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

[Sū. 3. 4. 18.
ADH 1.] VEDĀNTA-KAUSTUBHA 729
OPPONENT'S VIEW (Sūtra 18)
SŪTRA 18
"(THERE IS ONLY) A REFERENCE (TO THOSE STAGES OF LIFE),
JAIMINI (THINKS SO), ON ACCOUNT OF THERE BEING NO INJUNC-
TION, FOR (SCRIPTURE) CONDEMNS (SUCH STAGES OF LIFE)."
Vedānta-pārijāta-saurabha
In the text: "There are three branches of religious duty" (Chānd.
2.23.1¹), there is only a re-mention of those stages of life, in view of
the fact that there is no injunctive word there Also as the text:
"He who extinguishes the gods" (Tait. Sam 1.5 2 ²) contains a
condemnation of other stages of life, such stages are not to be
adopted,—such is the view of "Jaimini".
Vedānta-kaustubha
The statement that such stages of life are mentioned in scriptural
texts and hence they exist,—is not justifiable, since when the section
concerned with the injunction about the worship of the Sāman ³
has been fully expounded, Scripture, changing the subject, makes
"a reference", i.e. a re-mention simply, in the text: "There are three
branches of religious duty" (Chānd. 2.23.1), of those stages of life
which are celebrated in Smṛti, with a view to eulogizing a separate
meditation on Brahman as the praṇava, that being the subject of
discussion; but does not enjoin them. Why? "On account of the
absence of any injunctive text." And, scriptural texts like: "He who
extinguishes the fire is the slayer of the hero among the gods" (Tait.
Saṃ. 1.5.2), "After having brought an acceptable gift to the teacher
do not cut off the line of progeny" (Tait. 1.11), "He who is childless
does not possess the world" (Ait. Br. 33.1 ⁴) and so on, "condemn"
other stages of life. Hence the stage of a house-holder is to be adopted
and not other stages,—so the teacher "Jaimini" thinks.
1 Ś., R., Bh., Śk.
2 P. 57, lines 5-6, vol. 1. Ś., R., Bh., Śk.
3 Vide Chānd. 2.22.
4 P. 838, Ānandāśrama sans. series ed.