Śrī Vedānta-sūtra

Samanvāyādhyāya Pāda 2:
Superimposi on and Subla on
The Ultimate Conclusion of Knowledge
— Śārīrāka-bhaṣya Commentary by —
Śrī Ādi-Śaṅkarācārya
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 Aparokṣānubhūti — Practice of Jñāṇa-yoga
Consciousness Darśan Yoga Chakras
Turīya Ajata-vāda Jñāṇa-yoga Sahasrāra
transcendental unborn view Self-realization crown
Suśupti Vivartha-vāda Rāja-yoga Ajñā
deep sleep illusion view meditation forehead

Viśi ādvaita- Viśuddha

Svapna Bhakti-yoga throat
vāda
dreaming devotion to
quali ed Anahaṭa
consciousness God/Goddess
nonduality view heart
Maṇipūra
solar plexus
Karma-yoga
Jagrat Dvaita-vāda sacri ce Svadhiṣṭhāṇ
waking
duality view according to dan-tien
consciousness
scriptural rules
Mūlādhāra
genitals
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 Aparokṣānubhūti — Practice of Jñāṇa-yoga
Consciousness Darśan Yoga Practices
Turīya Ajata-vāda Jñāṇa-yoga Inspiration of the vision of Brahman
transcendental unborn view Self-realization (Self) and its development.
Suśupti Vivartha-vāda Rāja-yoga Removal of mental modi cations: vṛtti,
deep sleep illusion view meditation vāsana, upādhi, saṅkhārā etc.
Viśi ādvaita- Spontaneous ecstatic love of one’s
Svapna Bhakti-yoga chosen iṣṭa-devatā, guru and devotees;
vāda
dreaming devotion to development of devotion & commitment;
quali ed
consciousness God/Goddess
nonduality view complete renunciation of material life.

Acceptance of guru, study of śāstra,

Karma-yoga renunciation of prohibited sense pleasure,
Jagrat Dvaita-vāda sacri ce performance of regulated sacri ce,
waking
duality view according to practice of four preliminary quali cations,
consciousness
scriptural rules economic development, charitable
donations, maintenance of health.
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 Summary of Quali cations
(Aparokṣānubhūti 3-10)
1. Vairāgya—indifference to objects of enjoyment
2. Viveka—discrimination between Seer and seen
3. The Six Treasures:
1. Śama—abandonment of desires
2. Dama—restraint of external sense organs
3. Uparati—turning away from all sense objects
4. Titikṣā—patient endurance of sorrow and pain
5. Śraddhā—implicit faith in Vedas and Guru
6. Samādhāna—concentration of the mind on Brahman
4. Mumukṣutā—burning desire for mukti (liberation)
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 Etymology of Brahman
Root: √बृह् bṛh Root: √मन् -man
• growing, increasing • considering
• expanding • inquiring
• sounding • knowing
• dividing • thinking
• discharging • realizing
• speaking, shining
 ॐ सह नाववतु । सह नौ भुन । सह वी करवाव ।
तेज नावधीतम मा षाव ॥
ॐ शा : शा : शा :॥
āūṁ saha nāvavatu | saha nau bhunaktu । saha vīrya
karavāvahai | tejasvi nāvadhītamastu mā vidviṣādahai ॥
āūṁ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ ॥
—Taittirīya Upaniṣad 2.1 Invocation
स्वि
न्ति
न्ति
स्तु
न्ति
वि
द्वि
क्तु
है
र्य
है
 āūṁ saha nāvavatu | saha nau bhunaktu । saha vīrya
karavāvahai | tejasvi nāvadhītamastu mā vidviṣādahai ॥
āūṁ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ ॥
āūṁ–O my Lord; saha–together; nau–both the teacher and
the taught; avatu–may He protect; saha nau–us both
together; bhunaktu–may He nourish; saha–together;
vīryam–strength arising from knowledge etc.; karavāvahai–
may we both accomplish; tejasvi–who are both bright;
nāvadhītam–let what we read be well read; astu–be brilliant;
mā–may we never; vidviṣavahai–entertain ill-feeling toward
each other; āūṁ–O my Lord; śantiḥ–peace, peace, peace
(meant to avert bodily, natural and supernatural hindrances).
āūṁ saha nāvavatu | saha nau bhunaktu । saha vīrya
karavāvahai | tejasvi nāvadhītamastu mā vidviṣādahai
॥ āūṁ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ ॥

