IV-2 Śrī Bhāshya | Rāmānuja | 1-2

SECOND PĀDA.

Topic 1 - At the time of death the functions of the organs are merged in mind

 Sutra 4,2.1

वाङ्मनसि, दर्शनाच्छब्दाच्च ॥ १ ॥

vāṅmanasi, darśanācchabdācca || 1 ||

vāk—Speech; manasi—in mind; darśanāt—because it is so seen; chabdāt—from scriptural statements; ca—and.

1. Speech (is merged) in mind, because it is so seen, and there are scriptural statements (to that effect).

The Sūtras now begin an enquiry into the mode of the going to Brahman of him who knows. At first the soul's departure from the body is considered. On this point we have the text, 'When a man departs from hence his speech is combined (sampadyate) with his mind, his mind with his breath, his breath with fire, fire with the highest deity' (Kh. Up. VI, 6, 1). The doubt here arises whether the speech's being combined with the mind, referred to in the text, means that the function of speech only is merged in mind, or the organ of speech itself.--The Pūrvapakshin holds the former view; for, he says, as mind is not the causal substance of speech, the latter cannot be merged in it; while the scriptural statement is not altogether irrational in so far as the functions of speech and other organs are controlled by the mind, and therefore may be conceived as being withdrawn into it.--This view the Sūtra sets aside. Speech itself becomes combined with mind; since that is seen. For the activity of mind is observed to go on even when the organ of speech has ceased to act.--But is this not sufficiently accounted for by the assumption of the mere function of speech being merged in mind?--To this the Sūtra replies 'and on account of the scriptural word.' The text says distinctly that speech itself, not merely the function of speech, becomes one with the mind. And when the function of speech comes to an end, there is no other means of knowledge to assure us that the function only has come to an end and that the organ itself continues to have an independent existence. The objection that speech cannot become one with mind because the latter is not the causal substance of speech, we meet by pointing out that the purport of the text is not that speech is merged in mind, but only that it is combined or connected with it.

Sutra 4,2.2

अत एव च सर्वाण्यनु ॥ २ ॥

ata eva ca sarvāṇyanu || 2 ||

ataḥ eva—For the same reason; ca—and; sarvāṇi—all (organs); anu—after.

2. And for the same reason all (organs) follow (mind, i.e. get their functions merged in it).

Because speech's becoming one with mind means only conjunction with the latter, not merging within it; there is also no objection to what Scripture says as to all other organs that follow speech being united with mind.--Here terminates the Adhikaraṇa of 'speech.'

Topic 2 - The function of mind gets merged in Prāṇa

 Sutra 4,2.3

तन्मनः प्राणे, उत्तरात् ॥ ३ ॥

tanmanaḥ prāṇe, uttarāt || 3 ||

tat—That; manaḥ—mind; prāṇe—in Prāṇa; uttarāt—from the subsequent clause ( of the Śruti).

3. That mind (is merged) in Prāṇa, (as is seen) from the subsequent clause (of the Śruti cited).

That mind, i.e. mind united with all the organs unites itself with breath; not merely the function of mind. This appears from the clause following upon the text quoted above, 'mind (unites itself) with breath.' Here, however, a further doubt suggests itself. The text 'Mind is made of earth' declares earth to be the causal substance of mind, and the text 'that (viz. water) sent forth earth' declares water to be the causal substance of earth; while the further text 'breath is made of water' shows water to be the causal substance of breath. Considering therefore that in the text 'mind becomes united with breath' the term breath is naturally understood to denote the causal substance of breath, i.e. water, the appropriate sense to be given to the statement that mind is united with water is that mind is completely refunded into its own causal substance--so that the 'being united' would throughout be understood 'as being completely merged.'--The reply to this, however, is, that the clauses 'Mind is made of food, breath is made of water,' only mean that mind and breath are nourished and sustained by food and water, not that food and water are the causal substances of mind and breath. The latter indeed is impossible; for mind consists of ahaṁkāra, and as breath is a modification of ether and other elements, the word breath may suggest water.

--Here terminates the Adhikaraṇa of 'mind.'