ṛṣiṃ prasūtaṃ, kapilaṃ yas tam agre; jñānair bibharti, jāyamānaṃ ca paśyet ||2|| Analysis ▾ Analysis ▴
The Bhāṣya attributed to Śaṅkara primarily identifies the golden-hued Kapila with Hiraṇyagarbha, whose birth other scriptural passages likewise ascribe to the highest Lord. At the beginning, the One fills him with knowledge, renunciation, and sovereign power and beholds him as creation emerges.
Śaṅkarānanda distinguishes Kapila from the founder of Sāṃkhya. The reference may be to the avatāric Kapila or, preferably, to Hiraṇyagarbha as the first effect and bearer of the powers of knowledge and action. The Lord nourishes him with comprehensive insight and accompanies his coming into being.
Nārāyaṇa first tests a Jīva reading: the being enters countless births, loses its former memory in the shock of birth, and is nourished anew through perception. In conclusion, however, the Dīpikā makes clear that context and doctrinal purpose refer the mantras to Īśvara.
Vijñānabhagavat presents the Lord as watching over primal nature, subordinate causes, and all forms. He explains Kapila as the golden-hued Hiraṇyagarbha. At creation, Hiraṇyagarbha receives knowledge, Dharma, detachment, and sovereignty; God sustains and beholds him as the source of the world's further unfolding.
bibharti LV1958, ASS1927 ] piparti LV1958-app
<2: Der ganze Zusammenhang und die parallelen Stellen 3,4. 4,12 (auf welche das tam zurückweist) beweisen, daß unter „jenem roten Weisen“ (kapila ṛishi) Hiranyagarbha, der „goldne (daher rote) Embryo“ zu verstehen ist. Es ist auch gar nicht abzusehen, wie hier, in dem Zusammenhange einer Vedāntaschrift als Erstgeborener des Urwesens auf einmal Kapila — der Begründer eines gegnerischen Systems! — proklamiert werden sollte. — Allenfalls könnte man, aber auch dies schwerlich, eine Anspielung auf denselben annehmen in dem Sinne: „Hiranyagarbha ist der Urheber aller Weisheit, ist der wahre Kapila“. — Möglich auch, daß der ganze Kapila auf unsrer Stelle beruht.>
<2: The reference may be to ‘the sage Kapila,’ the founder of the Sāṅkhya philosophy. But in the similar stanza 4. 12 (compare also 3. 4) the reference is clearly to the Demiurge Hiraṇyagarbha, ‘The Golden Germ.’>
<2: Der ganze Zusammenhang und die parallelen Stellen 3,4. 4,12 (auf welche das tam zurückweist) beweisen, daß unter „jenem roten Weisen“ (kapila ṛishi) Hiranyagarbha, der „goldne (daher rote) Embryo“ zu verstehen ist. Es ist auch gar nicht abzusehen, wie hier, in dem Zusammenhange einer Vedāntaschrift als Erstgeborener des Urwesens auf einmal Kapila — der Begründer eines gegnerischen Systems! — proklamiert werden sollte. — Allenfalls könnte man, aber auch dies schwerlich, eine Anspielung auf denselben annehmen in dem Sinne: „Hiranyagarbha ist der Urheber aller Weisheit, ist der wahre Kapila“. — Möglich auch, daß der ganze Kapila auf unsrer Stelle beruht.>
<5: Like a mother, see I, 9.>
<6: Like a father.>
<7: See on this verse the remarks made in the Introduction.>
<1: Śankara explains this passage very artificially. Kapila is, according to him, not the founder of the Sānkhya, but another name of Hiranyagarbha, and he tries to prove this, first, from the name of “Kapila,” which means brown, so that Kapila would be here an adjective, instead of “Kapila Varṇam, the brown or golden-coloured,” which thereby would refer to Hiranyagarbha; and, secondly, from a passage of a Purāṇa; the latter, however, proves the contrary; for there is Kapila mentioned as the founder of the Sānkhya, and to praise him, he is identified with Hiranyagarbha.>
<2: With the four kinds of knowledge of the Sānkhya, viz., virtue, knowledge, renunciation of wordly desires, and superhuman power.>
<3: As a father does at his son after his birth.>
The Bhāṣya attributed to Śaṅkara understands each net as the particular Saṃsāra-world of gods, human beings, or animals. God spreads it out in the field of Māyā and draws it back in. In every cosmic age, he creates Marīci and the other rulers anew.
