Sutra 1
na viyad asruteh
na - not; viyat - ether; asruteh - because of not being described in the Sruti-sastra. Not so for ether, because that is not described in the Sruti-sastra. Purport by Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana
Ether is eternal and was never created. Why is that? TheSutra explains: "Because that is not described in the Sruti-sastra." The relevant passage of Chandogya Upanisad mentions the creation of the other elements, but it does not mention the creation of ether. In the previously quoted passage of Chandogya
Upanisad the creation of fire, water, and grains is mentioned. However there is no mention of the creation of ether. For this reason ether must not have been created. That is the meaning. This idea is refuted in the following sutra:
Sutra 2
asti tu
asti - is; tu - indeed. Indeed it is so. Purport by Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana
The word "tu" (indeed) is used here to remove doubt. The word "asti" (it is so) means, "It is so that ether was created." Although the creation of ether is not described in the Chandogya Upanisad, it is described in the Taittiriya Upanisad in the following words:
tasmad va etasmad atmana akacah sambhutah akacad vayur vayor agnir agner apo abhyo mahati prthivi "From the Supreme Personality of Godhead, ether was manifested. From ether, air was manifested. From air, fire was manifested. From fire, water was manifested. From water, earth was manifested."
Another doubt is expressed in the next sutra.
Sutra 3
gauny asambhavac chabdac ca
gauni - figure of speech; asambhavat - because of being impossible; cabdat - because of scripture; ca - also.
Because of scripture, and because it is impossible, it must be a mere figure of speech. Purport by Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana
It is not possible that ether was created. This is confirmed by Kanada Muni and other great philosophers. The Taittiriya Upanisad's description of the creation of ether is a mere figure of speech, as when, in ordinary speech one says, "Please make some space" or "Some space has been made". For what other reasons is it not possible that ether is created? Because it is impossible to create ether. It is not possible to create ether because ether is formless and all-pervading, because it is not included in the chain of causes, and because scripture proclaims that ether is not created. Brhad-aranyaka Upanisad (2.3.2-3) proclaims:
vayus cantariksam caitad amrtam "Air and ether are both eternal."
This proves that ether was never created.
However, if the passage from the Taittiriya Upanisad used the word "sambhuta" (created) only once to refer to the list of elements beginning with fire, how is it possible to claim that this word is used literally for all the elements and figuratively for ether alone? The opponent of Vedanta replies in the next sutra.
Sutra 4
syac caikasya brahma-cabda-vat
syat - may be; ca - and; ekasya - of one; brahma - Brahma; cabda - the word; vat - like.
It may be for one, as in the word "Brahman".
Purport by Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana In the Taittiriya Upanisad (3.2) it is said:
tapasa brahma vijijYasasva tapo brahma
"By performing austerities strive to understand Brahman, for austerities are Brahman."
In this passage the word Brahman is used in two ways. Used to describe the object of knowledge attained by performing austerities, Brahman is used in its literal sense. Then, equated with austerities, it is used figuratively to mean, "the way to know Brahman". In the same way the word "sambhuta" in the previously discussed passage can be use literally and figuratively simultaneously. In this way the fact that the passage of the Chandogya Upanisad makes no mention of it refutes the description in other Upanisads that ether was created. The author of the sutras refutes this idea in the following words.
Sutra 5
pratijYahanir avyatirekac cabdebhyah
pratijYa - statement of intent; ahanih - non- abandonment; avyatirekat - because of non-difference; cabdebhyah - from the statements of scripture.
It is affirmed because it is not different and because of the statements of scripture.
Purport by Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana The Chandogya Upanisad (6.1.3) affirms:
yenacrutam crutam bhavati
"Now I will teach how to hear what cannot be heard."
In these words the intention to teach about Brahman is expressed. If this intention is not broken, then all that follows must be about Brahman and it must be affirmed that nothing is different from Brahman. The idea that something is different from Brahman is to be rejected. If everything is not-different from Brahman, then Brahman is clearly the ingredient of which everything is made. Thus,
simply by knowing Brahman one knows everything. If this is accepted then it is also accepted that ether was created.
The Chandogya Upanisad (6.2.1) again affirms:
sad eva saumyedam agra asid ekam evadvitiyam aitad-atmyam idam sarvam
"O gentle one, in the beginning the Supreme Personality of Godhead alone existed. He was alone. There was no one else. Everything has Him as its ingredient."
These words affirm that in the beginning everything was manifested from Him, and after the creation was manifested everything had Him as its ingredient. This should be accepted.
Here someone may object: There is no clear statement in that Upanisad that ether was created. How can you talk like that?
In the following words the author of the sutras replies to this objection.
Sutra 6
yavad vikaram tu vibhago loka-vat
yavat - to what extent; vikaram - creation; tu - indeed; vibhagah - creator; loka - the world; vat -
like.
Indeed, if there is a creation there must be a creator, as we see in the world. Purport by Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana
The word "tu" (indeed) is used here to remove doubt. The Chandogya Upanisad explains:
aitad-atmyam idam sarvam "Everything has Him as its ingredient."
This statement shows that there is both a creator and a creation. When the Subala Upanisad and other scriptures explain that the pradhana, mahat-tattva, and other things are created, they imply that everything that exists was created. That is the meaning.
The following example from the material world may be given. A person may say, "All these are the sons of Caitra." In this way he affirms that they were all born from a man named Caitra. In the same way, when the Upanisad affirms that, {.sy 168}Everything has the Supreme Personality of Godhead as its ingredient," it is clear that pradhana, mahat-tattva, and everything else has come from the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Thus when the Upanisad states that fire, water, and grains come from the Supreme Personality of Godhead, it means to say that everything comes from Him. In this way it is understand that ether also was created.
