Vedānta-sūtra: The Govinda-bhāṣya of Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa
An extensive, but easy-to-understand explanation of the Govinda Bhāṣya of Srila Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa, the Vaiṣnava commentary on the Venta-sutra, based on the teachings of Srila Prabhupada.
The Brahma-sutra, or Vedanta-sutra, is a short treatise written by Srila Vyāsadeva to transmit the ultimate conclusions of the Vedas. As Srila Prabhupada explains, "The Vedanta-sutra, which consists of aphorisms revealing the method of understanding Vedic knowledge, is the concise form of all Vedic knowledge." It's often called Brahma-sutras, or Vedanta-sutras, in this case referring to it as a collection of sutras.
The 560 aphorisms of the Vedanta-sutra are often taken as an incredibly complicated work because Śaṅkarācārya wrote an extremely complex commentary to hide their real meaning. To bring the followers of Buddha back into accepting the Vedas, he developed a philosophy that is similar to Buddhism, but based on the Vedas. To fit this philosophy into the aphorisms of the Vedanta-sutra, he wrote a commentary that is both indirect and contradictory.
However, Srila Prabhupada calls our attention to the direct interpretation of the verses of the Vedanta-sutra, which was used by Sri Caitanya Mahāprabhu to enlighten stalwart Māyāvādis such as Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī and Sarvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya and bring them to the proper understanding of the sastras. Srila Prabhupada describes these discussions in his commentary on the Caitanya Caritāmṛta, as well as The Teachings of Lord Caitanya.
It happens that this direct interpretation of the sutras is not only much easier to understand, but it is something that brings joy to the heart, by describing the personal nature of the Supreme and our eternal relationship with Him. It's like the sun uncovered by clouds. Srila Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa explains this direct interpretation of the Vedanta-sutra in his Govinda Bhāṣya, and it is quite an invaluable tool when explaining Krsna Consciousness since many who are resistant to direct statements from the Bhagavad-Gita and Srimad Bhagavatam can become easily attracted by the beautiful logic of the Vedanta-sutra.
Interestingly enough, the great majority of the topics discussed in the Vedanta-sutra are extensively covered in the works of Srila Prabhupada. There are many new details for sure, but the main philosophical conclusions are well discussed in Prabhupada's books. However, studying the sutras offers an opportunity to better understand the philosophical discussions that led to these conclusions, which is valuable to deepen our understanding and better value Prabhupada's contribution. This study also gives us a better understanding of the logic underlying these different conclusions, which is invaluable when trying to explain Krsna consciousness to others. Solid knowledge of the Vedanta-sutra can thus be an important step in being able to explain Krsna Consciousness logically, instead of just dogmatically.
The Vedanta-sutra is called nyāya-prasthāna because it was written to allow one to understand the absolute truth through logic and argument, and this infallible logic becomes even more apparent in the commentary of Srila Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa. Nowadays, more than ever, we often base our convictions on emotion rather than logic, and this can lead to many misconceptions that are very difficult to extirpate. The profound and delicate arguments presented in the Govinda Bhāṣya can help us rewire our brains in this direction, which can be invaluable in all spheres of life.
How can we be sure that the direct explanation of Sri Caitanya Mahāprabhu is the correct one, and not the indirect explanation of Śaṅkarācārya? The point is that Srila Vyāsadeva himself wrote an explanation of the Vedanta-sutra in the form of the Srimad Bhagavatam. Followers of Śaṅkarācārya often don't accept the Srimad Bhagavatam because it doesn't agree with their philosophy, but when we accept the Srimad Bhagavatam as Vyāsadeva's explanation of the Vedanta-sutra, all the meaning becomes clear. It's thus not a wonder that Srila Prabhupada spent so much energy in his commentary on the Srimad Bhagavatam since it is the conclusion of all Vaishnava philosophy.
This book is an attempt to provide an extensive, but at the same time easy-to-understand explanation of the Govinda Bhāṣya commentary of Srila Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa, based on the explanations of Srila Prabhupada, as a humble offering to the devotees who are interested in studying this important masterpiece under the light of Srila Prabhupada's teachings.
This is the first book in a series of four volumes covering the 16 padas (chapters) of the Govinda-bhāṣya of Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa.
Here are the parts of the book that have already been published. You will be seeing new updates as I work on it. Feel free to follow along. Subscribe to receive these updates by email, or become a paid subscriber if you would like to support my work:
💬 Table of Contents
+ Srila Prabhupada explains the Vedanta-sutra
+ Introduction: The evolution of spiritual understanding
+ The conclusions of the Vedanta-sutra
+ Topic 1: Brahma-jijñāsādhikaraṇam - Inquiry into Brahman
+ Topic 2: Janmādyādhikaranam - Definition of Brahman
+ Topic 3: Śāstra-yonitvādhikaraṇam - The scriptures are the source of knowledge
+ Topic 4: Samanvyādhikaraṇam - Reconciliation of texts
+ Topic 5: Īkṣater-adhikaranām - The Lord is seen in scriptures
Sutra 1.1.8 - (na) heyatva-vacanāc ca
Sutra 1.1.9 - (na) svāpyayāt
Sutra 1.1.10 - (na) gati-sāmānyāt
Sutra 1.1.11 - śrutatvāc ca
Exercise
… more to come
This book is being published as a free e-book so everyone can have free access to it. New topics are being added as I work on the book. When the book is complete, you will be able to download the PDF. If you would like to support my work, you can donate:
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Hare Krishna Prabhuji
Dandavat Pranaam
Which original book are you referring for govinda bhasya ?
Can you please share pdf online link if publicaly accessible?