Chapter Four (चतुर्थोऽध्यायः॥)

विष्णुर्ब्रह्म तथाऽदातेत्येवं नित्यमुपासनम्‌। कार्यमापद्यपि ब्रह्म तेन यात्यपरोक्षताम्‌ ॥१॥

viṣṇurbrahma tathā’dātētyēvaṁ nityamupāsanam‌। kāryamāpadyapi brahma tēna yātyaparōkṣatām‌ ॥1॥

[विष्णुः (viṣṇuḥ) - Viṣṇu; ब्रह्म (brahma) - Brahman; तथा (tathā) - likewise; आदाता (ādātā) - the giver, the Lord; इति (iti) - thus; एवम् (ēvam) - in this manner; नित्यम् (nityam) - constantly; उपासनम् (upāsanam) - meditation; कार्यम् (kāryam) - is to be performed; आपदि (āpadi) - in adversity; अपि (api) - even; ब्रह्म (brahma) - Brahman; तेन (tēna) - through that; याति (yāti) - becomes; अपरोक्षताम् (aparōkṣatām) - directly apprehended;]

“Viṣṇu is Brahman and likewise the Lord” — meditation in this manner should be practised constantly, even in adversity. Through such meditation, Brahman becomes directly apprehended. (1)

प्रारब्धकर्मणोऽन्यस्य ज्ञानादेव परिक्षयः। अनिष्टस्योभयस्यापि सर्वस्यान्यस्य भोगतः ॥२॥

prārabdhakarmaṇō’nyasya jñānādēva parikṣayaḥ। aniṣṭasyōbhayasyāpi sarvasyānyasya bhōgataḥ ॥2॥

[प्रारब्ध-कर्मणः (prārabdha-karmaṇaḥ) - than prārabdha karma; अन्यस्य (anyasya) - of karma other than it; ज्ञानात् (jñānāt) - through knowledge; एव (ēva) - alone; परिक्षयः (parikṣayaḥ) - complete destruction; अनिष्टस्य (aniṣṭasya) - of undesirable karma; उभयस्य (ubhayasya) - of both kinds (before and after the rise of knowledge); अपि (api) - as well; सर्वस्य (sarvasya) - of all; अन्यस्य (anyasya) - the rest (remaining karma that must be exhausted); भोगतः (bhōgataḥ) - through experience;]

All undesirable karma other than prārabdha, whether pertaining to the period before or after the rise of knowledge, is completely exhausted through knowledge alone; all remaining karma is exhausted through experience. (2)

उत्तरेषूत्तरेष्वेवं यावद्वायुं विमुक्तिगाः। प्रविश्य भुञ्जते भोगांस्तदन्तर्बहिरेव वा ॥३॥

uttarēṣūttarēṣvēvaṁ yāvadvāyuṁ vimuktigāḥ। praviśya bhuñjatē bhōgāṁstadantarbahirēva vā ॥3॥

[उत्तरेषु + उत्तरेषु (uttarēṣu + uttarēṣu) - in successively higher beings; एवम् (ēvam) - in this way; यावत् (yāvat) - as far as; वायुम् (vāyum) - Vāyu; विमुक्ति + गाः (vimukti + gāḥ) - those proceeding toward liberation; प्रविश्य (praviśya) - having entered; भुञ्जते (bhuñjatē) - experience; भोगान् (bhōgān) - karmic fruits; तत् + अन्तः (tat + antaḥ) + बहिः (bahiḥ) + एव (ēva) + वा (vā) - either within them or outside them;]

वायुर्विष्णुं प्रविश्यैव भोगांश्चैवोत्तरोत्तरम्‌। उत्क्रम्य मानुषा मुक्तिं यान्ति देहक्षयात् सुराः ॥४॥

vāyurviṣṇuṁ praviśyaiva bhōgāṁścaivōttarōttaram‌। utkramya mānuṣā muktiṁ yānti dēhakṣayāt surāḥ ॥4॥

