Salvation is declared to one who is devoted to Truth (Sat)

I.1.7

तन्निष्ठस्य मोक्षोपदेशात् |

Tannishthasya mokshopadesat

Salvation is declared to one who is devoted to truth

Tat(तत्) : to that; Nishthasya(निष्ठस्य) : of the devoted; Mokshopadesat(मोक्षोपदेशात्) : from the statement of salvation

Commentary:

Chandogya Upanishad says "Thou art That" or "Tat Tvam Asi". The non intelligent pradhana cannot be attributed to the word self. If you were to assign pradhana as That the sentence "Thou Art That" would imply Thou Art Non-intelligent. Then the scriptures would be a source of evil. Since the scriptures are a means of right knowledge, they cannot refer the self to a non-intelligent pradhana. The scriptures apply the word Self  to Sat(Truth/Right) only in its primary meaning. Hence it is declared in the scriptures that he, who is absolutely devoted to the Creator or cause of the world, attains the final emancipation. It is not reasonable to say that one attains his release by devotion to blind matter, Pradhana

Background

Introduction - part1, part2, part3, part4

Sutra - I.1.1, I.1.2, I.1.3, I.1.4, I.1.5, I.1.6

Creation can be attributed only to the Brahman

I.1.6

गौणश्चेन्नात्मशब्दात् |

Gaunaschet na Atmasabdat 

The words Atman(Soul) are being applied to the cause of the world in the scriptures. Therefore the words seeing or thinking cannot be used in a secondary sense for the cause of the world

Gaunah(गौण): indirect, secondary, figurative; Chet(चेत्): if; Na(ना): not; Atmasabdat(अत्मशब्दात्): because of the word Atman, i.e., soul.

Commentary:

The scriptures use the terms Atman(Soul) for the cause of the world for e.g. "All this universe in essence is That; That is the Truth; That is Atman(Soul)". Atman is referred to as the intelligent principle while rules over the body and supports the Prana. Therefore the intelligent Atman cannot form the nature of the non-intelligent Pradhana(matter).

Background

Introduction - part1, part2, part3, part4

Sutra - I.1.1, I.1.2, I.1.3, I.1.4, I.1.5

Brahman (the intelligent principle) is the first cause

Topic 5 (sutras 5 - 11) : Ikshatyadyadhikaranam [Ikshateh: on account of seeing; adhikaranam: section, topic, proposition]

I.1.5
ईक्षतेर्नाशब्दम् |
Ikshaternaashabdam
On account of seeing (i.e thinking being attributed in the Upanishads to the cause of the world; the pradhana*) is not (to be identified with the cause indicated by the Upanishads; for) it is not founded on Scripture

*Saankhya philosophy puts forth an argument that the first cause of this world is pradhana (matter) which is a non-intelligent entity

Ikshateh(ईक्षते): on account of seeing (thinking); Na(न): is not; Ashabdam(अशब्दम्): not based on the scriptures


Commentary:
This sutra is stating that the cause of the world can be attributed only to the intelligent principle called Brahman and no other entity

Background

Introduction - part1, part2, part3, part4

Sutra - I.1.1, I.1.2, I.1.3, I.1.4

Brahman is the main purport of all scriptures

Topic 4: Samanvayadhikaranam [Samanvaya: coordination; adhikaranam: section, topic, proposition]

I.1.4
तत्तु समन्वयात्
Tattu Samanvayat
But that(I.1.3 Brahman is to be known only from the scriptures and not independently by other means is established), because it is the main purpose (of all scriptures)

Tat(तत्): that; Tu(तु): but; Samanvayat(समन्वयत्): coordination, on account of agreement or harmony, because it is the main purpose

Commentary:
Brahman or the absolute can be known only through the scriptures because all the passages of the scriptures can be harmonized only by such a doctrine. The scriptures refer to Brahman only because they have Brahman as their main topic. A very important point to be noted here is, Brahman cannot be realized through scriptures. Scriptures aims only at removing the ignorance about Brahman.

Background

Introduction - part1, part2, part3, part4

Sutra - I.1.1, I.1.2, I.1.3

Brahman is realisable only through the scriptures

Topic 3: Shaastrayonitvaadhikaranam [Shaastra: scripture, treatise; Yonitva: being the source of or the means of right knowledge; adhikaranam: section, topic, proposition]

I.1.3

शास्त्रयोनित्वात् | 

Shastrayonitvaat

The scripture being the source of right knowledge

Sastra(शास्त्र): scripture, treatise; Yonitva(योनित्व): being the source of or the means of right knowledge; 

Commentary:

Scripture is the source or the means of the right knowledge through which you have a comprehensive understanding of the nature of the Brahman. As Brahman is formless, colorless, attribute-less, it cannot be grasped by the means of senses of direct perception. Since Brahman is attribute-less it cannot be established by inference or analogy. The omniscience of Brahman follows from him being the source of the scriptures. Sruti alone are the proof about Brahman

Background

Introduction - part1, part2, part3, part4

Sutra - I.1.1, I.1.2

Definition of Brahman

Topic 2: Janmadyadhikaranam [janma : birth, origin etc.; adhikaranam : section, topic,proposition]

I.1.2

जन्माद्यस्य यतः |

Janmadyasya yatah

(Brahman is that) from which the origin etc., (i.e. the origin, sustenance & dissolution) of this (world proceed).

janmadi (जन्मदि) : origin etc.; asya (अस्य) : of this (world); yatah (यतः) : from which

Answer to the enquiry of Brahman is given in this sutra. Brahman is the only cause, stay and final resort of this world. 

