Vedanta Sutra Chapter One First Storm Concord of Scriptural Texts Due to the gradual advance of time, the self-evident meaning of the Vedas was in danger of being misinterpreted and forgotten. To prevent this, the empowred incarnation of the Lord as VyÄsadeva composed the VedÄnta-sŸtra as an exposition of the true meaning of the Vedas. The first chapter of the VedÄnta-sŸtra shows how the Vedic literatures uniformly teach the supreme position of the Personality of Godhead ür" K¨§ºa, who is the source of creation, maintenance and destruction, who is all-blissful, who possesses innumerable auspicious qualities, and who is therefore not an impersonal thing, but the Supreme Person. Because He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, it is impossible for other living beings to also be God. The Vedic literature unanimously declare that the living entities are eternal parts and parcels of God and, therefore, not wholly equal to Him. By examining them in their original context, ür"la VyÄsadeva proves that all those texts that seem to contradict the above mentioned conclusions actually support them. TEXT 1 SüTRA 1.1.1 athÄto brahma-jij-ÄsÄ athaÑnow; ataúÑtherefore; brahmaÑthe Absolute; jij-ÄsÄÑthe desire to know. TRANSLATION Now, therefore, one should desire to know the Absolute. PURPORT The word atha, or now, is to indicate the urgency of knowing the Absolute. From sunrise to sunset we pass our time in the vanity of this world. We rarely consider that there could be something of greater significance than the trivialitites of this world. We rarely wonder what the exact position of this world is or what its basis is. The Vedic literatures designate the underlying basis of this world as Brahman, or the Absolute. The word Brahman is derived from the word b¨hat, which means big or great. Brahman indicates that which has no equal or superior, the greatest. Because the Absolute is the foundation upon which all existence rests, everything is related to Him either directly or indirectly. The VedÄnta-sŸtra elaborates on that relativity. Due to our ignorance of our relationship with the Absolute, we experience the difficulties of material life. Therefore, it is the vital interest of everyone to know the Absolute. Regardless of whatever condition or situation one may be in, one should strive to know the Absolute. There are no qualifications or disqualifications regarding who should inquire about the Absolute. Everyone should and can know the Absolute. It does not matter what one did previously or what one is doing presently, when the desire arises in the heart, one should begin to inquire about the Absolute. Even if a person engaged in sinful activities should show some interest inGod, he or she should be encouraged because that inquisitiveness directed toward God can elevate such a person to holy life. sütra 1.1.2 janmÄdy asya yataú janma-ÄdiÑcreation, maintenance and destruction; asyaÑof this [material world]; yataúÑfrom whom. translation The Absolute is He from whom proceeds the creation, maintenance and destruction of the world. purport This sŸtra defines the Absolute as the creator, maintainer and destroyer of the material existence. Although certain individuals may wield political or economic power over a certain tract of land, the Absolute is omnipotent and the source of everything. Therefore, the Absolute is one without a second. Because everything emanates from Him, He is prior to everything. He exists in infinity and eternity beyond the limiting constraints of matter, space and time. Although some people may claim to be God or an incarnation of God, they cannot illustrate their being the creator, maintainer and destroyer of everything. Because the living entities are parts and parcels of God and are manifested as one of His special energiesÑthe ta asthÄ 1/2akti, or marginal potencyÑthey automatically exhibit some of GodÕs characteristics, such as existence, consciousness, and bliss. However, since He is the Complet Whole, the Absolute possesses certain qualities and attributes which the living entities do not, such as being the creator, maintainer and destroyer of everything. The world is not existing by the forces of chance or by some unknown accident. The world has a specific cause who is God. By establishing Him as the source of the material existence, the VedÄnta-sŸtra isolates Him from all other entities. He is always to be considered greater than all others. This is in consonance with the word Brahman, meaning Òthe Greatest.