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ffi

of $hankaracharya
Translated by
SWAMI GAMBHIRANANDA

r.

IIRAH\IA - S0TRA

iii.3+l

BI{ASYA

22e

at gradual emancipation' Il)entioned in the Vedas' llecome logical from this smnclgrint'
'f'oPtc 9: Psrtrrx>Sunnr

{rRq a-{il(?*tgTl(qwrun( ffq* ft tttvtt


qw -fo hirn occurred 1p' grief 66-qqeK-srEullq on helring
his disparagement

ing hinr f6

for

oq-errrioiq

as

is evident frorn his approach-

q"sqfr this is hinted at'

grief on hearing bis


(;.c. sw*n's) ai:pqySlf"'rlrr?,1,11#] '.' is eddent froru his
hrrn (Rlikta), f or tbis is hinted t
(!rindtrttti's) appr
(by Raikva by ztsinq the t;ord Sndra)'
31.

7'o ltiru (i.c.

J,1nafi;tqti),--o9-glyrett

rnr.v bc argrred that, cven xs anY hard and fast rule about
the cornpreten.J nf men alone is clenied and the corr:iretence of

It

goA; as rvell {or cliflerent hinds of knowledge is upheld'


sirnillrty i-ry den.ving anY rriolloool.r' of qualificdtion by the three
classes irf if",. ,rvi..-lro.n nkrne, thc Sfldras also mav be acccpted
:rs <1treli6ec1. In or.cler to remove such an asslllnption is bcgun
thc present toPic.
O'pp,ortent: Nolv then, thc appare nt conclusion is tlut a
srlrlra also is qr]rrlified, for he can have ther aspiratjon and allilit.v.
And unlike the prohihirion, "T'herefore the sudre is unfit for
prohibition
ilcrfoffiirrg sacrifices" ('I'ai' S, \rII. i' I '6), no E'err the
with'
rnct
is
.f
illuminatir:n
,re,riust irii' acquisiti.u
rlisr}rrlification for sacrificcs thill arises for the Shdra from the
f,,ci of l.ris nrir heirrq q*rlificd f.r 1igirting a sacrificiai fire, is-no
rirlrr of his heing iicliarrecl from knowleclge. Iior it is nottl fxct
rlirt a rtln u'ho lrts no fire-:AhavanTya and the rest--cnnnot
,tt.rirrire linor,vlerlge. fuforcover, thcre is an indicarort- sign contirririnq the Sflctrti's colnpctence. In the scction dealing r''r'ith the
lirrrrr'l-cclg,c of stnn,atrga l,n.rg.r of all thilgs), Jlnr6ruti, grand.ort of Prrtr',r alrd ln aspirant of krrorvledge, is referred to by
rlrt;.lvtird sridra: ,,Fie,0 sqdra, keep to yoursclf tlre'ciurriot
.rrrrl thc necklacc. together u'ith the cov's" (Ch' IV' ii' 3)' And
irr rlre sil:ftis arfl rnclltiol]ecl vidura and others as born in the

ifr.

xa

BRAHMA-S0Tn*q.-BHA$YA

IL iii.

34

Sftdra caste trut endowed with special knowledge. Hence S[dras


have compctence for different kinds of knowledge.

Yedtutin: Faced with this, we say: The Sudra has no


competence, since he cannot study the Vedas; for one becomes
competenr for things spoken of in the Vertras, after one has
scudied the Vedas and known these things from tl'rem. But
there can be no reading of the Vedas by a Sudra, for Vedic
study presupposes the investiture with the sacred thread, which
ceremony is confined ro the three castes. As for aspiration, it

cannot quaiify anyone uniess one has the abiliry. [{ere ability in
the ordinary sense also cannot qualify anyone; for scriptural
ability is needed in a scriptural matter. But riris scriptural ability
is denied by the prohibition of the right to study. As for the
text, "The Srldra is unfit for performing a sacrifice" (Tai' SVII. i. f3)l since it is based on a logic having conrmon application, it suggests thet the Sfrdra has no right to knowledge as
well, for the logic applies both ways' And what yol take for
an indicatory mark occurring in the section dealing with the
knowledge about merger, that is no mark at all, for there is no
logic behind it. An indicatory mark becomes suggestive when
stated logically; but that logic is lacking here' Granted even
that tl'ris mark qualifies the Sudra for the smrrumga-uidya (meditation on rnerger) alone, because it occurs there, still it cannot
qualify him for all kinds of knowledge. The fact, however, is

that this word Sfldra cannof guarantgc*o[rjs tpmpetence.an]r+'here, because it occurs in a cgyglg31ive st)tement (4rtlt.vfrda). On the contrary, this u'ord Sadia c"n be construed with
some one already having the competence.