The word "vibhagah" in this sutra means {.sy 168}creation". Sutra 3 affirmed that it is not possible for ether to have been created. However, the Sruti-sastra affirms that the Supreme Personality of Godhead has inconceivable powers. Even though it may be inconceivable, He can do anything without restriction. In some passages it is said that ether is immortal, which means that it is neither created nor destroyed. These statements may be taken as figures of speech because we can find other passages describing the creation and destruction of ether.
Because ether is counted among the elements it must be created and also destroyed. Because ether has temporary material qualities, as fire and the other elements do, it must also be temporary, as the other elements are.
Whatever is not matter is spirit. Ether is not like spirit. It is different. In this way the idea that ether was not created is disproved. Modern philosophers that state the contrary are wrong. It must be accepted that ether was created. .pa
Adhikarana 2
Air Is Created
Introduction by Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana
To show that the same arguments may also show the creation of air, the author of the sutras gives the following explanation.
Sutra 7
etena mataricva vyakhyatah
etena - by this; mataricva - air; vyakhyatah - is explained. This also refers to air. Purport by Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana
This proof that ether was created clearly shows that air, which exists within ether, must also have been created. That is the meaning. This is so because the limbs of something must have the same qualities as the whole of which they are parts.
Our opponent may object: Because it was never described in the Chandogya Upanisad, it is clear that air was never created.
To this I reply: The Taittiriya Upanisad explains that air was created from ether.
Then our opponent may say: That description of the creation of air must have been a figure of speech, because the Sruti- sastra explains that air is eternal.
To this I reply: The Chandogya Upanisad affirms in a pratijYa statement (aitad-atmyam idam sarvam) that everything was created by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In this way the creation of air is proved. When it is said that air is eternal the intention is that it is so only relative to some other things. Air was discussed in a separate sutra and not discussed together with ether. This was done to facilitate the argument of Sutra 9. .pa
Adhikarana 3
The Eternal Supreme Personality of Godhead Is Not Created
Introduction by Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana The Chandogya Upanisad (6.2.1) affirms:
sad eva saumyedam
"O gentle one, in the beginning the Supreme Personality of Godhead alone existed."
A doubt may arise about this statement. Was the eternal Supreme Personality of Godhead created or not? Pradhana, mahat- tattva, and many other things that are causes or creators of other things were created, so perhaps the Supreme Personality of Godhead was also created at some point. This may be so because the Supreme Personality of Godhead is not really different from these other causes.
In the following words the author of the sutras addresses this doubt. Sutra 8
asambhavas tu sato 'nupapatteh
asambhavah - the state of not being created; tu - indeed; satah - of the eternal Supreme Personality of Godhead; anupapatteh - because of impossibility
Indeed, the eternal Supreme Personality of Godhead was never created, for such a creation is impossible.
Purport by Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana
The word "tu" (indeed) is used here either to remove doubt or affirm the truth of this statement. The eternal Supreme Personality of Godhead was never created. Why not? The sutra explains: "anupapatteh" (because that is impossible). There is no creator of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, because it is illogical and inappropriate to assume the existence of such a creator. That is the meaning here.
Svetasvatara Upanisad (6.9) explains:
sa karanam karanadhipadhipo na casya kaccij janita na cadhipah
"the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the cause of all causes. He is the king of all other causes. No one is His creator. No one is His king."
It is not possible to say that because all other causes are created by something else therefore the Supreme Personality of Godhead must have been created by someone else, for such a statement contradicts these words of the Sruti-sastra. A root cause of everything must be accepted, for if it is not then there is an unending chain of causes. By definition the root cause of everything does not have another cause, a root from which it has sprung. This is described in the Sagkhya-sutra (1.67) in these words:
mule mulabhavat
"This is so because the root cause of everything is not caused by another root cause."
In this way the doubt that perhaps the Supreme Personality of Godhead is created by someone else is clearly refuted. Because the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the first cause of all causes, by definition He is not caused by someone else. However, the secondary causes, such as the avyakta and the mahat-tattva are all created by another cause. The sutras explaining that ether and the other material elements were all created were given as examples of this general truth. .pa
Adhikarana 4
Fire Is Manifested From Air
Introduction by Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana
After concluding this discussion, we will consider what seems to be a contradiction in the Sruti-sastra's description of fire. Chandogya Upanisad (6.2.3) explains:
tat tejo 'srjata
"Then the Supreme Personality of Godhead created fire."
In this way it is explained that the Supreme Personality of Godhead created fire. However, the Taittiriya Upanisad (2.1.3) explains: vayor agnih
"From air, fire is manifested."
These words explain that air created fire. Someone may say that in this second quote the word "vayoh" is in the ablative case (meaning "after fire"), and in this way there is no contradiction because both elements were created by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and fire was created after air was created.
Considering that someone may say this, the author of theSutras speaks the following words. Sutra 9
tejo 'tas tatha hy aha
tejah - fire; atah - from that; tatha - so; hy - indeed; aha - said. Fire comes from it. Indeed, it said that. Purport by Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana
From air comes fire. This is confirmed in the Sruti-sastra, which explains: vayor agnih "From air comes fire."
The word "sambhuta" is used here. The use of that word shows that the meaning is that from air fire is created. Also, the primary meaning of the ablative-case is "from". If the primary meaning of a word makes sense, then the primary meaning should be accepted. In that circumstance the secondary meaning should not be accepted. As will be explained later, this statement does not contradict the statement that everything is created by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. .pa
Adhikarana 5
Water Is Manifested From Fire Introduction by Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana
Now the author describes the origin of water. In some places the scriptures affirm that water is manifested from fire, and in other places the scriptures do not agree with this idea. In this way a doubt arises. To remove this doubt, the author of theSutras gives the following explanation.