Ó The most significant thing about this sŸtra is that it establishes from the very outset that the VedÄnta-sŸtra proposes that God is the Supreme Person and not an impersonal Absolute. This is obvious by the fact that He is designated as the creator, maintainer and destroyer of the world. There is no possibility of a creation without an intelligence to plan it, and a creation cannot reach completion unless there is an intelligence to control the process. There is meaning, purpose and order to the universe. Each things obeys certain laws applicable to itself and does not ever sudenly follow those laws not applicable to it. Therefore, we must assume that there is an intelligence great enough to have brought the creation to its present stage. Intelligence is not some vague impersonal thing floating around in the upper stratusphere like a trace element or a cloud. Intelligence is the symptom of a personality. By this sŸtra, thererfore, VyÄsadeva wishes to make us understand that the Absolute about whome everyone should know is not something material or impersonal but the Supreme Personality of Godhead. There is nothing and no one greater than Him because He is the origin of everything. He controls everything and He destroys everything. An impersonal Absolute cannot create, maintain or annihilate because it is impersonal. An impersonal cannot manifest personal activities because, by definition, there is no scope for such activities in it. Therefore, the Brahman who is the topic of this VedÄnta-sŸtra, is not an impersonal Absolute but the Supreme Personality of Godhead whom the Bhagavad-g"tÄ calles K¨§ºa, the All-attractive One. sütra 1.1.3 1/2Ästra-yonitvÄt 1/2ÄstraÑscripture; yonitvÄtÑbecause of being the source [of information about God]. translation The scriptures are the source of information about the Supreme Lord. PURPORT The Vedic literatures are not the fanciful creation of human genius. They are called üruti, or revelation, because they are revealed by God. The Supreme Personality of Godhead is, by nature, transcendental. The living entitiesÕ span of sense perception is limited by distance and is prone to error, and the mind has to function on the basis of these imperfect senses. Therefore, the living entities are incapable of realizing God, the All-perfect, through their senses. We are finite specks and the Supreme Absolute Personality of Godhead is infinite. Hence, the proposal to realize God through oneÕs own senses is ludicrous. Being aware of our shortcomings, the Lord has revealed information about Himself in the text of the Vedas. The Vedas constitute a perfect source of knowledge about God. They are apauru§eya, free from all human defect. Someone may try to mentally speculate about God, but since He has already given information about Himself in the scriptures, why not accept that? As long as the soul is conditioned by the material body and mind, the only way he can get perfect knowledge about God is through the revealed scriptures. Any other means is sure to be imperfect. SüTRA 1.1.4 tat tu samanvayÄt tatÑthat [the fact that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the chief topic of the Vedas ]; tuÑhowever; samanvayÄtÑbecause of concordance of texts. TRANSLATION The Vedas uniformly teach about the Supreme Personality of Godhead because of the universal agreement of all texts on this issue. PURPORT There are two sections of the Vedas: karma-kĺ¶a and j-Äna-kĺ¶a. Although the j-Äna-kĺ¶a directly teaches knowledge about the Absolute, the karma-kĺ¶a deals more specifically with the details of rituals for the fulfillment of material desires. Thus, one can easily doubt whether the scriptures really intend to teach about God or whether they may deal with other things which they consider equally as important. Samanvaya means the correct determination of a passage by examing its context and by discussing its pros and cons. By doing this, one arrives at the proper sense of a passage. This is what is meant by concordance or agreement of texts as mentioned in the present sŸtra. That all the Vedas teach about the Supreme Personality of Godhead is also corroborated by the Vedic literatures: yo Õsau sarvair vedair g"yate ÒHe is glorified by all the Vedas.Ó (GopÄla-tÄpan" Upani§ad ) sarve vedÄ yat padam Ämananti tapĵsi sarvĺi ca yad vadanti yad icchanto brahmacÄryaµ caranti tat te padaµ sa›grahena brav"mi ÒThat word which all the Vedas declare and which all austerities proclaim, which men desire when they practice celibacy, that word I shall briefly declare.Ó (Ka ha Upani§ad 2.15 ) taµ tv aupani§adaµ puru§aµ p¨cchÄmi ÒI am asking about that Person who is taught in the Upani§ads. Ó (B¨had-Äraºyaka Upani§ad 3.9.26) vedai1/2 ca sarvair aham eva vedyo vedÄnta-k¨d veda-vid eva cÄham ÒThrough all the Vedas I am what is to be known. Indeed, I am the compiler of the VedÄnta and the knower of the Vedas.Ó (Bhagavad-g"tÄ 15.15) kiµ vidhatte kim Äcaste kim anudya vikalpayet ity asyÄ h¨dayaµ loke nÄnyo mad veda ka1/2cana mÄm vidhatte Õbhidhatte mĵ vikalpyÄpohyate hy aham etÄvÄn sarva-vedÄrthaú 1/2abda ÄsthÄya mĵ bhidÄm mÄyÄ-mÄtram anudyante prati§idhya pras"dati ÒWhat is the instruction of the Vedas? On what do they focus? Wh...
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