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Oppiliappan List Archive: Message 00091 Jun 2006

 
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 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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