Brahma Sutras — Vyasa's 555-sutra Vedanta foundation

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Adhyaya 1 — Samanvaya (Harmony of Upanishads)

Pada 1 — Samanvaya · १.१ समन्वय

31 sutras

Theme — The harmony of all Upanishadic statements as teaching one Brahman. Establishes that Brahman is the central subject of the Upanishads.

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अथातो ब्रह्मजिज्ञासा॥

1.1.1

Now therefore, the inquiry into Brahman.

जन्माद्यस्य यतः॥

1.1.2

That (Brahman) from which the origin etc. (of the universe arises).

शास्त्रयोनित्वात्॥

1.1.3

Because (Brahman) is the source of the shastras.

तत्तु समन्वयात्॥

1.1.4

But (Brahman is the meaning of all Upanishads), because of the harmony.

Pada 2 — Anumana-prakaranam · १.२ अनुमान

32 sutras

Theme — Reconciling the various names + attributes used for Brahman in different Upanishads. Brahman as "Manomaya", "Ananda-maya", etc all refer to the same.

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सर्वत्र प्रसिद्धोपदेशात्॥

1.2.1

Everywhere (Brahman is taught), because of the well-known instruction.

अन्तर्यामी

1.2.12

The inner controller (= Brahman, per Brihadaranyaka 3.7).

Pada 3 — Antaryamy-adhikaranam · १.३ अन्तर्यामि

43 sutras

Theme — Brahman as the inner-controller of all beings. Brahman as the akshara, the supreme, the highest goal.

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द्युभ्वाद्यायतनं स्वशब्दात्॥

1.3.1

(Brahman is) the abode of heaven, earth, etc., because of the express statement.

Pada 4 — Anyaartha-adhikaranam · १.४ अन्यार्थ

28 sutras

Theme — Resolving apparent conflicts. Where Upanishadic texts seem to teach OTHER ultimate principles (like Pradhana in Sankhya), they actually teach Brahman.

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आनुमानिकमप्येकेषामिति चेन्न शरीररूपकविन्यस्तगृहीतेर्दर्शयति च॥

1.4.1

(Pradhana is) inferred by some, but no — what the Upanishads describe (in body-metaphor terms) is Brahman, as it shows.

Adhyaya 2 — Avirodha (Non-contradiction)

Pada 1 — Smriti-virodha · २.१ स्मृति विरोध

37 sutras

Theme — Refuting objections from Sankhya, Yoga, Vaisheshika, Bauddha, Jaina. The teaching of Brahman does not contradict the smritis.

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वैषम्यनैर्घृण्ये न सापेक्षत्वात्तथा हि दर्शयति॥

2.1.34

No partiality + no cruelty (in Brahman), because (the world's diversity) depends (on karma) — thus the shruti shows.

Pada 2 — Itara-mata-pratiksepa · २.२ इतर मत प्रतिक्षेप

45 sutras

Theme — Detailed refutation of other schools — Sankhya prakriti-doctrine, Vaisheshika atomic theory, Bauddha sunyavada, Bauddha vijnanavada, Jaina syadvada.

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रचनानुपपत्तेश्च नानुमानम्॥

2.2.1

(The Sankhya prakriti-theory is wrong) because (an unconscious prakriti) cannot construct (the orderly universe).

Pada 3 — Akashotpatti-pada · २.३ आकाशोत्पत्ति

53 sutras

Adhyaya 3 — Sadhana (Practice / Means)

Pada 1 — Tad-anugraha · ३.१ तदनुग्रह

27 sutras

Theme — The journey of the soul after death + return. Karma-bondage. The 5 fires (panchagni-vidya).

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तदन्तरप्रतिपत्तौ रंहति संपरिष्वक्तः प्रश्ननिरूपणाभ्याम्॥

3.1.1

In transitioning (to next body), it goes ensheathed (with subtle body) — by the question + answer (in Chandogya 5.3).

Pada 2 — Avastha-traya · ३.२ अवस्थात्रय

41 sutras

Theme — The 3 avasthas — jagrat, svapna, sushupti. The witness behind all three.

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सन्ध्ये सृष्टिराह हि॥

3.2.1

In the dream-state, creation (occurs by the jiva alone) — so the shruti says.

Pada 3 — Brahma-pratika-vidya · ३.३ ब्रह्मप्रतीक विद्या

66 sutras

Theme — The various Upanishadic vidyas (meditations) on Brahman through symbols — Pranava, Vaishvanara-Atman, Madhu-Vidya, Antaryami, etc. Are they the SAME meditation or different?

Adhyaya 4 — Phala (Result / Liberation)

Pada 1 — Avritti-pada · ४.१ आवृत्ति

19 sutras

Theme — The repetition of meditation. Continuous practice till the moment of death.

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आवृत्तिरसकृदुपदेशात्॥

4.1.1

Repetition (of meditation is necessary), because of the repeated instruction.

Pada 2 — Prarabdha-karma · ४.२ प्रारब्ध कर्म

21 sutras

Theme — The death of the jnani. The subtle body's dissolution. The path through the suryadwara (sun-door).

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वाङ्मनसि दर्शनात्॥

4.2.1

Speech (dissolves) into mind, because of the seen.

Pada 3 — Deva-yana · ४.३ देवयान

16 sutras

Theme — The path of the gods (deva-yana). The 30 stages (archi-marga) from death-moment to Brahmaloka. The kram-mukti (gradual liberation).

The 6 major commentaries (each founds a Vedanta school)

Adi Shankaracharya · आदि शङ्कराचार्य

~8th C

Advaita Vedanta

The supreme + most-cited Brahma-Sutra-Bhashya. Reads every sutra as teaching pure non-dualism — Brahman alone is real, the world is mithya, the jiva is non-different from Brahman. The longest + most influential commentary.

Sri Ramanujacharya · श्री रामानुजाचार्य

~11-12th C

Vishishtadvaita Vedanta

Sri Bhashya. Reads the sutras as teaching qualified non-dualism — Brahman is qualified by the cosmos + the jivas as his body. Jivas are eternally distinct yet eternally dependent on Brahman.

Sri Madhvacharya · श्री मध्वाचार्य

~13th C

Dvaita Vedanta

Brahma-Sutra-Bhashya + Anu-Vyakhyana. Reads the sutras as teaching strict dualism — Brahman + jivas + jagat are eternally distinct. 5-fold difference (pancha-bheda): jiva-Ishvara, jiva-jada, jiva-jiva, Ishvara-jada, jada-jada.

Sri Nimbarkacharya · श्री निम्बार्काचार्य

~12th C

Dvaitadvaita Vedanta

Dvaitadvaita = dual-non-dual. Jivas are simultaneously distinct + non-distinct from Brahman, like waves + ocean.

Sri Vallabhacharya · श्री वल्लभाचार्य

~15th C

Shuddhadvaita Vedanta

Brahma Sutras — the Vedanta foundation

Adhyaya 1 — Samanvaya (Harmony of Upanishads)

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Adhyaya 2 — Avirodha (Non-contradiction)

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Adhyaya 3 — Sadhana (Practice / Means)

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Adhyaya 4 — Phala (Result / Liberation)

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The 6 major commentaries (each founds a Vedanta school)

Adi Shankaracharya · आदि शङ्कराचार्य

Sri Ramanujacharya · श्री रामानुजाचार्य

Sri Madhvacharya · श्री मध्वाचार्य

Sri Nimbarkacharya · श्री निम्बार्काचार्य

Sri Vallabhacharya · श्री वल्लभाचार्य

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Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu · श्री चैतन्य महाप्रभु