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Documente Profesional
Documente Cultură
of $hankaracharya
Translated by
SWAMI GAMBHIRANANDA
r.
IIRAH\IA - S0TRA
iii.3+l
BI{ASYA
22e
at gradual emancipation' Il)entioned in the Vedas' llecome logical from this smnclgrint'
'f'oPtc 9: Psrtrrx>Sunnr
ing hinr f6
for
oq-errrioiq
as
J,1nafi;tqti),--o9-glyrett
rnr.v bc argrred that, cven xs anY hard and fast rule about
the cornpreten.J nf men alone is clenied and the corr:iretence of
It
ifr.
xa
BRAHMA-S0Tn*q.-BHA$YA
IL iii.
34
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$YA
he ur;ts
is it suggestetl hy t]re r'vord Sudra th:rt
;ilffi"i;; iiiir*,)
elM'afrfrqe
'f
ffiq
ffrfl{ ttlr'tt
212
tI. iii.
lt
knowlcrlgc.
q(firir(tq{ttfiaflElftr$iq1:l
II
-T.-;
1
;,
q tI
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
on.
iii.
38
BHASYA
\
il{r{rEI{qRq q ,r{fl: lli\ell
BRAHI,IA. SCTRA.
?1]
q Ancl qqq-qsqqq-ert-rflmQurq
-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_:;
knowle
dge
is
Lrgft@gs t[r.sugh
the Vedas.
-I'he
of (the tilittioit
) ,-ilrtt:irs;r,
is concluiled. Not' \\'c revert
r.tf
B0
5a.,327. +9