[वायुः (vāyuḥ) - Vāyu; विष्णुम् (viṣṇum) - Viṣṇu; प्रविश्य + एव (praviśya + ēva) - only upon entering; भोगान् + च + एव (bhōgān + ca + ēva) + उत्तरोत्तरम् (uttarōttaram) - their enjoyments are progressively higher; उत्क्रम्य (utkramya) + मानुषाः (mānuṣāḥ) - human beings attain liberation by departing (from the body); मुक्तिम् (muktim) - liberation; यान्ति (yānti) - attain; देह + क्षयात् (dēha + kṣayāt) + सुराः (surāḥ) - the gods (attain liberation) through dissolution of their bodies;]

अर्चिरादिपथा वायुं प्राप्य तेन जनार्दनम्‌। यान्त्युत्तमा नरोच्चाद्या ब्रह्मलोकात् सहाऽमुना ॥५॥

arcirādipathā vāyuṁ prāpya tēna janārdanam‌। yāntyuttamā narōccādyā brahmalōkāt sahā’munā ॥5॥

[अर्चिर् + आदि + पथा (arcir + ādi + pathā) - by the path beginning with flame; वायुम् (vāyum) - Vāyu; प्राप्य (prāpya) - having reached; तेन (tēna) - through him; जनार्दनम् (janārdanam) - Janārdana; यान्ति (yānti) - go to; उत्तमाः (uttamāḥ) - the highest souls; नर + उच्च + आद्याः (nara + ucca + ādyāḥ) - beginning with the highest among humans; ब्रह्मलोकात् (brahmalōkāt) - from Brahmaloka; सह (saha) - together with; अमुना (amunā) - him;]

Those proceeding toward liberation enter successively higher beings, up to Vāyu, and experience enjoyments either within them or outside them. Vāyu, in turn, enters Viṣṇu Himself. Their enjoyments are progressively higher. Human beings attain liberation by departing from their bodies, while the gods attain it through the dissolution of their bodies. The higher souls, beginning with the highest among human beings, reach Vāyu by the path beginning with flame and, through him, attain Janārdana, proceeding from Brahmaloka together with him. (3–5)

यथासङ्कल्पभोगाश्च चिदानन्दशरीरिणः। जगत्सृष्ट्यादिविषये महासामर्थ्यमप्यृते ॥६॥

yathāsaṅkalpabhōgāśca cidānandaśarīriṇaḥ। jagatsr̥ṣṭyādiviṣayē mahāsāmarthyamapyr̥tē ॥6॥

[यथा-सङ्कल्प-भोगाः (yathā-saṅkalpa-bhōgāḥ) - whose enjoyment accords with their will; च (ca) - and; चित्-आनन्द-शरीरिणः (cit-ānanda-śarīriṇaḥ) - possessing bodies of consciousness and bliss; जगत्-सृष्टि-आदि-विषये (jagat-sr̥ṣṭi-ādi-viṣayē) - with respect to the creation of the world and the like; महा-सामर्थ्यम् (mahā-sāmarthyam) + अपि (api) + ऋते (r̥tē) - but not the supreme cosmic powers of creation, maintenance, dissolution, etc;]

यथेष्टशक्तिमन्तश्च विना स्वाभाविकोत्तमान्‌। अनन्यवशगाश्चैव वृद्धिह्रासविवर्जिताः। दुःखादिरहितं नित्यं मोदन्तेऽविरतं सुखम्‌ ॥७॥

yathēṣṭaśaktimantaśca vinā svābhāvikōttamān‌। ananyavaśagāścaiva vr̥ddhihrāsavivarjitāḥ। duḥkhādirahitaṁ nityaṁ mōdantē’virataṁ sukham‌ ॥7॥

[यथेष्ट-शक्तिमन्तः (yathēṣṭa-śaktimantaḥ) - possessing power according to their desire; च (ca) - and; विना (vinā) - except for; स्वाभाविक-उत्तमान् (svābhāvika-uttamān) - those naturally superior; अनन्य-वशगाः (ananya-vaśagāḥ) - subject to no one else; च (ca) - and; एव (ēva) - indeed; वृद्धि-ह्रास-विवर्जिताः (vr̥ddhi-hrāsa-vivarjitāḥ) - free from increase and decrease; दुःख-आदि-रहितम् (duḥkha-ādi-rahitam) - devoid of sorrow and the like; नित्यम् (nityam) - eternal; मोदन्ते (mōdantē) - they rejoice in; अविरतम् (aviratam) - uninterruptedly; सुखम् (sukham) - happiness;]