“ĀŪṀ! May He protect us both together. May

He nourish us both together. May we both
acquire strength together. Let our study be
brilliant. May we not argue with each other.
ĀŪṀ! Peace–Peace–Peace!”

—Taittirīya Upaniṣad 2.1 Invocation

 Superimposition in Chhāndogyopaniṣad
“Though this treatise deals mainly with the Science of
Nonduality, yet herein are described several forms of
Meditation and Worship, which are conducive to several
desirable ends; because these forms of meditation and
worship bring about results nearly as good as Liberation,
and appertain to slightly modified forms of the One Pure
Brahman, which have been spoken of as ‘Consisting of the
Mind’, ‘Having the Life-breath for its Body’ and so forth.
 Superimposition in Chhāndogyopaniṣad
“All this Meditation and Worship brings about the fulfilment
of Actions, and is related to the auxiliaries of those Actions.
There is a similarity also between the Meditations and the
Cognition of the One, in that both are esoteric in character,
and both fall within the purview of the Mind; just as the
Cognition of One without a second is a function of the Mind,
so also are the other forms of Meditation and Worship.”

—Śaṅkarācārya, Introduction to Chhāndogya-bhāṣya

Superimposition in Chhāndogyopaniṣad
“Brahman is reality, one without a second and the Self, is all
this, free from all diversities of space, place, time etc. Yet, in
the world there are many persons of dull intellect, among
whom the conviction that everything real is beset with
diversities of space, place and the rest is so strong that they
cannot immediately be turned towards the Absolutely Real.
And yet the purpose of human life cannot be fulfilled without
understanding the real nature of Brahman, the highest. Hence
for the benefit of the duller persons, it is necessary to convey
the teaching indirectly, for example:
Superimposition in Chhāndogyopaniṣad
A particular spot within the Lotus of the Heart is indicated as
the abode of the Self, Brahman.

Though the Self in essence is devoid of all qualities, for the

benefit of the dull person who has his heart fixed upon the
Highest Being possessing the highest qualities, it is
necessary to speak of such qualities belonging to Him as a
Person with unlimited wealth, power, beauty, knowledge
renunciation, etc.
Superimposition in Chhāndogyopaniṣad
It is not easy to immediately divert the longing for objects of
sense-gratification. Hence, it is found necessary to enjoin
detailed means of accomplishing the end such as
nonviolence, vegetarianism, celibacy, etc.

There are many persons still beset with diversities such as

the goer, the going and the place to go to. For the benefit of
these persons, it has to be pointed out that on death, they
pass out of the body by an Artery in the Head.
Superimposition in Chhāndogyopaniṣad
The teaching on advāya (superimposition) is proceeded with
for all these purposes. The Absolutely True Brahman, being
One without a second, is regarded by persons of dull intellect
as nonexistent; hence, what the smṛti thinks is: “Though the
teaching now going to be imparted is not the absolutely right
one, yet even through such wrong teaching let these ignorant
persons be brought on to the right Path. We shall, gradually,
lead them up to the knowledge of the Absolutely True.”

