Brahma Sutras 

(This is a part of my notebook that I had prepared during the study of the Brahma Sutras in our Monday classes. We followed the commentary by Shri Adi Shankaracharya. The following two books were used as the references:

1. “Brahma Sutras, According to Shri Shakara”, Swami Vireswarananda, Advaita Ashrama Publication Department, Kolkata, India, 10^th Impression, November 2008
2. “Brahma Sutras”, Sri Swami Sivananda, The Divine Life Society Publication, Shivanandanagar, India, 6^th edition, 2016)

Prasthanatrayi:

The Vedanta Philosophy is based on the principles or the truths taught in the Prashathantrayi.

The word “Prasthana” in Sanskrit has various meanings, for examples – Advent, cause, course, departure, dispatching, dying, inferior kind of drama, journey, march, method, moving, place of origin, proceeding, procession, religious mendicancy, sect, sending, away, setting out, starting-point, system, walking, and way to attain.

The main meaning of “prasthana” is “proceeding”. We can say that “prasthana” means “proceeding towards one’s liberation”.

The word “Trayi” in Sanskrit means a collection of three.

Thus, “Prasthanatrayi” means “three sources of books for liberation”: (1) The Upanishads, (2) The Brahma Sutras, and (3) The Bhagavad Gita.

(1) The Upanishads, known as Upadesha prasthana (injunctive texts), and the Śruti prasthāna (the starting point or axiom of revelation), especially the Principals of the Upanishads. There are more than 108 Upanishads. Among them, the following eleven Upanishads are considered as major ones: Isha, Katha, Kena, Prashna, Mundaka, Mandukya, Aittareya, Taittiriya, Swetaswatar, Chhandogya, and Brihadaranyaka.

(2) The Brahma Sutras, known as Nyaya prasthana or Yukti prasthana (logical text or axiom of logic). The Brahma Sūtras (also known as the Vedānta Sūtras, Bhikshu Sutras or Shariraka Sutras), systematize the doctrines taught in the Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gītā. As mentioned above, Brahma Sutras are also known as Bhikshu Sutras or Shariraka Sutras.  Bhikshu refers to Sanyasins. Thus, there were sutras for the Sanyasins. Shariraka refers to the Atman living in the body. Thus, Shariraka Sutras means the Sutras for the Atman.

(3) The Bhagavad Gita, known as Sadhana prasthana (practical text), and the Smriti prasthāna (the starting point or axiom of remembered tradition) The Bhagavad Gītā is a part of the great epic Mahabhārata.

The meaning of the word “sutra”:

The word “sutra” in Sanskrit means ‘a meaningful condensed sentence written by a qualified person in the field’. It also has other meanings such as a thread, knitting, a symbol, an indication etc.

The great teacher Madhvacharya in his commentary on the “Brahmasutras” quotes the meaning of the word “Sutra” from “Padma Purana” as follows (with the sandhis separated:

“The learned people in “the science of the sutra” say that the “sutra” means a sentence which has the following characteristics: (1) concise, (2) unambiguous, (3) gives the essence of an aspect of a topic or the topic itself, (4) it enlightens from all the possible aspects of the topic, (5) devoid of repetition and (6) faultless.

The author and the time of Brahma Sutras:

It seems that there were Bhikshu Sutras which were known among the Sanyasins. Then, Rishi Badarayana, starting with the Bhikshu Sutras, systematized and summarized the teachings of the Upanishads into the Brahma Sutras.

The Bhagavad Gita was written before the birth of Buddha. The Brahma Sutras were written before the Bhagavad Gita because there is a reference of Brahma Sutras in Bhagavad Gita (13.4):

It says, “This (teaching or the truth) has been sung by the Rishis in various ways and through various hymns and has been established logically and convincingly in the words of the Brahma Sutras.”

This indicates that the time of the Brahma Sutras is before 400 B.C..

Now, surprisingly, there are references of the Bhagavad Gita in the Brahma Sutras (for example 2.3.45 and 4.2.21). This shows that Rishi Vyasa, the writer of the Mahabharata and thus of the Bhagavad Gita, may have re-written these sutras. Hence, Rishi Vyasa’s name is also associated with the Brahma Sutras.

The Number of Brahma Sutras: There are four chapters in Brahma Sutras and each chapter has four sections. There is a total of 555 sutras. The following are the names of the chapters of the Brahma Sutras and the number of sutras in each chapter:

Chapter I: What is Brahman? (“Samanvaya Adhyaya” which has four Sections; 31+32+43+28) 134 SUTRAS

Chapter II: Review of competing theories (“Avirodha Adhyaya” which four Sections; 37+45+53+22) 157 SUTRAS

Chapter III: The means to spiritual knowledge (“Sadhana Adhyaya” which has four Sections; 27+41+66+52) 186 SUTRAS

Chapter IV: The benefit of spiritual knowledge (“Phala Adhyaya” which has four Sections; 19+21+16+22) 78 SUTRAS

Total sutras are 134 + 157 + 186 + 78 = 555

The Well-known Commentators on the Brahma Sutras:

• There are many commentators who explained the meanings of the Brahma Sutras. Among them, there are five famous commentators, namely, (1) Shri Shankaracharya, (2) Shri Ramanujacharya, (3) Shri Nimbarkacharya, (4) Shri Madhvacharya, and (5) Shri Vallabhacharya, who have established five different schools of thoughts which currently exist and have many followers. These are all called the Schools of the Vedanta Philosophy.
• It is amazing to see that all these five Acharyas (Teachers) accept the teachings of the Vedas. They all believe that the goal of human life is to realize the Ultimate Reality, Brahman. They differ in their interpretations of the Brahman, an individual soul, the relationship of an individual soul with the Brahman, the idea of the world and the relationship between the world and the Brahman. They all interpret the Brahma Sutras in a way that justifies their own philosophies about the reality. Many times, the same sutra has been interpreted in different ways.

