वेदान्त पारिजात सौरभ (भगवद् निम्बार्काचार्य - द्वैताद्वैत वेदान्त ब्रह्मसूत्र भाष्य सटीक)

[sū. 2. 4. 14. VEDĀNTA-KAUSTUBHA 465
ADH. 7.]
Vedānta-kaustubha
Now, the activity of the sense-organs is being discussed.
On the doubt, viz. whether the sense-organs like the eye and the
rest proceed to their respective objects through their own power alone,
or as initiated by their respective presiding divinities,—the suggestion
being: Through their own power, in accordance with the scriptural
text: ‘For by the eyes one sees colours’ (Bṛh. 3.9.20),—
We reply: “Fire and so on”. The term “but” is meant for
disposing of the prima facie view. Speech and the rest function only
as superintended by fire and so on, i.e by the divinities like fire
and so on. The word “superintending” means that which is super-
intended or initiated, 1.e. an object to be initiated. Just as chariots
and the rest move as superintended by charioteers and others, so is
the case here. Why? “On account of the declaration of that”,
i.e. “on account of the declaration”, or mention, in the sacred text,
“of that” or of the fact of their being superintended by fire and the
rest,¹ thus: ‘Fire becoming speech entered into the mouth, the air
becoming the vital-breath entered into the nose, the sun becoming
sight entered into the eyes’ (Ait. 1.2.4). If there be no relation of the
initiated and the initiator, the entering of the fire and the rest must
become meaningless. The scriptural text: ‘For by the eyes’ (Bṛh.
3.9.20) and so on should be known to have served its purpose by
proving simply that the eyes and the rest are sense-organs.
COMPARISON
Rāmānuja and Śrīkaṇṭha
They read this and the next sūtra as one sūtra, interpreting it
differently thus: “But the rule of the fire and the rest with the bearer
of the vital-breath (i.e. the individual soul) (over the sense-organs is)
on account of the thinking of that (viz. the Lord), in accordance with
scriptural text.” That is, we learn from Scripture that the fire-god
and the rest, as well as the individual soul rule over the sense-organs,
but their rule depends on the will of the Lord.²

¹ This explains the compound “tad-āmananāt”.
² Śrī. B. 2.4.14, pp. 181-82, Part 1, Madras ed.; Śk. B. 2.4.14, p. 178,
Parts 7 and 8.
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