Howi
The answer is: On hearing this utterance of the swan, "Hullo'
who is this one, insignificant as he is, of whom you speak as
though he were like Railrva of the chariot?" (Ch' IV' i' 3)'
whici was a personal disparagemeot for him, Jina6ruti, grandson
of Putra, *"s *tr,rck u'ith grief (iilk). Raikva hinted at this
grief by using the word Stdra, thereby revealing his own P-oler
of television. This is what we can understand. tgr*a--hq!-Sg4la
has no right to knowledge'

I. iii. r5l

llorv,

attairr,

2]I
BRAHMA - SOTRA . BT{A$YA
he ur;ts
is it suggestetl hy t]re r'vord Sudra th:rt

strrck $.ith grief?


the lrrord Sirdrn
J'he ansrarer is: "Tat'ddratw?'"71"' Bscause
approached
(Raikva)
up ti-,o, io mean' tl-rat he
crrn tre split
'{ubltiindrava) thrt (tsr) grtef (''xrcarru); ot . he n'ts
;;;,;.;Jr
(abhidtr.dnn's) by'that (rat) s()rro\'r"' (tuca); or he
",-,rrrorclred
sorrnrv
to it''oi (rar) Rrikve' because
'i,;;;;;.
bectuse
accepted
he
ana ti,;, deiivative mcaning h.s to
t]ris mianrhe conventionai meaning is inarlmissiirle. Nloreover,
ing is cltrvic,us from tlre storf itself'

;ilffi"i;; iiiir*,)

elM'afrfrqe

'f

ffiq

ffrfl{ ttlr'tt

q Ancl gTkS-Tra: owing to his Kgatrivahood being knorvn


mengnla later on fu{K from the indicatory mark izq'}{ of

rion along rvith a descendant of Citrarathr'


tl"e
K5atriyahood is kno'urt later ott from
jl. Artd becail'se bis-his'
of
a
descend'rnt
meition aktng -*^ith
indicatorv wrtrk of
{)itraratba.

a Sttclra by birth'' for


For this firrther retson Jina6ruti is .not
;f ?" toiric it trunspires, Il"t" h:-::,-.*
from a considerario"n"
his suggestrve
iitrit,r-, *iti.il fact becomes obvious from
Abhiprateri"::':"
Ksatrivt.
the
mr:ntion later on ,1;;g';;;-t
portion of
line of Cimaratha' L'I"' on in the cornplernentary
tlrcsectitrnontheknorvledgeaboutthemerger(Smnro.orgl.
is mentioned as a
.,,ayij Afnipratirin oi tf'" Hie of Citrsrrrtha
hcgged of Sauuak'r of
Ksrtriy'.r in, "Now tftt"l t Bralrrnrcirin
of Krksrsena' rvlien
tirc line of Kapi, *a e"Uniptatarin'- son
cook" (Ch' IV' iii' 5)' I'hat
rhe-r. rvere t.ing ,t*ta t'y it"t"
i1''" lint of Citraretha is to be urrder,\trhiprr,rtirin U.fo"gtd
"'
of the line of
stood from nt *"o"i"ion with a descendlnt
of Ciraratha u'ith
K-rpi; for ,t-,. ,,'utl'ii'ur'- of tn" descendenr
...I.he KSpeyas, rnlde
tlrlt r:f Kapi is knou,,tt from tlre text,
" (T atl d y a B r al:n nry it'
( li t rr rrrthe perf orm'rltis 1D"- A' atrrr sacrifi ce )
lineage generally have
XX. xii.5). F'or the people of the.stmc
it is known that he
tlrc priests nf * to*'ilun at"t"'' Besiclcs'
him issued one named
u',ts rl Kglt'iy'o f'o* the text' "Fronl

BRATII{A . SCTRA . BHASYA

212

tI. iii.

