The PurvamimAmsa sastram discusses the purusharthas beginning with
the suthra 'aTHatho dharmajijnasa,' and it is precedent to the
UttharamimAmsa in as much as, in order to understand the
asthiraphalathva one has to study the sastra and follow the
injunctions. So the UttharamimAmsa forms the latter part of study of
vedas and hence forms one whole with the purvamimAmsa.
Ramanuja elaborates on the krama, the order of study of the
vedas by saying, ' thaTHA hi-praTHamam thaavath "svaaDHyaayo
adhyEthavyah" ithi adhyayanEnaivasvADHyAya
sabdhavAchyavedhAkyAkshararAsEh grahaNamviDHeeyathE.' First the vedas
are learnt after upanayanam by word of mouth , that is chanting with
svaras. The proper time of aDHyayana is denoted by "ashtavarsham
brAhmaNam upanayeetha ;tham aDhyApayEth." A brahmin should be
sanctified with upanayana at eight years of age and should start the
aDHyayana. So aDHyayana means learning the chanting of the vedas from
the acharya. The result of the vedaDHyayana is self evident as given
by the manthras japas etc. The meanings of the vedic texts are learnt
in due course along with the vedaAngas.
The next step is to realise that the results of the
ritualistic karma are transient and the aspirant turns to the
Upanishads for attaining permanent well-being through the enquiry of
UttaramimAmsA, also known as sAreerakamimAmsa.
The vedanta texts such as " thadyathEha karmachitho lokah
ksheeyathE EvamEva amuthra punyachithah lokah ksheeyathe"(chandogya-8-
1-6), Just as this world entered through one's karma is transitory so
also are the worlds attained through punyaphala, affirm the
transient and finite nature of the karmaphala. In the Baghavatgita
the Lord says, 'ksheenE punyE martyalokam visanthi,' when the
acquired merit through karma enjoined in the vedas is exausted the
jiva returns to the earth, the karmaloka. Only by brahmajnana the
cycle of birth and death can be got rid off. The texts "brahmavid
aApnothi param", (Taitt.Ana.1) "napunarmrthyavE thdhEkam pasyathi"
(chan.7-26-2) and the like are asserting that one who knows brahman
reaches the ultimate and afterthe perception of the one ultimate
reality never resorts back to mortality.
Here the objection of the advaitin that since the study of
the vedas makes one realise that the result of karma is transient
and finite, the study of UttharamimAmsA could be pursued straight
away without following the course of karmakanda. Ramanuja answers
that it is not so.The mere knowledge of brahman by study of vedanta
is not enough to secure liberation. The inquiry into the nature of
brahman, after clearing the doubts and misconceptions through deep
study and practice and contemplation alone can result in
brahmajnana . So too mere study of the karmakanda of the vedas will
not result in the knowledge of the ephemeral and limited nature of
the karmaphala. That is, one has to learn through experience as
otherwise mere teaching will make one realise the impermanence of the
world. But we see that it is not so in practice. To know whether
something is conducive to welfare or not ,one has to know what it is
in order to get convinced beyond doubt
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