25

with this topic. Once samanvaya is established, the second

task is to explain the advaitasiddhanta from a broader
perspective having regard to the other views on reality.2)
Avirodha Adhyaya
: Avirodha is translated as non-contradiction. In the first
chapter it isestablished that Brahma vidya is the topic of
Upanishads. In the second chapter he establishesthat Brahman
is free from contradictions. Contradiction is a defect in
teaching. He shows theteaching is defect free. Contradiction is
with what? There are three types of contradiction herefutes.
1)
Internal contradiction within the Veda itself. Paraspara
virodha is not there. Thatmeans the Vedic statements do not
contradict one another. They are not mutually contradictoryor
nullifying. Sruti virodha or sruteh paraspara virodha is not
there.
2)
Second contradiction iswith smriti. There are many smritis
like Gita, Manu, Mahabharata etc. There is no
contradictionwith them also.
3)
The contradiction between sruti and logic. It is not logically
contradictory. It isnot illogical. In this second chapter alone
Vyasa takes up all other nastika darsanams also
likeBhuddhism and jainism and other systems of philosophy
also like Nyaya and Vaiseshika whichheavily depend on
logic. So Brahma vidya is free from logical contradictions. On
the other handall other darsanas are full of logical
contradictions. These contradictions are shown in thatchapter.
Second chapter is heaviest portion.Thus the second chapter is
devoted to dismissing other doctrines again only to establish
thesamanvaya and show absence of any virodha.. Since Vedanta is a
treatise on moksha, the meansand nature of moksha require
consideration in line with the Vedanta. So3)
Sadhana Adhyaya
: The chapter discusses the means for moksha. Sadhana means
preparatorydisciplines required for gaining Brahma vidya. All
types of sadhanas are discussed here. Thosewhich are directly
connected with knowledge and those sadhanas which are
indirectly connectedlike karma etc. Rituals do not directly
give rise to knowledge. They are considered to beimportant as
they indirectly help by refining the mind. The importance of
upasanas and valuesare also discussed. In fact everything
connected with religion is useful. may be remotelyconnected,
but connected.
Phala Adhyaya
: It is the smallest adhyaya. The fourth chapter discusses the
result or fruits ofthe Brahma vidya. It is moksha. There are two
types of moksha discussed
1)

Krama
Mukti
2)

Sadyo
mukti.
Adhikaranam
(Called Topics chosen from Upansihads, especially ten. The
four topics alone aredivided into many topics.)Bharati Tirtha
one great acharya has done a beautiful work in verse form
called AdhikaranaRatnamala which summarises these 191 topics.
For each topic he has two verses and covers allthe topics. Vaiyasikya
Nyayamala also it is called. It deals with the reasoning given
byVyasacarya.The entire subject matter of the Brahma sutra is
divided into many topics for the purpose ofanalysis and each
topic is taken up for discussion in one section. Each section is
calledadhikaranam. There are 191 adhikaranas in the Brahma
sutras Since all the sutras are classifiedunder different
adhikaranas, we have to know what an adhikarana is.
26

In a text, an
adhikaraa
refers to the topics consisting of five elements: the subject
matter(wherein the Vedic
mantra
in question is presented); doubts (regarding the various
possiblemeanings of the
mantra
); an opponents interpretation (of the meaning, which is
logically
presented); an alternate viewpoint (which points out the
fallacies in the logic of the opponent);and ascertaining the
final meaning (of the
mantra
).

