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XXVI] Important topics of the Brahma-sūtras 131
On the seventh topic (sūtras 20, 21) Sankara discusses the meaning of a passage (Chāndogya, 1. 6. 6, 7, 8), and comes to the conclusion that the person referred to as being in the orb of the sun and the eye is supreme Brahman. But Madhva refers to a quite different passage and quite a different relation of contexts; and he holds that the indwelling person referred to in that passage is Nārāyaṇa, the supreme lord'. On the eighth topic (sūtra 22) Sankara discusses Chāndogya, 1. 9. 1, and concludes that the word ākāśa there does not mean elemental ākāśa, but supreme Brahman. Madhva also takes the same passage as being indicated by the sūtra and comes to the same conclusion; but with him supreme Brahman always means Visņu. On the ninth topic (sūtra 23) Sankara discusses Chāndogya, 1. 11. 4, 5, and concludes that the word prāna there is used to denote Brahman and not the ordinary prāna, which is a modification of vāyu. Madhva, however, comes to the same conclusion with reference to the use of the word prāņa in another passage of the Taittirīya Aranyakaļ. On the tenth topic (sūtras 24-27) Sankara discusses Chāndogya, III. 13. 7, and concludes that the word jyotiḥ there means Brahman and not ordinary light. Madhva does not discuss this topic in the Anuvyākhyāna; in his Bhāsya he comes to the same conclusion, but with reference to a quite different text. The 25th sūtra, which according to Sankara belongs to the tenth topic, is considered by Madhva as forming a separate topic, where the word chandas, meaning gāyattrī (Chândogya, III. 12. 1, gāyattrī vā idam sarvam bhūtam, "gāyattri is all this "), means Vişņu and not the metre of that name or the combination of letters forming that metre. The next and last topic of the first chapter of the first book (sūtras 28-31) is explained by Sankara as referring to the Kauśītaki passage III. 1. 2, 3, where the word prāna is said by him to refer to Brahman, and not to any air current. Madhva, however, takes this topic in reference to a
nature) that these have been so interpreted by Sankara, who had no previous teachers who knew the Vedas to guide him (tato vyakula-buddhayo gurusampradāya-vikalā aśruta-veda-vyākhyātāraḥ sarvatrāpi veda-rūpatām anusandadhānā vedam chindanti). Nyāya-sudhā, p. 124.
1 According to Madhva doubt occurs in regard to the following passage of the Taittiriya, whether the word antah-pravişta in it refers to the supreme self or to some other being: antah-pravistam kartāram etam antaś candramasi manasā carantam sahaira santam na vijānanti devāh. Taittirīya Aranyaka, 11. 11. 5.
2 tad tai tvam prāņo' bhatah; mahān bhagati; prajāpateh; bhujah karisyamāṇaḥ; yaddevān prānayanneveti. Ibid.
the Taittirīya, Weing: antah-praananti devāh. Ta
