” (a term used in the Sankhya philosophy) signify Brahman itself as the cause and they nowhere (in the Scriptures) name anything else. Hari is full of auspicious qualities.
स्वातन्त्र्यात्सर्वकर्तृत्त्वात् नायुक्तं तद्वदेत्च्छ्रुतिः ।
भ्रान्तिमूलतया सर्व समयानामयुक्तितः ॥ २।४॥
Because Hari is self-dependent and the doer of all, the Shruti does not declare anything without reason. All other systems of thought are bereft of reason being founded on error.
न तद्विरोधाद्वचनं वैदिकं शङ्क्यतां व्रजेत् ।
आकाशादि समस्तं च तज्जं तेनैव लीयते ॥ २।५॥
The testimony of the Vedas does not become questionable because of its opposition to them. All entities like Akaasha (ethereal space) arise from Vishnu and come to an end through Him.
सोऽनुत्पत्तिलयः कर्ता जीवः तद्वशगः सदा ।
तदाभासो हरिः सर्व रूपेष्वपि समः सदा ॥ २।६॥
He is without origination and dissolution. He is the maker of all. The individual self is under His control for ever and is His reflection. Hari is eternally the same in all forms.
मुख्यप्राणश्चेन्द्रियाणि देहश्चैव तदुद्भवाः ।
मुख्यप्राणवशे सर्वं स विष्णोर्वशगः सदा ॥ २।७॥
The principal Prana (Mukhya-Prána) the senses and also the body arise from Him. All else under the control of the Principal Prana and he, the Principal Prana, is always under Visnu’s control.
सर्व दोशोज्झितः तस्माद् भगवान् पुरुषोत्तमः ।
उक्ता गुणाश्चाविरुद्धास्तस्य वेदेन सर्वशः ॥ २।८॥
Bhagavan Purushottama, therefore, is free from all flaws. All His attributes declared by the Vedas are non-contradictory in every way.
॥ इति द्वितीयोऽध्यायः ॥
॥ अथ तृतीयोऽध्यायः ॥
ॐ
शुभेन कर्मणा स्वर्गं निरयं च विकर्मणा ।
मिथ्याज्ञानेन च तमो ज्ञानेनैव परं पदम् ॥ ३।१॥
One attains heaven by good deeds and descends to hell by evil deeds. False understanding leads to darkness. Only through knowledge does one reach the Supreme goal.
याति तस्माद्विरक्तः सन् ज्ञानमेव समाश्रयेत् ।
सर्वावस्थाप्रेरकश्च सर्वरूपेष्वभेदवान् ॥ ३।२॥
Therefore one should renounce everything else and resort only to knowledge. The same Supreme Lord actuates all states and is identical in all forms.
सर्वदेशेषु कालेषु स एकः परमेश्वरः ।
तद्भक्ति]तारतम्येन तारतम्यं विमुक्तिगम् ॥ ३।३॥
He abides at all times and in all places. Owing to the gradation in the Bhakti towards Him, there is the resulting gradation in liberation.
सच्चिदानन्द आत्मेति मानुषैस्तु सुरेश्वरैः ।
यथा क्रमं बहुगुणैर्ब्रह्मणत्त्वखिलैर्गुणैः ॥ ३।४॥
He should be meditated upon by men, as the Atman [the Lord] of the nature of existence, (blemish-less) Consciousness and bliss, by the great among the gods as distinguished by many attributes of perfection in accordance with their status and by Brahma, as possessing all such attributes.
उपास्यः सर्ववेदैश्च सर्वैरपि यथा बलम् ।
ज्ञेयो विष्णुर्विशेषस्तु ज्ञाने स्यादुत्तरोत्तरं ॥ ३।५॥
Through all the Vedas and by all souls, Vishnu should be known to the measure of their ability. There will be differences in knowledge eventually in accordance with the place of the individual in the natural hierarchy of beings.
सर्वेऽपि पुरुषार्थास्युः ज्ञानादेव न संशयः ।
न लिप्यते ज्ञानावंश्च सर्वदोषैरपि क्वचित् ॥ ३।६॥
All the objects of aspiration will be realised through knowledge. This is indubitable. The man of knowledge is affected by no evil anywhere.
गुणदोषैः सुखस्यापि वृद्धि ह्रासौ विमुक्तिगौ ।
नृणां सुराणां मुक्तौ तु सुखं क्लृप्तं यथाक्रमम् ॥ ३।७॥
Even the joy in liberation is subject to enhancement and diminution by virtuous and vicious deeds (on the part of the aspirants after Aparoksha but before actual Mukti). But in liberation the joy of men and gods is determined by their inherent place in the hierarchy of beings.
