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XXVI] Interpretation of Brahma-sūtra 1. 1. 1 103 transitory, is wholly unattached to it, is in the first stage of fitness?. Again, the performance of the Vedic observances can entitle us only to the inferior grace of the Lord, listening to the scriptural texts to a little higher degree of grace; but the highest grace of the Lord, leading to mukti, can be secured only through knowledge%. Right knowledge can be secured only through listening to scriptural texts (śravana), reflection (manana), meditation (nididhyāsana) and devotion (bhakti); no one acquires right knowledge without these. The word “Brahman", Madhva holds, means the great Lord Vişnu. One of the most important points which Madhva wishes to emphasize against Sankara in regard to the first sūtra, as he brings out clearly in his Nyāya-vivarana, consists in his belief that even the root meaning of Brahman means "the great" or "endowed with all qualities of perfection", and hence it cannot be identified with the imperfect individual souls, since we know from the Upanişads that the world sprang forth from it. Our object in getting ourselves employed in Brahma-enquiry is the attainment of knowledge of Vişnu as the all-perfect One, from whom we imperfect beings are in a sense so different; Lord Vişnu will be pleased by this our knowledge of Him, and He will release us from our bondage. In the Anuvyākhyāna Madhva tries to emphasize the fact that our bondage is real, and that the release is also real, as effected by the grace of the Lord Vişnu. Madhva argues that, if sorrow, pain, etc.—all that constitutes bondage-were false and unreal, there would be some proof (pramāņa) by which this is established. If such a proof exists, the system naturally becomes dualistic. The form-less and differenceless Brahman (according to Sankara's view) cannot itself participate in any demonstration of proof. Also the falsehood of the worldappearance cannot be defined as that which is contradicted by knowledge (jñāna-bādhyatva); for, if the concept of Brahman is pure and differenceless intelligence, it cannot involve within it the notion that it is different from the world-appearance (anyathātva) or that it negates it, which is necessary if the Brahma-knowledge is said to
1 Ibid.
karmaṇātrādhamah proktaḥ prasādaḥ śravaņādibhir madhyamo jñāna-sampattyā
prasādas tüttamo matah. Ibid. 3 Brahma-sabdena pūrņa-gunatuoktenānubhava-siddhalpaguno jīvābhedah.
Nyāya-vivarana of Madhva, 1. 1. I.
