SrI: SrImathE satakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImadh varavaramunayE nama:
sUthram 36
ஜ்ஞாநாஶ்ரயமாகில் ஶாஸ்த்ரங்களிலே இவனை “ஜ்ஞாநம்” என்று சொல்லுவானேன்? என்னில்.
gyAnASrayamAgil SAsthrangaLilE ivanai “gyAnam” enRu solluvAnEn? ennil.
Meaning
If the soul is the substratum of knowledge, why do the scriptures describe it as knowledge itself?
Explanation
A doubt arises.
The previous sUthrams established that the soul is the substratum of knowledge (gyAnASraya) and not merely knowledge itself.
Yet scriptural passages [upanishadh] appear to identify the soul with knowledge:
यो विज्ञाने तिष्ठन्
(yO vigyAnE thishtan)
विज्ञानमयः
(vigyAnamaya:)
विज्ञानं यज्ञं तनुते [thaiththirIya upanishadh]
(vigyAnam yagyam thanuthE)
Likewise, other authorities [vishNu purANam] state –
ज्ञानस्वरूपमत्यन्तनिर्मलं परमार्थतः ।
ज्ञानस्वरूपमखिलं जगदेतदबुद्धयः ॥
विज्ञानं परमार्थो हि द्वैतिनो तत्त्वदर्शिनः ॥
(gyAna svarUpam athyantha nirmalam paramArthatha: |
gyAna svarUpam akhilam jagadhEthadh abudhdhaya: ||
vigyAnam paramArthO hi dhvaithinO thathva dharSina: ||)
When scriptures and revered authorities speak of the soul as gyAna and vigyAna, why was it earlier established as the abode of knowledge (gyAnASraya)?
This is the doubt raised by the seeker (jigyAsu-praSna) and taken up in the present sUthram.
adiyen vAsudhEva rAmAnuja dhAsan
archived in https://granthams.koyil.org
pramEyam (goal) – https://koyil.org
pramANam (scriptures) – https://granthams.koyil.org
pramAthA (preceptors) – https://acharyas.koyil.org
SrIvaishNava education/kids portal – https://pillai.koyil.org