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dhEvathAdhikaraNam-1-3-7

suthra-25-thadhuparyapibAdharAyaNah sambhavATH-1-3-25

BadarAyaNa says that meditation is possible for beings higher than 
humans like dhevas because of the possibility.

Since it is said in the previous suthra that only human beings are 
qualified to meditate the question arises whether those higher than 
humans are also qualified or not. 

the poorvapakshin says that they are not because they do not have 
prAkrtha sarira and hence cannot observe the spritual disciplines, 
sADHana sapthaka like viveka and vimoka outlined in the 
jinjnAsAdhikaraNa. Neither the vedanta texts nor the injunctions in 
the puravamimamsa texts refer to the embodiment of devas. 

This is refuted by the suthra. meditation is possible for the higher 
beings also because they also have desires,wishes, hardships  and 
sufferings and know that the highest bliss can only be found in 
Brahman, who is untouched by evil and possessed of infinite 
auspicious qualities. 

[This can be seen in the purAnic lore where we find Indra and others 
facing troubles and even Brahma  is said to have meditated on 
Narayana before starting the creation, in BhAgavatha purANa..]

The objection forwarded that they do not possess a body is not 
correct as prajApathi and Indhra and others are described as having 
body in the upanishads in the chapters on creation and meditation.All 
the scritures describe four kinds of creation, deva,human,animal and 
plants. They occupy the places till brahmaloka according to their 
karma. In the section on Prajapathi giving instruction to Indra, the 
latter was said to have  approached him  along with Virochana with 
samith on hand and staying with him as his disciple for thirtytwo 
years, all of  which implies the embodiment of Indra and the like.

Even in the karmakanda there are manthras and arthvAdhAs (laudatory 
passages) which speak of  the devas having bodies as could be seen 
in 'vajrahasthah purandharah,' Indra with vajrAyuDHa in his hand, 
etc. These passages cannot be ignored as laudatory because the 
qualities that exist alone will be praised not those which are 
nonexistent.

Since ithihasas, puranas and dharmasasthras also speak of devas as 
having embodiment they are also qualified for meditation.


suthra-26-virODHah karmaNI ithi cheth, na,anEka 
prathipatthErdharsanAth-1-3-26

If it is said that if devas have bodies it makes them impossible to 
be present at various yajnas to accept havirbhAga simultaneously the 
suthra refutes it saying that they are capable of assuming several 
bodies through their superhuman powers.Even yogis were found to have 
such powers as in the case of soubari who was supposed to take 
several bodies to please his many wives.

suthra-27-sabdha ithi cheth, na,athah prabhavAth 
prathyakshAnumAnAbhyAm-1-3-27

If it is said that the embodiment involves contradiction with respect 
to words,it is not so because beings originate from them(words) as 
seen from perception and inference.

This means, all the words in the veda and their meanings are eternel 
as accepted by all thinkers. Hence the forms and entities denoted by 
the vedic words like indra ,varuna etc are also eternal and if the 
devas are said to have embodiment theywill not be eternal as the 
bodies are subjected to destruction and their names denoted in the 
veda will lose their meaning being just an appellation like Devadatta.

This view is refuted by the suthra.The names like indra found in the 
veda are not related to a particular entity  but a class.That is why 
the vedic words are said to be eternal. The creator, Brahma utters a 
word and the form comes into being. Hence the entities are created 
ever new and their having  a corporeal body is not  detrimental to 
the eternity of the word in the veda denoting them.There is valid 
proof for this through perception, inference, that is, through sruthi 
and smrthi.

Sruthi says 'vEdhEna rupE vyAkarothsathAsathee prajApathih.
(Taitt.Aran.2-6) PrajApathi created the names and forms through 
veda ,being and nonbeing.And 'sa bhoorithi vyAharath bhoomim 
asrjatha; sa bhuva ithi vyAharath so anthariksham asrjatha.' He 
uttered the word 'bhoo' and created the earth and uttered the 
word 'bhuva' and created the sky. From smrithi also we know that 
everything was created by Brahma through words of veda.  'anAdhi 
niDHanO hyEshA vAg uthsrshtA svayambhuvA,Adhou vEdhamayee dhivyA 
yathah sarvAh prasoothayah' In the beginning  the creator gave out 
divine speech beinningless and endless in the form of veda from which 
everything origuinated.(MB.shanthi.231)Therefore the devas having 
bodies does not in any way makes the vedic words meaningless.


suthra-28-atha Eva cha nithyathvam-1-3-28

The eternity of the vedas result from this reason only.
Brahma remebers the words after each deluge and creates the devas and 
rshis as before and hence the eternity of the vedic words. The rshis 
are called manthradrshtas , seers of manthra and not composers for 
the same reason. But at the time of prAkrtha pralaya, complete 
dissolution, Brahma himself ceases to exist and how can the creation 
take place based on the remembrance of the vedas as in 
naimitthikapralya, the intermediate dissolution, is the question 
raised and the next sutha answers that.


suthra29samAnanAmarupathvAthcha Avrtthou api avirODHO 
dharsanATHsmrthEScha-1-3-29

As said in the Chandhogya text 'thadhaaikshatha bahusyAm prajAyEya,' 
etc the Lord creates everything as before and entering into all 
beings gives them name and form and hence the creative process 
happens as before starting from that of Brahma himself.this is how 
the veda cme to be called apourushEyam , uncreated by any 
individual.The supreme person also follows the same order of the 
vedas as before but it happens spontaneously for Him and not through 
memory.

There is scriptural evidence for this  as we find in svetAsvathara 
upanishad 'yO brahmANam vidhaDHAthi poorvam yO vai  vEdhAmscha 
prahiNOthi thasmai,' he who first created Brahma and gave the vedas 
to him. In the puraNas like nArasimha and VarAha also we find 
passages to substantiate this. 'thathra supthasya dhEVasya nAbhou 
padhmamajAyAtha;thasmin padhmE mahAbhAga vEdhavEdhAnga pAragah; 
brahmOthpannah,sa thEnOkthah prajAh srja mahAmathE.' (Nara.10) Also 
in varaha purANawe find the text 'Evambhoothasya me dhevi nAbhipadhmE 
chathurmukhah;uthpannah;sa mayAchOkthah prajAAh srja mahAmathE .' 
Both passages describe how Brahma came out from the naval of Narayana 
and was instructed on creation.
So the devas also are qualified for brahmavidhya.





 












  








                 






 
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