Brahma Sutras

by Swami Sivananda

CHAPTER THREE: SADHANA ADHYAYA – Section 3

Kamyadhikaranam: Topic 35 (Sutra 60)
Vidyas yielding particular desires may or may not be combined according to one's liking.

काम्यास्तु यथाकामं समुच्चीयेरन्न वा पूर्वहेत्वभावात् ॥३.३.६०॥

Kamyastu yathakamam samucchiyeranna va purvahetvaghavat (419)

But Vidyas for particular desires may be combined or not according to one's desires on account of the absence of the previous reason (mentioned in the previous Sutra).

Kamyah: Vidyas adopted for some desires; Tu: but; Yathakamam: according to one's desire or liking: Samucchiyeran: may be combined; Na: not; Va: or; Purva: the former; Hetu: reason; Abhavat: on account of the absence of.

This Sutra shows an exception to the previous Sutra that more Vidyas than one may be combined where the object is other than the realisation of Brahman.

In the previous Sutra it was stated that any one of the Vidyas about Brahman should be taken up, and that more than one at a time should not be taken up, be cause each Vidya was quite sufficient to take to the goal or Self-realisation and more than one Vidya would produce distraction of the mind. We have on the other hand, Vidyas connected with particular desires, e.g., “He who knows that the wind is the child of the regions never weeps for his sons” (Chh. Up. III.15.2). “He who meditates on name as Brahman, walks at will as far as name reaches” (Chh. Up. VII.1.5).

The question arises whether one is to restrict oneself to only one of these Vidyas or can take up more than one at a time.

The present Sutra declares that one can practise more than one Vidya or not accord ing to one’s liking, as the results are different unlike that of the Brahma-Vidyas. He may practise more than one Vidya or not, on account of the absence of the former reason, i.e., because there is not the reason for option which was stated in the preceding Sutra.