lt

Citrarathi who rvas a Kqatriya king", rvhere u'e find him to


be a Kqatriya king. Accordinglv, thc mcntion of Jana5ruti along
u.ith the Kgatriya Abhipratiriir, in tl're contcxt of the sarne kintl
of iinowledge, suggests that rhe former is a Kgatriva; for equals
are generllly found to be rrrentioned toqether. l\{oreover, Jinafuuti is knorvn ro be a Kgatriya from thc fact of his dcspatcl'ring
a l{gatg;;o and his posscssion of riches. I':Ience a born Stdra hrrs
"
no right to

knowlcrlgc.

q(firir(tq{ttfiaflElftr$iq1:l

II

-T.-;
1

;,

q tI

sffirt-q<tmrt( On account of the mention of purifictltor}'


rites q an I q-srxr*-arftrorq1-tr Lleclaration of the absence of
these.

Because 'purificotory rites rrre ??tentiottLl


tbsenctt rrf these is declmed (for tl:e S'ndru).

i6.

(for

others) arid

lior the rrdditiona] reason that, in the c()nte xts u,here knoq. lis spohen of, such actions for acquiring thc right to
knor.vledge rre declared as inr.cstiture with thc sacred thread
etc.,51 fr:r instance, "FIim he vested r.r,itir the sacred thrcaci"
(S. B. XI. v.3.13), "Uttcring the sacred formula,'Teach me
venerable sir', he aporoached" (Ch. \''lI. i. 1), "'I'her., l'lro
rvere adeDts in the tv'edas, adhr:recl to rhe qualified Srahman,
but rverc intent on an inqr,rry about tire supreme l3r'llrman,
lvent to thc venerable Pippalad:: *,ith -qircrificial flegor in hand,
under the belicf, 'This one rvill certainli' rell us lhortr lt' "
(Pr. I. l). And thc text, "Even rvithout initirting therr" (Cl'r.
\'r. xi. 7), only sholr.,s that those (rvho u.erc escrnrptetl fr<;nr
initiation) had it rlre'ldv. 'I'hc rrhsence rif purificrrtorl, ritcs for
the Sudra is menrionecl in thc Sn.rrri rhus: "-I'he Sudra beiong:;
to the fourrh caste and hrs trur a single birth" (.![anu. X. -t),
as also in such texts as, "'I'lrc Sr.rdr;r h'ls no sins, nor is he fit fr.ir'
any purilicatorv rite" (l{anu, X. 126).

edge

t{}ne born of a rrixed parent'rgc-frorr r Sirrlra frrthe:: aucl Ks:ttrii,a


mot$rr or of a slave wrxnan-rvhrxe durl'\\'as to tlrive chariots, r,r'ait
on princes, and so

on.

"'Etc,-study, service of the teacher, and so on.

iii.

38

BHASYA
\
il{r{rEI{qRq q ,r{fl: lli\ell
BRAHI,IA. SCTRA.

?1]

Moreovet s1f,t: on account r-rf inclirtation having arisen


tr{-stqlq-ftqfpi when the absence of that hatl becn ascertaincd'
37. A'nd ltecayse (Gazttttna's) ittclination a'rosr:

(to ittitistt: ttttd

instruct Satyirkauta) rr;l:ett tbe ablcttcc rt'f that (Stulrahood) had


been sscertsittetl.

Here is an tdditionll t:eason rvh"v a Sodr',r hrrs no rigtrt. Wiren


olving to tl're utterlncc of trurh (b1' S:t1'rrltanra Jabila), the
abse nce of Shdr';rirood had bee n cstalllishcd, thcn Glutama
proceedcd to initiirtc aucl instrttct (Satyakam:r) Jirbrrla, rvhich
fact is gathered flont an indicltorl'' sign in thc Upanisad, "Nq
non-Brdhnraea can d$S,tiL+g1.-$ff,c-h ,a !r:qih. O trniitbie one,
#jng saciifi-ci;1-f,goi, I shrrll initiate -r'ou bccruse 1'ou did r:ot
ciepart from ttnth" (Ch. IV. ir.'. 5).

