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Ramanuja on Brahma shabdam

From the Bhakti List Archives

jasn sn • July 31, 2002 


SRIMATHE RAMANUJAYA NAMAHA.

Objective: To establish that it is Brah-man  not
bram-han.

Explanation:-
Any term in Sanskrit is the derivation of the
taatparya / meaning of the term itself
That is, it is a  kAraNa-p –peyar.
And what types of meanings are derived?
In Indian literature of yore (Kaavyaprakaasha), it is
held that the power of words to denote the taatparya /
meanings are of three types, namely, 
Denotative,
Figurative and
Purportive. 
The purportive signification of words is, by some,
maintained to be different from 
The suggestive signification 
And accordingly the power of words is also said to be
four-fold, including suggestive signification.
Sri Ramanuja accepts all the four in the course of his
Sri Bhashya to the 32 Vedanta sutras.
In the very first sutra, he discusses the root and the
meaning of the term Brahman in the light of the
four-fold power of words.
The sutra runs thus.
“Ahato Brahmajijnasa
(Then therefore the enquiry into the Brahman)
His explanation for the term Brahman gives us the
answer to the correct pronunciation.
In his own words (translation by Sri Rangacharya and
Sri Varadharaja Aiyengar)

“….the word Brahman is seen to derive its meaning from
the association of ‘brihattva’, i.e., greatness (with
the thing denoted by it); and whatever greatness is by
nature as well as by qualities, unsurpassed in
excellence, that is its primary and natural meaning.
And He (who possesses such greatness) is alone the
Lord of All . Hence the word Brahman is primarily used
to signify Him alone.”

The four-fold meaning as incorporated in the term 
‘brihattva’ (it is brahmaandam in terms of denotative,
figurative, purportive and suggestive implications)
becomes the ‘primary and natural meaning’ of Brahman.
Hence it is Brah-man and not bram-han.

Once again in the second sutra, another dimension of
‘brah’ is discussed.
The sutra is 
‘ Janmaadyasya yatah’
(the brahman is that) from whom (proceed) the creation
etc., of this (universe)

In his explanation, Sri Ramanuja goes on to establish
Brahman on the basis of what he calls accidental
characteristics, like the power to create etc.
According to him, this is established by nothing other
than the very term Brahman itself.
In his own words,

“ that which is characterized by means of accidental
characteristics is Greatness unsurpassed in
excellence: and it is Growth also, because the root
‘brih’  (to grow) is capable of that meaning. And the
creation, preservation and destruction of the world
constitute the accidental characteristics of that.
(Brahman thus made out to be Greatness and Growth)”

It might be of significance to remind the readers here
that though a liberated jiva ‘becomes the Brahman’
(Mund up) and is capable of all that the Brahman is
able to do, it is nevertheless prohibited from
initiating creation. Creation (Growth / brih) is the
sole prerogative of Brahman and Brahman alone. This
idea is incorporated in the very term ‘Brah’ – so as
not to give rise to any second opinion.

Jayasree Sarnathan




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