परमपुरुषप्रसादात् वेदान्तसार 1 उद्ध्रियते-
अथातो ब्रह्मजिज्ञासा ॥ १ ॥
अत्रायमथशब्द आनन्तर्ये वर्तते, अतःशव्द्रशिरस्कत्वात् । अतः- शब्दश्च पूर्ववृत्तस्य हेतुभावे । पूर्ववृत्तं च कर्मज्ञानमिति विज्ञायते, आरिप्सितस्य ब्रह्मज्ञानस्य वेदार्थविचारैकदेशत्वात्। अधीतवेदस्य हि पुरुषस्य, कर्मप्रतिपादनोपक्रमत्वाद्वेदामां, कर्मविचारः प्रथमं कार्य इति "अथातो घर्मजिज्ञासा" इत्युक्तम् । कर्मणां च प्रकृतिविकृतिरूपाणां
Vedantasara or the quintessence of Vedanta is extracted and offered to the public by the grace of the Highest Person.
1. Athto Brahma-jijnasa
Then therefore the inquiry into the Brahman.
Here the word, then is used in the sense of coming thereafter; because it is followed by the word therefore. The word, therefore, is used in the sense of causation of that which has been concluded previously. What has been concluded previously, is understood to be the knowledge of ritualistic works; because the inquiry into the Brahman, which is desired to be commenced here, happens to be a portion of the inquiry into the meaning of the Vedas. Indeed, for the person, who has completed his study of the Vedas, the first duty is to make an inquiry into the ritualistic works, as the Vedas commence to deal with them in the beginning. Hence it is stated " Then therefore the inquiry into the Dharma " (Mim. 1. 1. 1). Taking the topic of Dharma separately, it is determined in the series of Sutras ending with "The priestly function must be common for all the castes as all are able to do it" (Mim. 12-4-40) that
1सारार्थ A 1, M 1. I This is the Purvapakshasutra of the last Adhikarana.
