Brahma Sutras

by Swami Sivananda

CHAPTER THREE: SADHANA ADHYAYA

Section 3: Bhumajyayastvadhikaranam Topic 32 (Sutra 57)

Vaisvanara Upasana is one entire Upasana.

Bhumnah kratuvajjyayastvam tatha hi darsayati III.3.57 (416)

Importance (is given to the meditation) on the entire form (of Vaisvanara) as in the case of sacrifice; for thus (the Sruti) shows.

Bhumnah: on the entire form; Kratuvat: as in the case of sacrifice; Jyayastvam: prominence, pre-eminence, importance; Tatha: so; Hi: because, for, as; Darsayati: (the Sruti) shows.

The Vaisvanara Vidya is discussed here.

In the Chhandogya Upanishad (V.11. 8) there is the Vaisvanara Vidya, the meditation on the cosmic form of the Lord. The meditator should think that His head is the heaven, His eye the sun and so on. Different fruits are mentioned for each part of the Upasana. For example, the fruit of meditating on His head as the heaven is "He eats food, beholds his beloved ones and has Vedic glory in his house" (Chh. Up. V.12.2).

Now a doubt arises whether the Sruti here speaks of one Upasana on the entire cosmic form or Upasana of each part of Vaisvanara.

The present Sutra says that the Sruti speaks of one Upasana on the whole form of Vaisvanara or the cosmic form of the Lord.

The Sruti gives superiority to the meditation on Vaisvanara as a whole, as in the case of Kratu or sacrifice. Though the Sruti declares fruits for Upasana or worship of each part of Vaisvanara, yet it emphasises the worship of the entire Vaisvanara with the universe as His body, just as in sacrifices like Darsa-Purnamasa all the Angas have to be combined.

The separate fruits mentioned for meditation on parts of Vaisvanara must be combined into one whole with meditation.

The text informs us that six Rishis, Prakinasala, Uddalaka, etc., being unable to reach a firm foundation in the Knowledge of Vaisvanara, went to the King Asvapati Kaikeya; goes on to mention the object of each Rishi's meditation, viz., the sky and so on; determines that the sky and so on are only the head and so on of Vaisvanara. Asvapati said "That is but the head of the self," and rejects all meditations on Vaisvanara in his partial form. He said "Your head would have fallen if you had not come to me" (Chh. Up. V.12.2). As this text discourages partial worship of Vaisvanara, it is quite clear that it recommends the entire Upasana on the whole Vaisvanara.

Moreover the section begins thus: "which is our own self, which is Brahman" (Chh. Up. V.11.1). This indicates that the entire Brahman is the object of meditation. It ends thus "of that Vaisvanara Self Sutejas is the head" etc. (Chh. Up. V.18.2). This clearly intimates that only the entire Upasana is intended.

For all these reasons, the view according to which the text enjoins a meditation on the entire Vaisvanara only is correct.