Prasthanatrayi Swaminarayan Bhashyam (Study)
by Sadhu Gyanananddas | 2021 | 123,778 words
This page relates 鈥�4.4j. Apta-Vakya Pramana鈥� of the study on the Prasthanatrayi Swaminarayan Bhashyam in Light of Swaminarayan Vachanamrut (Vacanamrita). His 18th-century teachings belong to Vedanta philosophy and were compiled as the Vacanamrita, revolving around the five ontological entities of Jiva, Ishvara, Maya, Aksharabrahman, and Parabrahman. Roughly 200 years later, Bhadreshdas composed a commentary (Bhasya) correlating the principles of Vachanamrut.
Go directly to: Footnotes.
4.4j. 膧pta-V膩kya Pram膩峁嘺
As we discussed, verbal scripture testimony is the most reliable source (辫谤补尘腻峁嘺) among all the epistemological means whereby one can adequately know the nature of the transcendental, otherwise imperceptible Parabrahman and Ak峁rabrahman are indeed very difficult to know.
The 叠丑腻峁补办腻谤补 explains in the 艢耻诲诲丑补:
艣abdo yo hi yath膩rtha岣� sy膩t 辫谤腻尘腻峁噛补峁� bhajate 蝉补诲腻 |
补苍测补迟丑腻 naiva 辫谤腻尘腻峁噛补峁� du峁ａ弓a艣abd膩danarthadh墨岣� ||[1]鈥淎 verbal statement conveying valid knowledge must have an authentic source which must be free from defects. Otherwise, due to defects of spoiled intellect, it cannot be considered as a valid 辫谤补尘腻峁嘺.鈥�
艢补产诲补 辫谤补尘腻峁嘺 is verbal testimony. It is also called 鈥�腻辫迟补-惫腻办测补蝉鈥� (statement of a trust-worthy person鈥�, and authentic word). Only a 腻辫迟补 辫耻谤耻峁 (trustworthy person) possessed of knowledge can impart accurate knowledge. Now, who is an 腻辫迟补 辫耻谤耻峁?
The 叠丑腻峁补办腻谤补 investigates:
harerguro艣ca ya岣� 艣补产诲补岣� 辫谤补尘腻峁嘺峁� nikhilo 尘补迟补岣� |
tadupadi峁ａ弓a峁� sacch膩stra峁� 辫谤补尘腻峁嘺峁� tatk峁泃膩rthakam ||[2]鈥淧arabrahman, Ak峁rabrahman, and Guru are 腻辫迟补 辫耻谤耻峁. Their words need no verification. In fact, their words become scriptures. As a result, these scriptures are counted as authentic scriptures.鈥�
Sv膩min膩r膩ya峁嘺 explains with an analogy:
鈥淲hatever the 腻辫迟补 辫耻谤耻峁s of the past have prescribed in the scriptures is valid. Take the example of a rich businessman. If he writes a draft to pay some other businessman, then although it seems that the piece of paper is not worth even a single rupee, it is indeed money. Only when one cashes the draft the businessman had signed does one subsequently receive a large sum of money from that very same draft. Similarly, although at the time there may not seem to be any benefit in observing the moral do鈥檚 and don鈥檛s, one who does observe dharma by the command of a great Sat辫耻谤耻峁 ultimately attains liberation -just as one receives cash from drafts.鈥� (Vacan膩m峁泃a Gadhad膩 II/6, pp.395-396)
Thus, in the 诲补谤艣补苍补 tradition, the trustworthy person has great significance. Not only to understand the meaning of the scriptures but also, have they provided valid guidance to a seeker who wants to advance on the path of spirituality.
Footnotes and references:
[2]:
Sv膩min膩r膩ya峁嘺 Siddh膩ntasudh膩 碍腻谤颈办腻, p.255