dhEvathAdhikaraNam-1-3-7
suthra-25-thadhuparyapibAdharAyaNah sambhavATH-1-3-25
BadarAyaNa says that meditation is possible for beings higher than
humans like dhevas because of the possibility.
Since it is said in the previous suthra that only human beings are
qualified to meditate the question arises whether those higher than
humans are also qualified or not.
the poorvapakshin says that they are not because they do not have
prAkrtha sarira and hence cannot observe the spritual disciplines,
sADHana sapthaka like viveka and vimoka outlined in the
jinjnAsAdhikaraNa. Neither the vedanta texts nor the injunctions in
the puravamimamsa texts refer to the embodiment of devas.
This is refuted by the suthra. meditation is possible for the higher
beings also because they also have desires,wishes, hardships and
sufferings and know that the highest bliss can only be found in
Brahman, who is untouched by evil and possessed of infinite
auspicious qualities.
[This can be seen in the purAnic lore where we find Indra and others
facing troubles and even Brahma is said to have meditated on
Narayana before starting the creation, in BhAgavatha purANa..]
The objection forwarded that they do not possess a body is not
correct as prajApathi and Indhra and others are described as having
body in the upanishads in the chapters on creation and meditation.All
the scritures describe four kinds of creation, deva,human,animal and
plants. They occupy the places till brahmaloka according to their
karma. In the section on Prajapathi giving instruction to Indra, the
latter was said to have approached him along with Virochana with
samith on hand and staying with him as his disciple for thirtytwo
years, all of which implies the embodiment of Indra and the like.
Even in the karmakanda there are manthras and arthvAdhAs (laudatory
passages) which speak of the devas having bodies as could be seen
in 'vajrahasthah purandharah,' Indra with vajrAyuDHa in his hand,
etc. These passages cannot be ignored as laudatory because the
qualities that exist alone will be praised not those which are
nonexistent.
Since ithihasas, puranas and dharmasasthras also speak of devas as
having embodiment they are also qualified for meditation.
suthra-26-virODHah karmaNI ithi cheth, na,anEka
prathipatthErdharsanAth-1-3-26
If it is said that if devas have bodies it makes them impossible to
be present at various yajnas to accept havirbhAga simultaneously the
suthra refutes it saying that they are capable of assuming several
bodies through their superhuman powers.Even yogis were found to have
such powers as in the case of soubari who was supposed to take
several bodies to please his many wives.
suthra-27-sabdha ithi cheth, na,athah prabhavAth
prathyakshAnumAnAbhyAm-1-3-27
If it is said that the embodiment involves contradiction with respect
to words,it is not so because beings originate from them(words) as
seen from perception and inference.
This means, all the words in the veda and their meanings are eternel
as accepted by all thinkers. Hence the forms and entities denoted by
the vedic words like indra ,varuna etc are also eternal and if the
devas are said to have embodiment theywill not be eternal as the
bodies are subjected to destruction and their names denoted in the
veda will lose their meaning being just an appellation like Devadatta.
This view is refuted by the suthra.The names like indra found in the
veda are not related to a particular entity but a class.That is why
the vedic words are said to be eternal. The creator, Brahma utters a
word and the form comes into being. Hence the entities are created
ever new and their having a corporeal body is not detrimental to
the eternity of the word in the veda denoting them.There is valid
proof for this through perception, inference, that is, through sruthi
and smrthi.
Sruthi says 'vEdhEna rupE vyAkarothsathAsathee prajApathih.
(Taitt.Aran.2-6) PrajApathi created the names and forms through
veda ,being and nonbeing.And 'sa bhoorithi vyAharath bhoomim
asrjatha; sa bhuva ithi vyAharath so anthariksham asrjatha.' He
uttered the word 'bhoo' and created the earth and uttered the
word 'bhuva' and created the sky. From smrithi also we know that
everything was created by Brahma through words of veda. 'anAdhi
niDHanO hyEshA vAg uthsrshtA svayambhuvA,Adhou vEdhamayee dhivyA
yathah sarvAh prasoothayah' In the beginning the creator gave out
divine speech beinningless and endless in the form of veda from which
everything origuinated.(MB.shanthi.231)Therefore the devas having
bodies does not in any way makes the vedic words meaningless.
suthra-28-atha Eva cha nithyathvam-1-3-28
The eternity of the vedas result from this reason only.
Brahma remebers the words after each deluge and creates the devas and
rshis as before and hence the eternity of the vedic words. The rshis
are called manthradrshtas , seers of manthra and not composers for
the same reason. But at the time of prAkrtha pralaya, complete
dissolution, Brahma himself ceases to exist and how can the creation
take place based on the remembrance of the vedas as in
naimitthikapralya, the intermediate dissolution, is the question
raised and the next sutha answers that.
suthra29samAnanAmarupathvAthcha Avrtthou api avirODHO
dharsanATHsmrthEScha-1-3-29
As said in the Chandhogya text 'thadhaaikshatha bahusyAm prajAyEya,'
etc the Lord creates everything as before and entering into all
beings gives them name and form and hence the creative process
happens as before starting from that of Brahma himself.this is how
the veda cme to be called apourushEyam , uncreated by any
individual.The supreme person also follows the same order of the
vedas as before but it happens spontaneously for Him and not through
memory.
There is scriptural evidence for this as we find in svetAsvathara
upanishad 'yO brahmANam vidhaDHAthi poorvam yO vai vEdhAmscha
prahiNOthi thasmai,' he who first created Brahma and gave the vedas
to him. In the puraNas like nArasimha and VarAha also we find
passages to substantiate this. 'thathra supthasya dhEVasya nAbhou
padhmamajAyAtha;thasmin padhmE mahAbhAga vEdhavEdhAnga pAragah;
brahmOthpannah,sa thEnOkthah prajAh srja mahAmathE.' (Nara.10) Also
in varaha purANawe find the text 'Evambhoothasya me dhevi nAbhipadhmE
chathurmukhah;uthpannah;sa mayAchOkthah prajAAh srja mahAmathE .'
Both passages describe how Brahma came out from the naval of Narayana
and was instructed on creation.
So the devas also are qualified for brahmavidhya.
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