Brahma-jijñāsādhikaraṇam: Exercise
Now it’s your turn. Can you answer the following arguments using the ideas from this section?
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« Sutra 1.1.1 - athāto brahma-jijñāsā (Beginning of the topic)
Brahma-jijñāsādhikaraṇam: Exercise
Now it’s your turn. Can you answer the following arguments using the ideas from this section?
Opponent: There is no need to waste our time inquiring about philosophical matters that have no substance. Rather, we should be concerned about practical things such as satisfying our different material needs in this life and obtaining a better position in the next. The Vedas offer us a way to satisfy both in the dharma-sastras. Simply by discharging these pious duties, one can attain immortality and eternal rewards, as described in many passages of the Vedic literature: apāma somaṃ amṛtā abhūma, “We have attained immortality by drinking soma-rasa.” (Rg Veda 8.18.3) akṣayyaṃ ha vai cāturmāsyajinaḥ sukṛtam bhavati, “Indeed, the merits of one who performs the vow of cāturmāsya are inexhaustible.”
As these and other passages indicate, one can attain perfection by performing religious rituals or performing austerities and penances prescribed in the Vedas, like the vow of caturmasya. We are satisfied with the prosperity obtained by following the path of morality and the ritualistic functions of religion. This is the true spirit of the Vedas; there is no need to inquire about Brahman, which is just a subjective concept. What use is dry philosophical speculation? The application of the Vedas should be practical. By karma we get tangible fruits, by Brahma-jijñāsā we gain nothing.”
Description: The word purvaksa means “opponent’s view”. Here, the objector presents the view of a follower of pūrva-mīmāmsa (or karma-mimansa), which is the philosophy propounded by Jaimini, which overemphasizes fruitive activity. We can observe that in the quote from the Rg Veda included in the argument, the word “amṛtā” is taken literally, as “immortality”, and not as “heavenly enjoyment”, which is the correct meaning. Conversely, passages of the scriptures that indicate the Absolute Truth, such as the Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 3.8-9 previously mentioned (I know that Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is transcendental to all material conceptions of darkness. Only he who knows Him can transcend the bonds of birth and death. There is no path for liberation other than this knowledge of that Supreme Person…) are taken as mere praise, and not injunctions.
This reflects the general belief of karma-mimansas of heaven being eternal and the ultimate goal. In this way, passages are interpreted in a way that suggests that fruitive activity is the ultimate goal of the scriptures. They claim that the injunctions of the Vedas are centered on rituals for attaining material results, and that inquiry about Brahman is dry speculation, outside of the scope of the scriptures.
How can you answer this challenge?
Next: Sutra 1.1.2 - janmādy asya yataḥ: Brahman is He from whom everything emanates »
« Vedānta-sūtra: The Govinda-bhāṣya of Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa
What use is immortality and heavenly delights without the love of Krishna the supreme personality of godhead.
Personally I wouldn't be interested in material acheivements even if they were eternal,although my mind someitmes drags me to these material temptations. Me as a conscious atman know that these enjoyments are dry, and the supreme all fulfilling enjoyment is to have a loving relationship with Krishna.