Śaṅkarānanda calls the net of Māyā a web of the world arranged for each living being. The self-luminous Lord unfolds and ends it at the respective place of birth, brings forth the Prajāpatis anew, and, as the great Self, remains Lord even over all rulers.
Nārāyaṇa interprets the net as bondage through karma and its manifold fruits. In his Jīva reading, the field is the respective birth, while Īśvara grants the embodied being dominion over body and senses. The all-encompassing Lord thus remains behind every individual efficacy.
Vijñānabhagavat describes the nets as collective and individual complexes of inner organ, vital forces, and senses, binding living beings like fish. God unfolds them through Māyā, withdraws them into primal nature, and appoints Hiraṇyagarbha and further cosmic rulers.
<1: Wörtlich „als seine Helfer“; er verwandelt sich selbst in sie. Vgl. über diese, schon im Ṛgveda vorkommenden, Helfer bei der Schöpfung Gesch. d. Phil. I, 137 und zu ihrem Namen yati „die sich Anstrengenden“ Ṛgv. 10,129,5: svadhā avastāt, prayatiḥ parastāt.>
<3: Literally, ‘in this field.’>
<4: ‘Marshals’; literally, ‘Exercisers.’ According to RV. 10. 72. 7 they were Demiurges who assisted in the creation of the world.>
<1: Wörtlich „als seine Helfer“; er verwandelt sich selbst in sie. Vgl. über diese, schon im Ṛgveda vorkommenden, Helfer bei der Schöpfung Gesch. d. Phil. I, 137 und zu ihrem Namen yati „die sich Anstrengenden“ Ṛgv. 10,129,5: svadhā avastāt, prayatiḥ parastāt.>
<8: The MSS. read yasmin for asmin, and patayas for yatayas, which the commentator explains by patīn.>
<9: The world, or the mūlaprakṛti, the net being the saṃsāra.>
<10: Śaṅkara explains ekaikam by pratyekam, i.e. for every creature, such as gods, men, beasts, &c.>
<11: I doubt whether mahātmā should be translated by the great Self, or whether great would not be sufficient. The whole verse is extremely difficult.>
<1: From Hiraṇyagarbha to insects; or beginning with Marīci.>
<1: The World.>
<2: The divine sages, according to Śankara, Marichi, and the other divine Rishis.>
sarvā diśa, ūrdhvam adhaś ca tiryak; prakāśayan, bhrājate yad vānaḍvān | Analysis ▾ Analysis ▴
evaṃ sa devo, bhagavān vareṇyo; yoni-svabhāvān, adhitiṣṭhaty ekaḥ ||4|| Analysis ▾ Analysis ▴
The Bhāṣya attributed to Śaṅkara resolves yad u anaḍvān as a comparison: as Āditya, conceived as the solar bull, illumines the cosmic wheel, so the light of God's consciousness makes every direction appear. At the same time, the one Lord governs the causal elements and their unfoldings.
Śaṅkarānanda identifies the bull with the sun, which illuminates every direction along its course. The self-luminous Bhagavān, endowed with the six divine perfections, shines likewise. As the One without inner division, he presides over all causes and the forms arising from them.
Nārāyaṇa explains yad u anaḍvān through the image of the independent bull within the herd. In the same way, God shines and rules within the complex of body and senses without depending upon it. Despite possible echoes of the Jīva, the doctrinal context decides in favour of the Īśvara interpretation.
Vijñānabhagavat explicitly takes yad u to mean ‘as’ and interprets anaḍvān as the solar bull harnessed to the cosmic wheel. God's own light of consciousness similarly illumines all. The worshipful One directs the causes from primal nature down to their subtlest effects.
<2: Cf. IV, 11; V, 2.>
<1: Yoniswabhābān (all that exists in likeness with its cause, viz. the five elements, which are the same with its cause,—nature) may be also rendered “Yoni: swabhābān” he, (Bramha) the cause (of the whole world) rules all (the elements), which partake of his nature.>
yac ca sva-bhāvaṃ, pacati viśva-yoniḥ; pācyāṃś ca sarvān, pariṇāmayed yaḥ | Analysis ▾ Analysis ▴
sarvam etad, viśvam adhitiṣṭhaty eko; guṇāṃś ca sarvān, viniyojayed yaḥ ||5|| Analysis ▾ Analysis ▴
The Bhāṣya attributed to Śaṅkara understands ripening as bringing forth the effect proper to each thing, such as the heat of fire. The source of the world transforms the elements fit for transformation, governs the whole, and assigns Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas to every appearance.