—Śaṅkarācārya, Intro to Chhāndogya-bhāṣya, adhāya 8

Superimpositions in Chhāndogyopaniṣad
Adhāya & Khaṇḍa Description
1.1, 1.4 Meditation on ĀŪṀ as Brahman
1.2-3 ĀŪṀ as Udgīthā, the essence of all
1.5-6 ĀŪṀ as praṇava
1.7-13 Meditation on Udgīthā as triples, etc.
2.all Meditation on the Whole Sāma as Brahman
3.all Meditation on the Sun as Brahman
4.all Meditation on vāyu and prāṇa as Brahman
5.all 3 Paths to Brahman for Householders
6.all Śvetaketu’s Instruction as a path to Brahman
7.all Philosophy of Name as Brahman
8.all Ātmā-vichāra as a Path to Brahman
 Mutual Superimposition

Energy,
Consciousness

Brahman Body

Individuality,
Action etc.
 Mutual Superimposition

Self-realization,
Enlightenment,

ॐ
Bliss

Brahman ĀŪṀ as
Udgīthā, etc.
Part of Vaidik
Liturgy etc.
 Sublimation & Sublation
Sublimation: n. The act of
Sublation: n. The whole
heightening, re ning, Brahman overcomes but preserves
purifying, or freeing
what it overcomes.
(something) from baser
Nothing is lost or
qualities: as, the
destroyed but raised up
sublimation of the
and preserved, as in a
affections; that which has
spiral; merging of the
been highly re ned or
smaller into the higher of
puri ed; hence, the
overcoming and at the
highest product of
same time preserving.
anything.

ĀŪṀ as Udgīthā, etc.

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 Superimpositions in Vedānta-sūtra
In the First pāda of the Samanvāyādhyāya, First
Chapter, the Sūtrakāra takes up Upaniṣadik terms
referring to the manifested world—ākāśa (space),
prāṇa (life energy), jyoti (light)—and shows that they
really refer to Brahman. The Second pāda takes up
terms referring to the human body, and shows that
they refer to saguṇa-brahman. The Third pāda
similarly refers to nirguṇa-brahman, Parabrahman.
Superimpositions in Vedānta-sūtra, pāda 1.1
Adhikāranam Sūtras Description

Ānandamaya 1.1.12-19 Not nirguṇa-, but saguṇa-brahman

Antar 1.1.20-21 ‘The person in the Sun and eye’ is Brahman

Ākāśa 1.1.22 Ākāśa (space) is Brahman

Prāṇa 1.1.23 Prāṇa (life energy) is Brahman

Jyotiścharana 1.1.24-27 Jyoti (light) is Brahman

Pratārdana 1.1.28-31 Indra (Deity of Rg-Veda yajñas) is Prāṇa

Superimpositions in Vedānta-sūtra, pāda 1.2
Adhikāranam Sūtras Description
Sarvatra-prasiddhi 1.2.1-8 Manomaya is Brahman

Attra 1.2.9-10 ‘The Eater’ is Brahman

Guhapravishta 1.2.11-12 ‘The two that have entered the cave’
Antara 1.2.13-17 ‘The Person in the eye’ is Brahman
Antaryāmi 1.2.18-20 ‘The Ruler within the heart’ is Brahman
Adrsyatvam 1.2.21-23 ‘The One who cannot be seen’ is Brahman
Vaiṣvānara 1.2.24-32 The Vaiṣvānara re is Brahman
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Superimpositions in Vedānta-sūtra, pāda 1.3
Adhikāranam Sūtras Description
Dyubhvādi 1.3.1-7 Heaven, earth, etc. rest in Brahman
Bhūma 1.3.8-9 Bhūman is Brahman
Akśāra 1.3.10-12 Akśara (the imperishable) is Brahman
Īksatikarmavyapadesa 1.3.13 The ‘highest man to worship’ is Brahman
Dahara 1.3.14-21 Dahara or the ‘Small ākāśa’ is Brahman
Anukrtya 1.3.22-23 ‘Shining, everything shines’ is Brahman
Pramita 1.3.24-25 ‘The person the size of a thumb’ is Brahman
Kampana 1.3.39 ‘The Prāṇa in which everything trembles’ is Brahman
Jyotir 1.3.40 Light is Brahman
Arthantaratvadivyapadesa 1.3.41 Ākāśa is Brahman
Sushuptyutkrantya 1.3.42-43 ‘The Self consisting of knowledge’ is Brahman