Brahma-sutra (Vedanta Sutra)

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– What is the characteristic of Vedanta-sutra?

– Greatly learned scholars, who have appeared in India just like the stars and illuminated the entire world, have praised the Brahma-sutra profusely. The acharyas of the jnani community headed by Srimat Sankaracharya and the acharyas of the Vaishnava community headed by Srimat Ramanujacharya have established their respective philosophy based on the Brahma-sutra.

What to speak of this, any community which has not composed a commentary on the Brahma-sutra is not highly regarded in India.

The definition of the Brahma-sutra is as follows: ”Although the statements of the Upanisads consist of all knowledge, they are incomprehensible.”

To understand the meaning of one statement in relation to another statement is difficult. For a student to understand truth by studying the Upanisads is extremely hard. One can never understand the actual meaning of the Upanisads without the guidance of a Satguru. The Upanisads are the head of Vedic literature. They consist of knoweldge regarding the soul and the duty of the living entities.

One cannot become successful in human life if one does not realize the meaning of the Upanisads. After contemplating on this point, Lord Vyasadeva wrote the Brahma-sutra by dividing the statements of the Upanisads.

The Brahma-sutra is not simply a philosophy like Sankhya, Patanjala, Nyaya, Vaisesika, and Purva-mimamsa, but it is spiritual literature that properly establishes the purport of the Upanisads, which are the head of the Vedas. Hence, everyone worships it.

Those who desire to accumulate spiritual knowledge should study Brahma-sutra and not labor hard to study other scriptures.

It is not easy for a person to understand the true meaning of the Brahma-sutra. It is not that simply by studying the sutras one will understand the meaning. Without the help of the commentary on the sutras, the meaning cannot be understood.

Therefore, one will achieve spiritual knowledge if one learns the meaning of the sutras from a Satguru.

Now the difficult question is where can we get a proper commentary on the sutras or where can we find a Satguru who is expert in explaining the meaning of the sutras.

The commentary on Brahma-sutra written by the sage Baudhayana is almost extinct. With utmost care, Sri Ramanuja Swami collected that commentary from Sarada-pitha and thereafter wrote his own commentary on Brahma-sutra known as Sri-bhasya. This description is found in a Sanskrit book, Prapannamrta. Sarada-pitha was the place of Sri Sankaracharya. There is no doubt that Sankara Swami kept the commentary of Baudhayana with great care in his matha. Sankara Swami, the direct incarnation of Rudra, composed the Sariraka-bhasya on Brahma-sutra to carry out his own work. It is said that to spread his own commentary Sankaracharya hid the commentary of Baudhayana. (Sajjana-toshani 8/1)

Another revelation, A list of Bhaktivinoda Thakur’s written works. Check out the previous page too: Bhakti is Auspicious by Nature (Part 2). You will benefit from reading the whole work: Books (Free!).

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