Śaṅkarānanda relates Svabhāva both to cause and effect and to the six transformations of arising and passing away. The One lets things already arisen continue to ripen and distributes colours, properties, and functions so that every effect receives its appointed place.
Nārāyaṇa has the Lord bring the inherent powers of speech and other capacities to fruition according to their results. He brings former actions to maturity and assigns Dharma and the qualities beginning with Sattva to individual beings at the appropriate time.
Vijñānabhagavat explains that the Lord's mere presence causes causes to ripen and emerge as effects. As inner director, he orders the fruits of karma and distributes Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas according to merit and fault. He should therefore be known as one's own Self.
<2: viśvayoniḥ soviel wie „alles Entsprungene“. Der Īśvara hat im Vedāntasystem die Aufgabe, die Werke der Seelen wachsen und reifen zu machen, wie der Regen die Pflanzen, und ferner, die Vergeltung, den Werken entsprechend, zu verteilen; Brahmasūtra 2,1,34. 2,3,42 (S. 312. 431 meiner Übersetzung).>
<2: viśvayoniḥ soviel wie „alles Entsprungene“. Der Īśvara hat im Vedāntasystem die Aufgabe, die Werke der Seelen wachsen und reifen zu machen, wie der Regen die Pflanzen, und ferner, die Vergeltung, den Werken entsprechend, zu verteilen; Brahmasūtra 2,1,34. 2,3,42 (S. 312. 431 meiner Übersetzung).>
<3: MS. B. has prācyān, and explains it by pūrvotpannān.>
<4: This is again a very difficult verse. I have taken viśvayoniḥ as a name for Brahman, possessed of that devātmaśakti which was mentioned before, but I feel by no means satisfied. The commentators do not help, because they do not see the difficulty of the construction. If one might conjecture, I should prefer pacet for pacati, and should write pariṇāmayed yat, and viniyojayed yat, unless we changed yac ca into yaś ca.>
ye pūrvaṃ devā, ṛṣayaś ca tad vidus; te tan-mayā, amṛtā vai babhūvuḥ ||6|| Analysis ▾ Analysis ▴
The Bhāṣya attributed to Śaṅkara finds knowledge of the Self hidden in the secret Upaniṣads. Brahmā recognises the Lord as the source of the Veda or of Hiraṇyagarbha. Earlier gods and seers became one in nature with him and immortal through the same knowledge; this applies equally to seekers now.
Śaṅkarānanda connects what is hidden with upaniṣadic Mahāvākyas such as tat tvam asi. Hiraṇyagarbha recognises the unlimited source; gods, seers, and human beings who follow him become free from Avidyā and its effects, take Brahman as their sole nature, and pass beyond death.
Nārāyaṇa states briefly that the Jīva finds the supreme Brahman hidden in the Upaniṣads. It is the source of the Veda; the former gods already knew it and became immortal. The passage thus joins scriptural transmission, inner knowledge, and liberation.
Vijñānabhagavat distinguishes three fields of teaching: the ritual Veda, the Āraṇyaka with worship of saguṇa Brahman, and the Upaniṣads with knowledge of attributeless Brahman. Brahmā and the former seers realised the Lord as their own Self; with the ending of Avidyā, their immortality became manifest.
pūrvaṃ devā LV1958, ASS1927 ] pūrvadevāḥ LV1958-app
<5: This verse admits of various translations, and requires also some metrical emendations. Thus Vijñānātman explains vedaguhyopaniṣatsu very ingeniously by the Veda, i.e. that part of it which teaches sacrifices and their rewards; the Guhya, i.e. the Āraṇyaka, which teaches the worship of Brahman under various legendary aspects; and the Upanishads, which teach the knowledge of Brahman without qualities. These three divisions would correspond to the karmakāṇḍa, yogakāṇḍa, and jñānakāṇḍa. (Jaimini, Patañjali, Bādarāyaṇa). See Deussen, Vedānta, p. 20. Mr. Gough and Dr. Roer take Brahmayoni as ‘the source of the Veda,’ or as the source of Hiraṇyagarbha. The irregular form vedate may be due to a corruption of vedānte.>
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