Sambodhi 1981 Vol 10

SR No.: 520760
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Dalsukh Malvania, H C Bhayani, Nagin J Shah
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad
Publication Year: 1981
Total Pages: 340
Language: English, Sanskrit, Prakrit, Gujarati
Classification: Magazine, India_Sambodhi, & India
File Size: 8 MB

Page 44

THE TREATMENT OF THE PAŃCĀGNI-VIDYĀ IN THE
BRAHMA-SŪTRAS III. i.*
N. M. Kansara The first pāda of the third adhyāya of the Brahmasūtras of Bădarāyana is devoted to the discussion of the texts treating the topic of the transmigration of the individual soul after the death of the present body and before the birth of the next one assigned to him. As has been noted by Dr. Ghate, the sūtrakara now proceeds to enquire, in the third and the fourth adhyāyas respectively, into the nature of the means of attaining the Brahman and the nature of that attainment; and first, in the first pāda of the third adhyāya, he goes on to describe the imperfections of the individual soul and its course from one birth to another, with a view to produce vairāgya or aversion to worldly pleasures, a most necessary antecedent condition without which one cannot even so much as epter upon the path to moksa or final beatitude.1 Almost all the commentators of the Brahmasutras, except Vallabhācārya, are agreed on this point.
Almost all the commentators of the Brahmas ütras, except Madhvācārya, are agreed that there are in all twenty-seven sūtras in the pāda; according to Madhvācārya the total number of the sūtras in the pāda is twenty-nine, since he splits up the eighth sūtra into two and adds one more of his own after the twenty-first. These sūtras are divided into six adhikaranas by Sankara, Bhaskara, Rāmānuja, Śrīkantha, Sripati and Vijñānabhiksu, while Nimbārka arranges them into four adhikarañas, and Vallabha into seven ones.
The Upanişadic texts referred to by the commentators adhikarana-wise are generally the following : Adhi. I- Chhāod. Up. V.iii.3; V. iv 2; V.ix.1: V.x.3-4, Brbad. Up. I.iv.10; III.ii.13; IV.iv. 2. Adhi, II - Chhānd. Up.V.x. 5: V.x.7. Adhi. III - Kauşi. Up. 1.2; Kath. Up. II.6; Chband. Up. V.x.8; V.j.3: VI.iii.1. Adhi. IV - Chbänd. V.x.5. Adhi. V - Chhānd. V.x.6 And Adhi. VI - Chband. Up. V.x.6-7. These texts treat what is popularly known as the Pancāgnividyā in the Upanişads.
As to the purpose of the third adhyāya of the Brahmasūtras, that it is exclusively devoted to the topics concerning the means (sādhapas) for the realisation of the Bsabwas, all the commentators are generally agreed. So also are almost all the commentators, except Vallabha, agreed on the point
• The paper accepted by the A.I.Q.C. XXXth Session, Shantiniketan, 1980,