Scriptures state that Brahman is the First cause

I.1.11
श्रुतत्वाच्च |
Shrutatvaaccha

And because it is directly stated by the Srutis, the all knowing Brahman is the first cause of the universe

Shrutatvaat(श्रुतत्वात्): being declared by the Sruti; cha(च): also, and.

Svetasvatara Upanishad VI-9: 
He is the cause, The Lord of lords of organs. He has neither parent nor lord


Commentary:
HE refers to the all knowing Brahman(GOD). Therefore it is finally established that the All-Knowing, All-Powerful Brahman is the First Cause and not the insentient or non-intelligent Pradhana or anybody else

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, I.1.7, I.1.8, I.1.9, I.1.10

Pradhana cannot be the source - III

I.1.10
गतिसामान्यात् |
Gatisaamaanyaat

On account of uniformity of view of the scriptures, Brahman is to be considered as the first cause

Gati(गति): view; saamaanyaat(सामान्यात्): on account of uniformity;

Commentary:
Kaushitaki Upanishad III-3
Just like sparks proceed in all directions from a burning fire, from the self everything else will proceed


Taittareya Upanishad II-1
All this(manifestations) springs from the self


Prasna Upanishad III-3 
This Prana is born from the self

all the above passages describe the Self to be the cause. Therefore the all-knowing Brahman should be considered as the first cause because of the uniformity of the view of the scriptures

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, I.1.7, I.1.8, I.1.9

Pradhana cannot be the Source - II

I.1.9
स्वाप्ययात् |
Svaapyayaat

On account of  (the individual) merging in one's own self (the self cannot be pradhana)

Svaapyayaat(स्वाप्ययात्) : On account of merging in one's own self

Commentary:
Chhandogya upanishad V1-8-1 says Svam Apita, which means in deep sleep the individual soul resolves in the Sat. The intelligent Self can clearly not resolve itself into the non-intelligent Pradhana. Hence the Pradhana cannot be the First cause denoted by the term 'Sat' in the Brahma Sutra.

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, I.1.7, I.1.8

Pradhana cannot be the Source - I

I.1.8

हेयत्वावचनाच्च | 

Heyatvaavachanaachcha

And (the pradhana cannot be denoted by the word 'self') because it is not stated (by the scriptures) that It (Sat) has to be discarded

Heyatva (हेयत्व) : fitness to be discarded; Avachanat (आवचनात्) : not being stated (by the scriptures); Cha (च) : and;

Commentary:

If the preceptor intended to make his disciple understand the Self step by step from grosser to subtler truths through the non-self he would definitely state in the end that the Self is not of the nature of the Pradhana and that the Pradhana must be discarded. But no such statement is made in the scriptures. If ‘that’ or Sat means Pradhana (matter) the Srutis should teach us to turn away from it. But it is not the case.

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, I.1.7

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