॥ इति तृतीयोऽध्यायः ॥
॥ अथ चतुर्थोऽध्यायः ॥
ॐ
विष्णुर्ब्रह्म तथा दातेत्येवं नित्यमुपासनम् ।
कार्यमापद्यपि ब्रह्म तेन यात्यपरोक्षताम् ॥ ४।१॥
Worshipful meditation of Vishnu as “Brahman” and as “the Lord of all” must be practiced always, even in affliction. Brahman comes to be directly and immediately perceived through such meditation.
प्रारब्धकर्मणोऽन्यस्य ज्ञानादेव परिक्षयः ।
अनिष्टस्योऽभयस्यापि सर्वस्यान्यस्य भोगतः ॥ ४।२॥
All the undesirable actions other than those that have started producing their consequences, both past and future whether of the nature of ‘Punya’ or “Paapa’ perish by the mere dawn of knowledge. The actions already productive of results perish through our undergoing the latter.
उत्तरेषोत्तरेष्वेवं यावद्वायुं विमुक्तिगाः ।
प्रविश्य भुञ्जते भोगांस्तदन्तर्बहिरेव वा ॥ ४।३॥
The human souls attain liberation by exit from their bodies. The gods enter into their immediate superiors and have their bodies dissolved in theirs. Entering into their immediate superiors the gods enjoy felicities internal and external. This process continues till they reach Vaayu (Chaturmukha).
वायुर्विष्णुं प्रविश्यैव भोगश्चैवोत्तरोत्तरम् ।
उत्क्रम्य मानुषा मुक्तिं यान्ति देहक्षयात्सुराः ॥ ४।४॥
And Vaayu himself attains Moksha by entering into Vishnu. The pleasures of Moksha are graded according to the nature of the individuals. The human beings reach release by leaving their bodies, though BrahmanaDi. The gods do so by the perishing of their bodies in those of their next superiors.
अर्चिरादिपथा वायुं प्राप्य तेन जनार्दनम् ।
यान्त्युत्तमा नरोच्चाद्या ब्रह्मलोकात्सहामुना ॥ ४।५॥
The beings such as the superior human beings reach Vayu through the path. starting from light and then from the world of Brahma they approach Janaardana along with him (Brahma),
यथासङ्कल्पभोगाश्च चिदानन्दशरीरिणः ।
जगत्सृष्ट्यादिविषये महासामर्थ्यमप्यृते ॥ ४।६॥
They with bodies of the nature of consciousness and bliss enjoy joys of their choosing. But they do not have the great power of producing, maintaining, dissolving and such other cosmic functions of the Universe.
यथेष्टशक्तिमंतश्च विना स्वाभाविकोत्तमान् ।
अनन्यवशगाश्चैव वृद्धिह्रास विवर्जिताः ॥ ४।७॥
They enjoy the powers they desire consistently with there being their natural superiors. They are under no one else’s control and are free from increase or decrease.
दुःखादिरहितं नित्यं मोदंतेऽविरतं सुखम् ॥ ४।८॥
They are untouched by imperfection such as sorrow. They rejoice eternally and without interruption.
पूर्णप्रज्ञेन मुनिना सर्वशास्त्रार्थसंग्रहः ।
कृतोऽयं प्रीयतां तेन परमात्मा रमापतिः ॥ ४।९॥
By the sage Poornaprajna this condensation of the import of the entire Shaastra has been effected. May the Supreme Spirit, the Lord of Ramaa Devi, be pleased with it.
नमो नमोऽशेषदोषदूर पूर्णगुणात्मने ।
विरिञ्चिशर्वपूर्वेड्य वन्द्याय श्रीवराय ते ॥ ४।१०॥
Salutations again and again to You, Who are of the nature of infinite perfections, untouched by the shadow of all imperfections, and adorable even to the adorable gods such as Brahma and Siva and are the Consort of Sri.
॥ इति चतुर्थोऽध्यायः ॥
इति श्रीमदानन्दतीर्थभगवत्पादाचार्यविरचितं
ब्रह्मसूत्राणुभाष्यं सम्पूर्णम्
/Raghunath Rao/ “Do your Best … and leave the Rest … “
(All mistakes mine – all credit to Gurus and Acharyas )
|| sarvaṁ śrī kṛṣṇārpanamastu ||