Adhikaranam

It should consist of five factors.Subject matter. It is dealing

with Brahman or karma or what? Then what is the doubt in
thatsubject matter. If no doubt we need not make an inquiry.
If you break the coconut you will gettwo portions. It has no
doubt. Word Brahman has what meaning? It has many meaning.
Brahmin,om, Brahman, Veda? Purva paksha. Uttaram or
Vedantic conclusions. You have to refute all ofthose views
logically and also showing our conclusion is free from logical
defect. So it is called Nyaya sastra. Sangati, the connection
between previous topic and the present topic.An Adhikarana
is that wich has the above five limbs. We can illustrate these
features as follows.Suppose there is a statement like Atma is
identical with Brahman is presented for discussion andanalysis.
The vishaya here is identity between atma and Brahman. There may
be a doubt withreference to this subject matter as to whether
atma is really identical to Brahman since ourexperience
proves different. So one may come up and say that Atma is
not identical to Brahmanas atma is subject to limitations and
death. This contention is called purvapaksha. The personwho
presented the subject called siddhanti refutes the objections
thereby Siddhanta stays. Sangatiis the connection between the
sutras, between topics, between chapters and between the text
andSruti. The various connections are as follows:With every
sangati you have to add sutranam sruteh saha, sutranam sastrena
saha, sutranamadhyayena saha etc.Sruti sangatih (The connection
between the sutras and the Sruti)Sariraka mimamsa sastram
enquires into Vedanta vakyas. So the vishaya of vicara is
Vedantasentences. These sentences depend on the sutras for
the ascertainment of their meaning. It doesnot mean that
without these sutras they can not be understood. But the
meaning cannot beascertained. That is, it is not possible to do
nirupanam of their meaning. For the nirupanam of theartha
one has to do vicara in line with the adhikarana angas and by
applying the shad lingas. Thusthe sutras do such analysis and
ascertain that this is the tatparya of such and such sruti
vakyas.
nxiC& l xh +
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Mi&* +j i- i n-
i&
i i i j& v*
j xh i&*
nxiCx i i *
(Those which need the artha nirnaya)

Sastra Sangatih - is the connection between the sutras and the

text in which they exist viz.Brhmasutra here.
 27
This sastram shows the method of enquiry into the nature of
Brahma svarupa with the help ofsruti sentences. The sutras
explain the nyayas that will ascertain the tatparya of
Upanishadvakyas and thus the nature of Brahman.
{C-ii{-xh E-
x SEii SiE
-
ji&*
Adhyaya Sangatih ( the connection between the sutras and the
chapter in which the sutraappears.)For example every sutra in
the first chapter analyses specific sruti vakyas with
proper yuktis andascertains that those vakyas have tatparya only in
revealing the identity of jiva and BrahmanSimilarly in the second
chapter it has been proved that there is no contradiction
between theVedanta vakyas and yukti. In the third chapter
sravana mananadi sadhana are established throughthe various
sutras in that chapter. In the last chapter there is an enqiury
into the nature of moksha.
+li VY <in&
j& nxi& {&
<i x|i{nxi *
Pada sangatih (Connection between the sutras anmd the padas
like sutras in the first pada of firstchapter and the first pada.)In
this pada those Vedanta sentences are taken for analysis
which clearly reveal Brahman. So allsutras are dealing with
spashta brahmalinga vakyas. This is the connection. Like
jagatkaranatvam cannot lie in jiva. It is a clear nature
of brahman. So srishti karana vakya is discussedin third sutra.

|l {n {
1
x Cx S i
i {ni&*
Adhikarana sangatiThis is the connection between the sutras
in a given adhikaranam and the relevatn adhikaranamor the
connection between one adhikaranam and the other. For first
adhikaranam there is nosangati of this type. So the entire
sastra is connected like a chain. The sangati can be in
the formof objection, (Akshepiki sangati), counter
example (pratyudaharana sangati), incidental(prasanga
sangatih) and so on.Sutra Sangati - is the connection between
two sutras.Thus anyone sutra is connected to the whole sastra
and the sruti. All the above five features of anahdikarana have
to be pointed out and maintained in every adhiakrana of the
Brahma sutra. Thereare more than one sutra in many
adhikaranas. and the sutras the constitute such adhikaranas
have been ascertained and grouped by commentators. Then w
e identify the purvapaksha sutras andsiddhanta sutras. Then
vishaya becomes clear. Generally if an adhikarana has more
than onesutra, the first sutra is the chief one and the others are
subordinate or guna.The first four sutras form first
four adhikaranams.
Catussutri
The first four sutras form first four adhikaranams. Together
they are well known as catussutri.They contain the essence of
the whole text. Sankara Bhashya on Brahma sutra called
Sutras
1

(Vn-Ei x x-
E
-
+x ii {i )