[Advaita-l] ***UNCHECKED*** Introductory Bhashya of Sankara for Taittiriyopanishad

[D.V.N.Sarma డి.వి.ఎన్.శర్మ]

I would like comments on my translation.

नित्यान्यधिगतानि कर्माण्युपात्तदुरितक्षयार्थानि, काम्यानि च फलार्थिनां
पूर्वस्मिन् ग्रंथे।

The nitya karmas meant for the destruction of acquired sins and kamya
karmas meant for people who want rewards, are covered in the earlier
treatise.

इदानीं कर्मोपादानहेतुपरिहाराय ब्रह्मविद्या प्रस्तूयते।

Now, in order to get rid of the material cause of actions,
brahma vidya is being commenced.

कर्महेतुः कामः स्यात्। प्रवर्तकत्वात्। आप्तकामानां हि कामाभावे
स्वात्मन्यवस्थानात्
प्रवृत्त्यनुपपत्तिः। आत्मकामित्वे चाप्तकामता, आत्मा हि ब्रह्म, तद्विदो हि
परप्राप्तिं वक्ष्यति।

Desire is the cause of action, because it incites activity.
Only for people whose desires are fulfilled there will be no desires,
resulting in abidance in one's own self and hence no activity. It is going
to be said further on, that fulfillment of desires proceeds from the desire
for the self, that self verily is Brahman and to its knower is the highest
attainment.

अतोऽविद्यानिवृत्तौ स्वात्मन्यवस्थानं परप्राप्तिः "अभयं प्रतिष्ठां विन्दते"
(तै.उ. 2-7-1),
"एतमानन्दमयमात्मानमुपसंक्रामति" (तै.उ. 2-8-12) इत्यादि श्रुतेः।

Therefore, abidance in one's self on the removal of avidya,
is the highest attainment according to the srutis "Attains fearlessness"
(Tait.U. 2-7-1), "Attains this self which is full of bliss" (Tait.U.
2-8-12).

(शंका - मीमांसकः)
काम्यप्रतिषिद्धयोरनारम्भादारब्धस्य चोपभोगेन क्षयान्नित्यानुष्ठानेन
प्रत्यवायाभावादयत्नत एव
स्वात्मन्यवस्थानं मोक्षः। अथवा निरतिशयायाः प्रीतेः स्वर्गशब्दवाच्यायाः
कर्महेतुत्वात्कर्मभ्यः
एव मोक्ष इति चेत्।

(Objection of mimamsaka)
Suppose we say,
(1) By not starting kamya and forbidden karmas, by exhausting by means of
enjoyment the ripened karmas
and avoiding pratyavaya by performng nitya karmas,
there is abidance in one's own self, the moksha
or
(2) The supreme happiness expressed by the word svarga
is a result of karma and therefore karmas are the cause of moksha.

(समाधानम्)
न, कर्मानेकत्वात्। अनेकानि ह्यारब्धफलान्यनारब्धफलानि अनेकजन्मान्तरकृतानि
विरुद्धफलानि कर्माणि सम्भवन्ति। अतस्तेष्वनारब्धफलानामेकस्मिञ्जन्मन्युपभोग-
क्षयासंभवाच्छेषकर्मनिमित्तशरीरारम्भोपपत्तिः। कर्मशेषसद्भावसिद्धश्च "तद्य इह
रमणीयचरणाः"
(छा.उ. 5.10.7), "ततः शेषेण" (आ.ध 2.2.2.3, गो.स्मृ. 11) इत्यादि श्रुतिस्मृति
शतेभ्यः।

(Reply)
No. Because karmas are many. There are karmas performed in many previous
lives with mutually opposite results, many of which are already yielding
results and many of which are  not yet yielding results. As it is
impossible to exhaust by enjoyment in one life those which have not yet
ripened, there will be birth in another body due to the residue of karmas.
That such a karmic residue exists is attested by hundreds of srutis and
smritis such as " he who performs beautiful works" (Cha.U.5.10.7), "due to
the residue" (A.Dh.2.2.2.3) (Go.Smri.11).

(शंका - मीमांसकः)
इष्टानिष्टफलानामनारब्धानां क्षयार्थानि नित्यानीति चेत्?

(Objection of Mimamsaka)
Suppose we say that nitya karmas are for the destruction of
of the pleasant and unpleasant results of unripened karmas?

(समाधानम्)
न; अकरणे प्रत्यवायश्रवणात्। प्रत्यवायशब्दो ह्यनिष्टविषयः।
नित्याकरणनिमित्तस्य प्रत्यवायस्य
दुःखरूपस्यागामिनः परिहारार्थानिनित्यानीत्युपगमान्नानारब्धफलकर्मक्षयार्थानि।

(Reply)
No. Because we hear (from you) that there is pratyavaya due to
non-performance (of nitya karmas). The word pratyavaya indicates
unpleasantness. Because nitya karmas are meant cancel the impending
pratyavaya in the form of grief due to non-performance of nitya karmas,
they cannot  be for the destruction of unripened results of karmas.

(After refuting purva mimamsaka's objection using their own stand on nitya
karmas, Sankara shows that oppponent's point of view cannot be maintained
even otherwise.)

यदि नामानारब्धकर्मक्षयार्थानि नित्यानि कर्माणि तथाप्यशुद्धमेव क्षपयेयुर्न
शुद्धम्। विरोधाभावात्। न हीष्टफलस्य कर्मणः शुद्धरूपत्वान्नित्यैर्विरोध
उपपद्यते। शुद्धाशुद्धयोर्हि विरोधो युक्तः।

Even if nitya karmas are for the destruction of unripe karmas, they will
destroy only the impure and not the pure. This is due to lack of
antagonism. Because karmas with a pleasant result are of pure nature, no
antagonism with nitya karmas can be there. Antagonism between pure and
impure only, is proper.

न च कर्महेतूनां कामानां ज्ञानाभावेनिवृत्त्यसंभवादशेषकर्मक्षयोपपत्तिः।
अनात्मविदो हि कामोऽनात्मविषयत्वात्। स्वात्मनि च
कामानुपपत्तिर्नित्यप्राप्तत्वात्। स्वयं आत्मा परं व्रह्मेत्युक्तम्।

As it is not possible to disengage one's self from action producing desires
in the absense of knowledge, actions cannot be destroyed completely. Desire
is for the person who does not know the self. Because it is always
available there can be no desire for one's own self.
Self itself is said to be highest Brahman.

regards,
Sarma.