Their enjoyments accord with their will, and they possess bodies of consciousness and bliss, but they do not possess the supreme powers relating to the creation of the universe and the like. They possess powers according to their desire and, except for those naturally superior to them, are subject to no one else. Free from increase and decrease, they rejoice eternally and without interruption in happiness devoid of sorrow and the like. (6–7)

पूर्णप्रज्ञेन मुनिना सर्वशास्त्रार्थसङ्ग्रहः। कृतोऽयं प्रीयतां तेन परमात्मा रमापतिः ॥८॥

pūrṇaprajñēna muninā sarvaśāstrārthasaṅgrahaḥ। kr̥tō’yaṁ prīyatāṁ tēna paramātmā ramāpatiḥ ॥8॥

[पूर्णप्रज्ञेन (pūrṇaprajñēna) - by Pūrṇaprajña; मुनिना (muninā) - by the sage; सर्व + शास्त्र + अर्थ + सङ्ग्रहः (sarva + śāstra + artha + saṅgrahaḥ) - compendium of the meanings of all the scriptures; कृतः + अयम् (kr̥taḥ + ayam) - this was composed; प्रीयताम् (prīyatām) - may he be pleased; तेन (tēna) - with it; परमात्मा (paramātmā) - the Supreme Self; रमा + पतिः (ramā + patiḥ) - the Lord of Ramā;]

This compendium of the meaning of all the scriptures was composed by the sage Pūrṇaprajña. May the Supreme Self, the Lord of Ramā, be pleased by it. (8)

नमो नमोऽशेषदोषदूरपूर्णगुणात्मने। विरिञ्चिशर्वपूर्वेड्‌यवन्द्याय श्रीवराय ते ॥९॥

namō namō’śēṣadōṣadūrapūrṇaguṇātmanē। viriñciśarvapūrvēḍ‌yavandyāya śrīvarāya tē ॥9॥

[नमः (namaḥ) - obeisance; नमः (namaḥ) - obeisance again; अशेष-दोष-दूर (aśēṣa-dōṣa-dūra) - far removed from every defect; पूर्ण-गुण-आत्मने (pūrṇa-guṇa-ātmanē) - whose nature is replete with perfect qualities; विरिञ्चि-शर्व-पूर्व (viriñci-śarva-pūrva) - by Viriñci, Śarva, and others; ईड्य-वन्द्याय (īḍya-vandyāya) - worthy of praise and reverence; श्री-वराय (śrī-varāya) - to the Lord of Śrī; ते (tē) - to you;]

Obeisance, obeisance to You, the Lord of Śrī, who are far removed from every defect, whose nature is replete with perfect qualities, and who are worthy of praise and worship by Viriñci, Śarva, and others. (9)

॥इति चतुर्थोऽध्यायः॥

॥iti caturthō’dhyāyaḥ॥

[इति (iti) - thus; चतुर्थः (caturthaḥ) - fourth; अध्यायः (adhyāyaḥ) - chapter;]

Thus ends the fourth chapter.

इति श्रीमदानन्दतीर्थभगवत्पादाचार्यविरचितं ब्रह्मसूत्राणुभाष्यं सम्पूर्णम्‌

॥iti śrīmadānandatīrthabhagavatpādācāryaviracitaṁ brahmasūtrāṇubhāṣyaṁ sampūrṇam‌

[इति (iti) - thus; श्रीमत् + आनन्दतीरथ + भगवत्पादाचार्य (śrīmat + ānandatīrtha + bhagavatpādācārya) - the venerable Ānandatīrtha Bhagavatpādācārya; विरचितम् (viracitam) - composed by; ब्रह्मसूत्र + अणुभाष्यम् (brahmasūtra + aṇubhāṣyam) - the Aṇubhāṣya on the Brahma Sūtras; सम्पूर्णम् (sampūrṇam) - is complete;]

Thus the Aṇubhāṣya on the Brahma Sūtras, composed by the venerable Ānandatīrtha Bhagavatpādācārya, is complete.