[Advaita-l] [advaitin] Seeking clarification on Bri. Up. Mantra 1-4-2

[subhanu]

Sri Sadananda wrote "Anyway since the issue remains unless I take it that he has no full knowledge of the abosolute, I will stop with this".
Namaste to all

Though it has mostly been covered, I thought I would add a
few points to Sri Sadananda’s query re BUB 1.4.2:

 

1)     
Sri Chandramouli has correctly given BUBV
1.4.103 as the response to the query. When discussing the prārabdha of a jñāni
one would find it useful to keep the maxim from tattvabodha top of mind: prārabdha-karmaṇām
bhogādeva kṣayah


2)     
In BUBV 1.4.57 Suresvara states that the main
purpose is just an illustration (pratipatti) to show that only true knowledge
of Brahman brings true fulfilment [ityetat pratipattyartham virādsthānasya
kutsanam]. As such, the question of why or how Viraj became a jñānῑ should not
be brought into this discussion.


3)     
In this context the seeming presence (note the
word seeming-see below), of prārabdha is tied to their remaining duties to be
exhausted. These are carried out out of compassion and for the benefit of
mankind. In commenting on BUBV 1.4.103, Anandagiri explains that the great
rishi’s such as Vasishtha and Vamadeva, though jnānῑ’s, continued until their
duties to mankind were fulfilled: vasishtha-vāmadevādῑnām utpanna-samyajjñānānām
api svādhikāra samāptir paryantam. As such they may then be seen to go throught
the emotions of anger, fear etc though this is not really the case.The footnote
makes it even clearer: “yāvadadhikāram avasthitir adhikāriṇām“ adhikāriṇām
jagatah paripālane niyuktānām virād-puruṣa-sūryachandrendra-vasishthādῑnām
adhikārasamāptir paryantam avasthitih abhyupagantavyā (this last word is
important-it qualifies that this is how we should take it for the purpose of
the teaching)


4)     
Swami Vidyaranya brihadāranyaka vārtikāsāra
1.4.62-66 provides the above in a little more detail. I can provide you the
full verses if you like , but I will just quote “virājo’dhikritih sriṣṭau vyāsādeh
shāstranirmitau”


5)     
For completeness I mention that the Sanskrit
commentary on brihadāranyaka vārtikāsāra, the laghusangraha, states when
commenting on the above verse “adhikārah prāabdham karma”- the seeming prārabdha
of the jñānῑ is interwoven with their duties to the world.


For those wishing to understand Suresvara’s position on
Jivanmukta you can consult BUBV 1.4.1528-1557 where this is discussed in
detail. One should always remember that the discussion of jivanmukta and the
karma etc of the jñānῑ is adhyāropa from the ignorant bystander’s standpoint
(cf Talks with Sri Ramana Maharshi 383 “In fact his karma is seen only from the
ajnānῑ’s standpoint”. The apavāda by Suresvara appears later in BUBV also.


I hope the above is useful. Sri Sadananda, I would always
recommend that, whenever one is studying, or wishes to teach a passage of the
BUB or TUB, then it is indispensable to present the vārtikā verses alongside
the bhashyam. Should you at any time require such references then please feel
free to reach out privately to me and I will do my best to provide.


Regards

Subhanu