सङ्गीतरत्नाकर: प्रथम भाग (शार्ङ्गदेव - स्वरगताध्याय सविस्तार व्याख्या व अनुवाद सहित)

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24 Treatment of Svara
ख. पिण्डोत्पत्तौ दार्शनिकतत्त्वनिरूपणम्
(i) ब्रह्मस्वरूपम्
अस्ति ब्रह्म चिदानन्दं स्वयंज्योतिर्निरञ्जनम् ।
ईश्वरं लिङ्गमित्युक्तमद्वितीयमजं विभुः ॥ ४ ॥
निर्विकारं निराकारं सर्वेश्वरमनश्वरम् ।
सर्वशक्ति च सर्वज्ञम्,
B. Genesis : The metaphysical viewpoint.
(i) The nature of Brahman : 4-5c
Brahman is existence¹, blissful² awareness, the self-lumi-
nous³ and taintless⁴ supreme⁵ deity, said to be the ulti-
Human body is a part and parcel of the manifest phenomenon.
To trace the process of the genesis of human embodiment, the author
begins with the unmanifest, unconditioned, timeless reality; and explains
the emergence of numberless individuals, their relationship with the
reality, and the principle determining the differences inherent in the
individual manifestations of that pure existence.

1. Asti Brahman of the text literally rendered would mean, 'there
   is Brahman'; but the word 'there' has to be used for the conve-
   nience of the syntax of English language, there being no
   corresponding idea implied in the text. So Brahman is the
   essence of all existence, the is-ness.
2. The concept of Brahman, best expounded in the Advaitic school
   of the vedānta system of Indian philosophy, visualises three
   aspects of Brahman in the well-known phrase—‘Saccidānanda’
   which refers to the unitary character of pure being, pure
   intelligence and pure bliss. Though Brahman is devoid of all
   qualities, these are the essential features in terms of which
   the time-less reality is comprehended through language.
   Cidānanda is ‘bliss’, as distinguished from the duality of feeling
   in terms of pain and pleasure, which is possible in awareness,
   the operation of pure intelligence.
3. Svayamjyotiḥ of the text literally means that which is a light
   unto itself, i. e., the one that requires no external power to
   manifest itself.
4. That is without any blemish, absolutely pure, free from igno-
   rance.
5. The word Īśvara of the text etymologically is derived from the
   root ‘īśa’, to control, and literally means the controller, the
   ruler. But, since here it is used in the context of vedantic

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Section 2 : The Genesis of the Human Embodiment 25
mate⁶ cause, the non-dual⁷, unborn⁸, measureless⁹, unmodi-
fied¹⁰, formless, imperishable, omnipotent and omniscient
‘supreme ruler’¹¹. (4-5c)
(ii) जीवस्वरूपम्
, तदंशा जीवसंज्ञकाः ॥ ५ ॥
अनाद्यविद्योपहिता यथाऽग्नेर्विस्फुलिङ्गकाः ।
दार्वद्युपाधिसंभिन्नास्ते कर्मभिरनादिभिः ॥ ६ ॥
सुखदुःखप्रदैः पुण्यपापरूपैर्नियन्त्रिताः ।
तत्तज्जातियुतं देहमायुर्भोगं च कर्मजम् ॥ ७ ॥
प्रतिजन्म प्रपद्यन्ते,
parlance, following in the wake of Brahman, it is used to denote
Saguṇa-Brahman, i. e., Brahman qualified by the power of
universal consciousness; and therefore, is equivalent to God or
the personal deity. Īśvara is defined as one who is capable
of doing, not doing or doing otherwise.
6. Liṅgam is defined by ‘K’ as Prapañcalayanālliṅgam, i. e., that
in which the dissolution of the phenomenon takes place.
Brahman is said to be the cause of the origination, sustenance
and the dissolution of the creation.
7. Advitīya is a negative epithet, i. e., it negates duality but does
not affirm oneness, for any positive statement presupposes its
opposite, e. g., one implies many, so Brahman is non-dual, i. e.,
incomparable, inconceivable. ‘S’ interprets it as devoid of
internal and external differentiation.
8. That is timeless existence.
9. Vibhu means pervasive, unlimited.
10. Yāska (Nirukta I. 1.1.2, p. 23) has spoken of six modifications
of existential being, i. e., coming into being, being in existence,
growing, disintegrating, decaying and destruction. Brahman is
free from these modifications.
11. That is, the God of the gods, the controller of all the natural
forces.
In the text this expression appears after ‘formless’ and
not at the end as given in the translation for syntactic
convenience.