Commentary:

Brahman who is originator, preserver and absorber of this vast world must have unlimited powers or characteristics. Hence he is omnipotent or omniscient. Knowledge of Brahman can be obtained by reflection on its attributes. Inference or reasoning is an instrument which can be used to study the attributes of Brahman without conflicting with the vedanta texts. 

This sutra points to a vedantic text which gives a description of the characteristics of Brahman. It is the passage from Taittiriya Upanishad III-i: 

Bhrigu went to his father Varuna asking "Sir, teach me Brahman"

Varuna said 

यतो॒ वा इ॒मानि॒ भूता॑नि॒ जाय॑न्ते | येन॒ जाता॑नि॒ जीव॑न्ति । यत्प्रय॑न्त्य॒भिसंवि॑शन्ति | तद्विजि॑ज्ञासस्व | तद ब्रह्मेति॑ ||

yatO vaa imaani bhUtaani jaayaMtE | yEna jaataani jeevaMti | yat prayaMtyabhisaMvishaMti | tadvijijnaasasva | tadbrahmEti ||

That from whence these beings are born, that by which, when born they live, that into which they enter at their death, try to know That. That is Brahman

Note on Vedic Swaras

The above sanskrit text from Taittiriya Upanishad III-i, has annotations on top and below certain letters. They denote the Vedic swaras [variations in pitch]. The swaras are indicated for recitation purpose. As per the annotations the pitch of the voice has to be changed when reciting that particular letter. 

• The letters with no annotations are known as udaata (उदात) - normal pitch
• The letters with an underscore below them are known as anudaata (अनुदात) - low pitch
• The letters with a vertical line above it are knows as swarita (स्वरित) - high pitch
• The letters with two vertical lines above it are known as deerga swarita(दीर्ग स्वरित) - high pitch and stretch it

The above is just an overview, it is advised to learn vedic recitation from a well practiced teacher 


Background

Introduction - part1, part2, part3, part4

Sutra - I.1.1

Now, therefore, the enquiry into Brahman/GOD

Chapter I

SAMANVAYA ADHYAYA [Samanvaya : co-ordination]

Section 1 

Topic 1: Jignasadhikaranam [Jignasa : explore, curiosity, desire; adhikaranam : section, topic, proposition]

Like every other topic in Brahma sutra deals with the topic of Brahman, henceforth it is implicit without mention that this topic conveys the following purpose

The enquiry into Brahman 

I.1.1
अथातो ब्रह्मजिज्ञासा |
Athato Brahmajignasa 
Now, therefore, the enquiry into Brahman


[The index I.1.1 indicates Chapter I, Section 1 and Sutra 1. This numbering will be followed through out the entire text]

Atha (अथ) : now, then, after this; Atah (अतः) : therefore; Brahmajignasa (ब्रह्मजिज्ञासा) : desire to know Brahman [the enquiry into the real nature of Brahman]

This being the first sutra of the Brahma sutras, creates a doubt in the mind of the reader. Now, therefore does not mean to introduce a new subject but it is here taken to be as denoting immediate consequence. Hence the enquiry into Brahman has to be a consequence of a phenomena which occurred before this.

The question here is, if a phenomena is a pre-requisite for the enquiry into Brahman what is that and where should it occur?

Only those who have got an earnest desire for the knowledge of Brahman are fit for the study of Brahma sutras. In the previous posts i have described couple of reasons which drive a person to know the real  nature of Brahman.

In most of the commentaries on Brahma sutras, the preliminary qualifications for an individual to begin the enquiry into Brahman are

1) Discrimination between eternal and the non-eternal
2) The renunciation of all desire to enjoy the fruit (of one's actions) both here and hereafter
3) Six virtues

• Sama - control of mind
• Dama - control of external senses
• Uparati - cessation from worldly enjoyments
• Titiksha - endurance of pleasure and pain
• Sraddha - faith in the words of the preceptor and of the Upanishads
• Samadhana - deep concentration

4) Desire for liberation

It is a generally accepted fact across commentaries that, only if these conditions exist can an individual engage in the enquiry of the Brahman and come to know of it; but not otherwise.

Note: I have put the preliminary qualifications from the commentaries because the said sutra as such doesn't speak about such conditions explicitly. This also highlights the fact that Brahma sutras cannot be understood without a lucid commentary. It is also true that the commentary also is in need of further elaborate explanation.

If now, therefore part of the enquiry is understood, then the next question that arises is the
What are the characteristics of the Brahman?

Background:

Introduction - part1, part2, part3, part4