BrahmaSutra -I

Jai Bharateesha !
Brahma Sutra !!!
This used to be one of the most coveted topics during my youth, we would attend Bannanje’s lectures and many more Swamiji’s too trying to understand. So with Badarayana’s blessings here goes !!!
The loss of Sanskrit literate people has hit our culture at it’s very core. We have to rely on English Translations by foreign authors to learn our own culture. The beauty of BrahmaSutras is minimum syllables expand into so many Vedic texts; really can be appreciated.
I, myself am not Sanskrit literate, but recently I’ve been getting more and more material and with Vyasarayaru placing his hand on my head I’ve been able to read some material.

Introduction

 Vedas are apourusheya, anant; infinte. Vedas are called the mind of God ! The Vedas are eternal. In kaliyuga, the capacity of the people diminishes, due to the effect of kali. So Supreme  God Narayana himself took the incarnation of Sri VedaVyasa; grouped the Vedas into four, twenty four, hundred and one, one thousand etc.
There are various interpretation for each verse, its the vedanta which interpretes according to the seer who professes a precis of Vedas.
To get a more expanded meaning of Vedas; Veda Vyasa composed the Brahma Sutras. So the Vedas now become an interpretation of Brahma Sutra. The central objective of the BrahmaSturas is to describe the GunaPariPurna Brahman.
 Atharvana Upanishad says: If same body of literature for ex. RigVed is AparVidya when it is comprehended in the ritualistic sense and ParaVidya when “Akshara or Brahman or Vishnu is comprehended as it’s main import.
 Brahmasutra therefore is  ParaVidya.
 Vedas are the Nirnaya and BrahmaSutras are the Nirnayaka.
 For  ex. I’st sutra : Om Om aTHato brahhma jignyaasaa Om
Translation :  The translation you will find by english authors/translators will be
One should enquire about God.?
 The actual number of questions sprout from this sutra.
SriMadAcharya mentions the following categories:
 Jignyasa - Who should enquire about God? Why should one enquire about God? What is the subject of enquiry? Who is the subject ? What does the subject represent? What is the mode of enquiry ?
 Anubandha – Is it binding? What is the binding?
chatushtaya

adhikarana vishaya – Who has the right to ask?
Sambhanda – Whom does the question pertain to ?
prayojana etc – What is justification of the result? What is the use?
 Etc….so on and so forth.
 Next each of these questions, will be answered across multiple references across Vedanta which do not dispute among themselves. Each of those meanings then can have similar references.  In this way, entire Vedanta become Vyakhana for BrahmaSutras and Vedas should be understood based on Brahmasutras only.
 The BrahmaSutra is divided in to four chapters each having sections.
 Adhyaya 1# Samanvaya Adhyaya
Adhyaya 2#Avirodha Adhyaya
Adhyaya 3#Sadhana Adhyaya
Adhyaya 4#Phala Adhyaya
 What does Brahma Sutra contain?
Brahma Sutra is collection of 564 sutras. (others combine some sutras: Sri Ramanuja counts 545 and shankara 555). Each Sutra is very small
For  ex. I’st sutra : Om Om aTHato brahhma jignyaasaa Om
 What is a Sutra ?
A sutra can compared to a thread. This is how the word “suture” is derived. Threads which can be used to stitch.
 What is the definition for a Sutra?
SriMadAcharya gives a compact definition of Sutras.
 Alpa aksharam snigdgandam saarvadvishvatomukham
Astobamanavadam cha sutram sutravido viduhu !
 A Sutra should have minimum letters. Should clear all doubts, should make a special point, it should cover the point concerned noting it’s occurances in all branches of  Veda, it should not contain meaningless syllables and should not have corrupt expressions.

Jai Bharateesha,
Hrishikesh