The Vedanta-Sutras with the Commentary by Sankaracarya...

As long as the 'vyavahâra' presents itself to our mind, we might feel inclined to assume in Brahman an element of manifoldness whereby to account for the vyavahâra; but as soon as we arrive at true knowledge, the vyavahâra vanishes, and there remains no longer any reason for qualifying in any way the absolute unity of Brahman.

Tatreti, srishtyâdisrutînâm svârthe phatavaikalye satîti yâvat. Ân. Gi.

A Mîmâmsâ principle. A sacrificial act, for instance, is independent when a special result is assigned to it by the sacred texts; an act which is enjoined without such a specification is merely auxiliary to another act.

According to the Srutî 'in whatever mode he worships him into that mode he passes himself.'

Tattvânyatvâbhyâm iti, na hîsvaratvena te nirukyete jadâjadayor abhedâyogât nâpi tatoxnyatvenax niruktim arhatah svâtantryena sattâsphûrtyasambhavât na hi jadam agadânapekshyam sattâsphûrtimad upalakshyate jadatvabha@ngaprasa@ngât tasmâd avidyâtmake nâmarûpe ity arthah. Ân. Gi.

So that from the instance of the potter and the jar we cannot conclude that the relation of clay and the jar is only that of nimitta and naimittika, not that of non-difference.

For instance, smoke extending in a long line whose base is connected with some object on the surface of the earth.

I.e. (as Ân. Gi. explains) because we assume the relation of cause and effect not merely on the ground of the actual existence of one thing depending on that upon another, but on the additional ground of the mental existence, the consciousness of the one not being possible without the consciousness of the other.—Tadbhâvânuvidhâyibhâvatvam tadbhânânuvidhâyibhânatvam kâ kâryasya kâranânanyatve hetur dhûmaviseshasya kâgnibhâvânuvidhâyibhâvatvesxpi na tadbhânânuvidhâyibhânatvam agnibhânasya dhûmabhânâdhînatvât.

For simplicity's sake, asat will be translated henceforth by non-existing.

Samavâya, commonly translated by inherence or intimate relation, is, according to the Nyâya, the relation connecting a whole and its parts, substances, and qualities, &c.

Samavâyasya svâtantryapaksham dûshayati anabhyupagamyamâneketi. Samavâyasya samavâyibhih sambandho neshyate kim tu svâtantryam evety atrâvayavâvayavinor dravyagunâdînâm ka. viprakarshah syât samnidhâyakâbhâvâd ity arthah. Ân. Gi.

A conclusion which is in conflict with the Nyâya tenet that samyoga, conjunction, as, for instance, of the jar and the ground on which it stands, is a quality (guna) inherent in the two conjoined substances by means of the samavaya relation.

So that the whole can be apprehended by us as such if we apprehend a certain part only; analogously to our apprehending the whole thread on which a garland of flowers is strung as soon as we apprehend some few of the flowers.

Kalpântaram utthâpayati atheti, tathâ ka yathâvayavaih sûtram kusumâni vyâpnuvat katipayakusumagrahanexpi grihyate tathâ katipayavayavagrahanexpi bhavaty avayavino grahanam ity arthah. Tatra kim ârambhakâvayavair eva teshv avayavî vartteta kim vâ tadatiriklâvayavair iti vikalpyâdyam pratyâha tadâpîti. Yatra yad varttate tat tadatiriktâvayavair eva tatra vartamânam drishlam iti drishtantagarbham hetum âkashle koseti. Dvitîyam dûshayati anavastheti. Kalpitânantâvayavavyavahitatayâ prakritâvayavino dûraviprakarshât tantunishthatvam patasya na syâd iti bhâvah. An. Gi.

I.e. a something in which the action inheres; not a causal agent.

Every action, Sa@nkâra says, requires an agent, i.e. a substrate in which the action takes place. If we deny that the jar exists in the clay even before it is actually originated, we lose the substrate for the action of origination, i.e. entering into existence (for the non-existing jar cannot be the substratum of any action), and have to assume, for that action, other substrates, such as the operative causes of the jar.

Which doctrine will be fully discussed in the second pâda of this adhyâya.

Because it has been shown that cause and effect are identical; hence if the cause is known, the effect is known also.

Which arguments, the commentators say, are hinted at by the 'and' of the Sûtra.

The right reading appears to be 'svayam eva ketanâ' as found in some MSS. Other MSS. read ketanah.

Prakritibhya iti, pratyakshadrishtapadârthasvabhâvebhyo yat param vilakshanam âkâryâdyupadesagamyam tad akintyam ity artah Ân. Gi.

This is the way in which Sa@nkara divides the Sûtra; Ân. Gi. remarks to 'lokezspo, &c.: âtmani keti vyâkhyâya vikitrâs ka hîti vyâkashte.'

So that if it undergoes modifications it must either change in its entirety, or else—against the assumption—consist of parts.

The last clause precludes the justificatory remark that the stated difficulties can be avoided if we assume the three gunas in combination only to undergo modification; if this were so the inequality of the different effects could not be accounted for.

As an atom has no parts it cannot enter into partial contact with another, and the only way in which the two can combine is entire interpenetration; in consequence of which the compound of two atoms would not occupy more space than one atom.

The Sûtra is concerned with the body only as far as it is an instrument; the case of extraneous instruments having already been disposed of in Sûtra 24.

The nature (svabhàva) of the Lord is, the commentators say, Mâyâ joined with time and karman.

This clause is an answer to the objection that the Lord might remain at rest instead of creating a world useless to himself and the cause of pain to others. For in consequence of his conjunction with Mâyâ the creation is unavoidable. Go. Ân. Avidyâ naturally tends towards effects, without any purpose. Bhâ.

Ân. Gi. remarks: Nanu lîládâv asmadâdînâm akasmâd eva nivritter api darsanâd îsvarasyâpi mâyâmayyâm lîlâyâm tathâ-bhâve vinâpi samyagjñânam samsârasamukkhittir ili tatrâha na keti. Anirvâkyâ khalv avidyâ parasyesvarasya ka. svabhâvo lîleti kokyate tatra na prâtîtikasvabhâvâyâm anupapattir avataratîty arthah.

From this passage we must not—the commentators say—infer injustice on the part of the Lord; for the previous merit or demerit of a being determines the specific quality of the actions which he performs in his present existence, the Lord acting as the common cause only (as Parjanya does).

Râgadveshamohâ râgadayas le ka purusham dukhâdibhih klisyantîtá klesâs tesbâm kartneapiaviuyanugurrâs tâbhir áksbiptam dharmâdilaksbilakshanam kurma tadapekshâvidyâ. Ân. Gi.