Page:The Vedanta-sutras, with the Sri-bhashya of Ramanujacharya.djvu/23

 ing. Then in another stanza he speaks of the traditionally ancient character of the teachings contained in the Veddnta-Sutras, and gratefully recognises the value of the services rendered by early teachers in preserving and handing on those teachings, in accordance with which he himself undertakes to interpret the Veddnta-Sutras. (Vide page i). After declaring that his own explanation of the Sutras is in accordance with the interpretation given by ' ancient teachers ', such as Bodhayana, Dramida, Taiika, &c., he commences the discussion of the meaning of the first aphorism " Then therefore the enquiry into the Brahman" The words of the Sutra are taken into consi- deration one after another, and their meaning and grammar are both clearly explained (pp. 2 to 4). He then gives what is called the Vakyartha of the Sutra, this Vdkydrtha being the full meaning that is conveyed by the aphoristic sentence as a whole. In keeping with the division of the revealed scripture of the Hindus into the Karmakdnda and iQjfidnakdnda, there are two systems of philosophic enquiry known as the Karma-mlmdmsd and the Brahma-mlmdmsd. The former of these is what may be called a philosophy of sacrificial rites, and the latter is a philosophy that deals with the metaphysical foundations of the universe. The historical relation between the Karmakdnda or the Old Testament of the Vedas and the Jttanakdnda or the New Testament thereof is one of antecedence and sequence. And here this first aphorism is interpreted to mean that, immediately after acquiring the knowledge of the philosophy of Vcdic sacrificial rites, the study of the philosophy of the Brahman has to be begun, for the reason that ritualistic works yield only small and unenduring results while the 'knowledge' of the Brahman gives rise to immortality and eternal free-