Note: There are two main reasons why there are different interpretations of the same sutra: (1) The sutras are concise and brief, so there is room for interpretations and (2) Brahma Sutras do not establish any philosophy. They just state the truths of the Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita.

• The Five Schools:

(1) Shri Shankaracharya (788-820 AD):  The exponent of Monism. (Advaita Vada).

• Brahman is attribute-less, immutable, and pure intelligence
• Iswara is a product of Maya – the highest reading of the Nirguna Brahman by the individualized soul.
• The world is a Virata or apparent transformation through Maya of the Nirguna Brahman but not in reality.
• The Jiva, in reality, is all-pervading and identical with Brahman, though as individualized by its Upadhi (adjunct), the internal organ, it regards itself as an atomic, as an agent, and as a part of the Lord.
• The knowers of the Nirguna Brahman attain Brahman directly and have not to go by “the path of the gods”.
• But, the knowers of the Saguna Brahman go by “the path of gods” to Brahmaloka from where they do not return. They attain Brahman at the end of the cycle.
• Knowledge is the only means of Liberation.

(2) Shri Ramanujacharya (11^th-12^th century AD): The exponent of Qualified Monism (Vishitha Adviata Vada).

• Brahman is a Personal God with attributes. It is endowed with auspicious qualities. Intelligence is its chief attribute. It contains within Itself whatever exists.
• World and individual souls are essential real constituents of Brahman’s nature.
• Matter (Achit) and soul (Chit) form the body of the Lord.
• The universe is not unreal or illusory but is a true manifestation or Parinama of Brahman. Just as milk transformed into curd, so also Brahman has transformed as this universe.
• Lord Narayana is the Inner Ruler (Antaryamin).
• The individual soul is really individual. It will remain a personality for ever.
• The soul remains in Vaikuntha forever in the state of bliss and enjoys the divine Aisvarya of Lord Narayana.
• Bhakti is the chief means of final emancipation.

(3) Shri Nimbakacharya (11^th Century): The exponent of the Theory of Difference and Non-Difference (Bhedabheda Vada OR Dvaitadvaita OR Dvaita-Advaita-Vada).

• Brahman is both Saguna and Nirguna.
• Brahman is both the efficient and the material cause of the world.
• The universe is not unreal or illusory but is a true manifestation or Parinama of Brahman (Similar to Sri Ramanuja).
• This world is identical with and at the same time different from Brahman just as the wave or bubble is the same and at the same time different from water.
• The individual souls are the parts of the Supreme Self. They are controlled by the Supreme Being.
• The final salvation lies in realizing the true nature of one’s own soul.
• Bhakti is the means for liberation.
• The individuality of the finite self is not dissolved even in the state of the final emancipation.

(4) Shri Madhvacharya (13^th century AD): The exponent of Dualism (Dvaita Vada).

(5) Shri Vallabhacharya (1479-1531): The exponent of Pure Monism (Suddha-Advaita Vada).

There is one more major school formed by Shri Chaitnya Mahaprabhu (1486-1534):

(Achintya-Bheda-Abheda Vada)

Note: These schools look contradictory, but actually they are not contradictory. They are created to suit the mental states of various kinds of people. Even the same person at different times lives in different states of mind and he/she feels comfortable to accept the reality described in one of the schools at that time.

Shri Ramakrishna said that “Jato Mat, tato Path’ (As many opinions, those many paths). Sri Ramakrishna said that a mother cooks verities of dishes to suit the stomachs and the tastes of her children.

Hanumanji’s State of Mind: The following shloka tells how the mind of a devotee remains on different states at different times.

Once Lord Rama asked his devotee and a servant Shri Hanumanji how he looks at him. Shri Hanumanji gave an excellent answer which tells about the minds of all devotees of God. He said the following:

Shri Hanumanji said, “O Lord Rama! When I am aware of my body, then I feel that you are my master and I am your servant. When I am aware of my soul lying behind my body and mind, then I feel that you are infinite consciousness and I am a part of you. When I am aware that I am Pure Consciousness, then I do not see any difference between you and me. This is my firm conviction.”

Thus, all thoughtful interpretations of the Brahma Sutras are useful at the various states of human minds to understand the Reality.

Realization of Brahman: According to the Vedanta Philosophy, the goal of human life is to realize Brahman. It means to realize that each individual’s true identity is divine. It is called Atman, which is the same as Brahman. The nature of Atman or Brahman is Sat-Chit-Ananda (Existence-Knowledge-Bliss Absolute). The following are the three major benefits of realization of Brahman:

(1) Attaining Moksha (Liberation from all bondages and not to be born again and get bounded.)

(2) Atyantika Dukha Nivrutti (Cessation of all the sufferings of the world) and

(3) Paramananda Prapti (Experiencing infinite bliss within which does not depend on any external object and attaining complete fulfillment of life)