,4quipry1q{sfh&sq r{frar I llcl

q Ancl qqq-qsqqq-ert-rflmQurq

hearing, stud.v, ncquisition of


nreaning arc prohibitecl q1t: accordinq to Srnlti.
38.,4nt1 bectnrse the Strtrti prcl:ibits for tl:c Sudra thc hcuring,
of tl:c rrreaning (of tbc Vcdts).

study, anrl acquisitio'n

-flris is anothcf rcason rr'1rl' thc Sirdrl has no riqlrt: B,v the
Snrlti hc is dcbarrcd from heitling, stilclling, lnd acquiring tlie
nrcening of thc Ycclns. The Slrtrti l]tent;olls thar ,r Suclia Ltas nt-t
right to hear tire Vcclas, no riglit trt strtdv thc \icci;rs, aird no
light to acqrtile tttc ntc:tnius of the Vciirs (lncl perforrn the
rircs). As for prohitrition of hc,rring, l1'er hnvc tl'lc text, "'flten
slroulcl lrc happen tei }tcal thc \icclirs, ttre cxpirrion crlnsists in
lris cars being fillcd r.r.itir learl attcl Iac"r:i, and "I{c u''ho is a
$tr.lr,r is n v'nlking crcrltltorirlm. I-Ience onc -.helttld not rcad in
rhc neighbour-hoocl of rr Sltdra";:lr. {i16n1 rhi:; foliorvs tiie prohibiti,m ltrorrt study". FIow can onc srudl'the \/eclas lvhcn tircl' are
l'r()[ to bc r:ccitcd'uvithil liis hcaring! T]ren thcrc is t]re chopping
'rGru. I)h. sa., XIL

t'3

V:isistht,

18

2;+

BRATITIA.SOTRA.BHASY,\

lI. iii.

38

off of his tongue if he should utter rhe \redas. lnd tl.rc cutting
rif tlrc lrody to picces if he should comurir it tr; merror1,5{. From
this ir follou,s b;, implicetion thrrt the acquisirion of merning
and actiirg on it are also prohibircd, as is stntetl in, "\'edic
knou.ledgc is not to be imparted to a Sudm"5r, and "Stucly,
slcrificc, and distribution of gifts are for the rwicc-born"56. But

s,t

e clge dnu' n
? rqlllqji .Lgstd)
-!:ltg,ll_l _!Ig-yl
qqqllired
,f 9.prsr livcs, Cs for insranc.e to Vidura,
l)harmavynChl, and others. the reaping of the resulr of knowl-

fry11--tb-,rr"-,!o

tendenr:ie_:;

edgc cnnnor be rvirhlreld, for thc result of

knowle

dge

is

inevitable. 1"his position is confirmed b1, the Smrti texr, "One


should rcad out to tlre four castes (l<eeoing the Brihmana in
front )";;, l hicli dcclarcs rhc -c'orrrpcrpncp for.lll rhc-fpur castcs

for thc rctluisirirn of rlre ,n#ii.ffifll/edIItr,,LgS[i But rtre


conclusion itands that a Suair hlx no right ,,,

Lrgft@gs t[r.sugh

the Vedas.

l-oprc 10: Vrsmrrox


s'cqflq illqil

19. (Prarlu is Brahuz;rtt) because

-I'he

of (the tilittioit

side issue about compctcnce

) ,-ilrtt:irs;r,
is concluiled. Not' \\'c revert
r.tf

to the discussion of the mernings of texts we \\"cre eng:rrcd in.


81- follou'ing tllc root meaning of the verh ejr u,,hich is "to
vitrrate" (to move), this aohorism rcfers to the te-rt, "..\ll this
ruivcrse thrt thcrc is, ernerges and vibrates because there is
Praila that is a greet terror lilie an r"rplifterl thnnder. Those rvho
knorv this bccome inrmorrrl" (Kr. II. iii.2). In this senrence
rve herr of thc u.hole c:rcarion pulslring oo Priltu as irs supporr"
and of solne grcirt sourcc of ferr thtt is irnminent and is mentioned b1' the u,ord thuirdetl rrs also of the attainment of immor.
tality from thar knorvledge.
{)pponent: Norv in this conrexr, a deliberation is bourrd to
arise, since it is nor clelr as to rvhat thtr Prdna is and rvhat thrt
u'Gau. I)h. Si., XIl. +
'" Geu, I)h. sii., IX. 1

" [Ianu, IV.


"'nlbh.

B0

5a.,327. +9

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