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The gist of Sri Bhasyam on chatussUtrI by Dr.NSA

From the Bhakti List Archives

padmini ranganathan • October 26, 1999 


...(Contd.)

An analysis of the several factors that are discussed
and decided in the commentaries on the first four
sUtras by Ramanuja may be briefly mentioned here.
Under the first sUtra, Ramanuja has explained the
general meaning of the sUtra first and then discusses
the issue of the prerequisite to 'Brahma jig~nAsa'. In
this connection

	1) A small objection by the advaithin is raised and
answered in the 'laghu siddhAntha'.
	2) The whole philosophy of advaitha is stated under
the 'great objection' and in turn refuted elaborately,
referring to each point in the 'mahAsiddhAntha'.
	3) The doctrine of vedAntha according to Ramanuja is
stoutly presented along with the authorities of
'shrutIs' and 'smrtIs'.
	4) After all these discussions Ramanuja mentions the
view of the mImAmsakas that the word cannot signify
Brahman, an existing entity. This is verily the prima
facie view of this section and it 	   is refuted with
necessary explanations. Under the second sUthra the
definitions of the Brahman under 'taithirIya
Upanishad' is explained and established. Under the
third sUthra, it is declared that Brahman can be known
only by the shastrAs.

The commentary on the fourth sUthra is very
significant as Ramanuja follows a unique method of
dialectics where he sets of f one school against the
other and in the end he refutes the one who has stood
till the end. The fact that Brahman is having the
shAstrAs as His prAmANa is justified as Brahman is the
ultimate object of attainment according to the
Upanishads.

First, the mImAmsaka expresses his view that Brahman
is not signified by the word of the Veda and it is not
related to action. This view is countered by the
'nishprapancha niyOgavAdin' who holds that the Vedas
enjoin action of the form of eliminating the world,
which is seen. This view is in turn, refuted, as the
fact of niyOga will not be possible for dissolving the
universe. Now the 'j~nAna niyOgavAdin' advances his
argument that Brahman is to be realized by the kriyA
of 'dhyAna'. This view is refuted by the advaithin and
again the 'j~nAna niyOgavadin' advances his argument
against the advaitha school. The 'bhEdAbhEdavAdin'
refutes the advaithin and the 'bhEdAbhEdavAdin' gets
refuted by the 'j~nAna niyOgavAdin'. The mImAmsaka
becomes the victor over the  'j~nAna niyOgavAdin' and
this final victor is promptly refuted by Ramanuja.
This is, in short, the scheme followed in this
section.

A brief exposition of the detailed discussion made
under the four sUthras by Ramanuja is presented in
this treatise. It is mainly meant for beginners who
are interested in knowing the doctrine of Ramanuja. It
is hoped that the presentation will give a fine
picture of the arguments advanced by Ramanuja under
these four sUthras.

Pranamams
dAsI
Padmini

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