How indeed can Brahma jnanam eradicate jiva's samsara?

[V Subrahmanian]

 The very fact that Badarayana wants Brahma jijnasa to be undertaken implies that 'Only on the condition that the jiva is in truth Brahman, the knowledge of Brahman can be said to dispel samsara.' How is this? All schools accept that the idea of oneself being the body-mind complex is an adhyasa. Therefore samsara is due to this fundamental adhyasa: taking the body to be the Atman. This is due to one's not knowing one's true svarupam. Now, if this situation is to be remedied, one logically has to get to know who one is. But the Brahmasutra says 'enquiry into Brahman is to be undertaken.' How can Brahma jnanam eradicate samsara? If I am ignorant of a pot, I should get to know the pot and not the cloth. Cloth knowledge will not remedy pot-ignorance. Brahma jnana cannot dispel Atma vishayaka ajnanam. Thus, the undeniable implication of Badarayana is: the Jiva is in truth Brahman. Only on this condition and on no other condition can Brahma jnanam dispel Atma ajnana engendered samsara. Therefore it is only the Advaita Bhashya that is the true commentary of the Brahma sutras. The tenets of Brahma satyam jagat mithya jivo brahmaiva na aparah is eminently established in the sutras.

 ‘शास्त्रदृष्ट्या तूपदेशो वामदेववत्’ (ब्र. सू. १ । १ । ३०)  Here the sutra teaches the identity of jiva is Brahman.

‘तदनन्यत्वमारम्भणशब्दादिभ्यः’ (ब्र. सू. २ । १ । १४)  This sutra teaches that the world has no existence apart from its cause Brahman.

These are only indicative; many other sutras too establish the Advaitic tenet of: brahma satyam, jagat mithya, jiva brahmaiva..

Om Tat Sat