IV-2 Śrī Bhāshya | Rāmānuja | 5
Topic 5 - The merging of fire etc. at death in the Supreme Deity is not absolute merging
Sutra 4,2.8
तदापीतेः, संसारव्यपदेशात् ॥ ८ ॥
tadāpīteḥ, saṃsāravyapadeśāt || 8 ||
tat—That; ā apīteḥ—up to the attainment of Brahman (through Knowledge); saṃsāra-vyapadeśāt—because (scriptures) declare the state of relative existence.
8. That (fine body lasts) up to the attainment of Brahman (through Knowledge), because (the scriptures) declare the state of relative existence (till then).
The immortality referred to must necessarily be understood as not implying dissolution of the soul's connexion with the body, since up to the soul's attaining to Brahman the texts describe the Samsāra state. That attaining to Brahman takes place, as will be shown further on, after the soul--moving on the path the first stage of which is light--has reached a certain place. Up to that the texts denote the Samsāra state of which the connexion with a body is characteristic. 'For him there is delay so long as he is not delivered (from the body); then he will be united' (Kh. Up. VI, 14, 2); 'Shaking off all evil as a horse shakes his hairs, and as the moon frees herself from the mouth of Rāhu; having shaken off the body I obtain self, made and satisfied, the uncreated world of Brahman' (VIII, 13).
Sutra 4,2.9
सूक्ष्मं प्रमाणतश्च, तथोपलब्धेः ॥ ९ ॥
sūkṣmaṃ pramāṇataśca, tathopalabdheḥ || 9 ||
sūkṣmaṃ—Subtle; pramāṇataḥ—as regards size; ca—and; tathā—so; upalabdheḥ—because it is experienced.
9. (This fine body) is subtle (by nature) and size, because it is so experienced.
The bondage of him who knows is not, at that stage, dissolved, for this reason also that the subtle body continues to persist.--How is this known?--Through a means of knowledge, viz. because it is thus seen in Scripture. For Scripture states that he who knows, when on the path of the gods, enters into a colloquy with the moon and others, 'he is to reply,' etc. (Kau. Up. I, 3 ff.). This implies the existence of a body, and thence it follows that, at that stage, the subtle body persists. The state of bondage therefore is not yet dissolved.
Sutra 4,2.10
नोपमर्देनातः ॥ १० ॥
nopamardenātaḥ || 10 ||
na—Not; upamardena—by the destruction; ataḥ—therefore.
10. Therefore (this subtle body is) not (destroyed) by the destruction (of the gross body).
It thus appears that the text 'when all desires which once entered his heart are undone, then does the mortal become immortal, then he obtains Brahman ' (Bri. Up. IV, 4, 7), does not mean such immortality as would imply complete destruction of the state of bondage.
Sutra 4,2.11
अस्यैव च-उपपत्तेः-एष ऊष्मा ॥ ११ ॥
asyaiva ca-upapatteḥ-eṣa ūṣmā || 11 ||
asya eva—To this (fine body) alone; ca—and; upapatteḥ—because of possibility; eṣaḥ—this; ūṣmā—(bodily) heat.
11. And to this (fine body) alone does this (bodily) heat belong, because this (only) is possible.
It is observed that when a man is about to die there is some warmth left in some part or parts of the gross body. Now this warmth cannot really belong to the gross body, for it is not observed in other parts of that body (while yet there is no reason why it should be limited to some part); but it may reasonably be attributed to the subtle body which may abide in some part of the gross body (and into which the warmth of the entire gross body has withdrawn itself). We therefore conclude that this partial perception of warmth is due to the departing subtle body. This confirms the view laid down in Sūtra 7.
--The next Sūtra disposes of a further doubt raised as to the departure of the soul of him who knows.