Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada

Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan

Bg 13.5

ṛṣibhir bahudhā gītaṁ
chandobhir vividhaiḥ pṛthak
brahma-sūtra-padaiś caiva
hetumadbhir viniścitaiḥ

Synonyms: 

ṛṣibhiḥ — by the wise sages; bahudhā — in many ways; gītam — described; chandobhiḥ — by Vedic hymns; vividhaiḥ — various; pṛthak — variously; brahma–sūtra — of the Vedānta; padaiḥ — by the aphorisms; ca — also; eva — certainly; hetu–madbhiḥ — with cause and effect; viniścitaiḥ — certain.

Translation: 

That knowledge of the field of activities and of the knower of activities is described by various sages in various Vedic writings. It is especially presented in Vedānta-sūtra with all reasoning as to cause and effect.

 

We have discussed in the overview of 6 system of philosophy that Vedanta is the conclusion on the 6 system of philosophy. And this particular book Vednata Sutra / or Braham Sutra establishes that how Vedanta in the conclusion of the 6 systems of philosophy, so it is called as Vedana Sutra. Also the book is talking about how Brahman is the ultimate reality so it is also called Brahman Sutra. 

 

brahma-sūtra-padaiś caiva, pada refers to the section of the Brahma-sutra, Pada is a unit, 

hetumadbhir viniścitaiḥ, refers to cause and effect or logic, the Brahma Sutra is largely based on logic, so whole purpose of the Vedanata Sutra is to explain that how Brahman is the ultimate reality and the way it does it is by sequential progression, step by step explains how the various systems of thought that were at that particular time which includes orthodox thoughts (which accepts the vedantic system of philosophy, which accepts Veda as the authority e.g. Shankya Yoga, Vaiseshikha, Mimamsa and Vedanta) and Heterodox (which rejects Veda as an authority, e.g. Buddhism, Jainishm, Charvanism),  so among all these how Vedanta is highest that is established, and scriptures  is quoted but the import of scripture is established through both quoting other parallel scripture verses as well as through establishing the authority by logical inferences. So we see here Krishna is significantly quoting the authority, Krishna is saying that what He is speaking is spoken earlier by the great sages, chandha can refer to the a particular way in which the vedic hymns are recited chandha can also refer to Chandogya Upanaishad there also the word Chandha comes over there. 

Generally Vedic hymns doesn’t talk about ultimate reality directly, it focuses more on Karma Kanda, and ultimate reality is talked directly in Upanishads, 

SP Purport: And Vyāsadeva’s father, Parāśara, is also a great sage, and he writes in his books of religiosity, aham tvaṁ ca tathānye.… “we – you, I and the various other living entities – are all transcendental, although in material bodies.

This verse is more like Nat Tva Aham Ja Tu Nasham Na Tva Neme Janadhipa…all of us I, you and these kings are indestructible

 

SP Purport:  As stated before, kṣetra is the field of activities, and there are two kinds of kṣetra-jña: the individual living entity and the supreme living entity. As stated in the Taittirīya Upaniṣad (2.5), brahma pucchaṁ pratiṣṭhā. There is a manifestation of the Supreme Lord’s energy known as anna-maya, dependence upon food for existence. This is a materialistic realization of the Supreme. Then, in prāṇa-maya, after realizing the Supreme Absolute Truth in food, one can realize the Absolute Truth in the living symptoms or life forms. In jñāna-maya, realization extends beyond the living symptoms to the point of thinking, feeling and willing. Then there is Brahman realization, called vijñāna-maya, in which the living entity’s mind and life symptoms are distinguished from the living entity himself. The next and supreme stage is ānanda-maya, realization of the all-blissful nature. Thus there are five stages of Brahman realization, which are called brahma puccham. Out of these, the first three – anna-maya, prāṇa-maya and jñāna-maya – involve the fields of activities of the living entities. Transcendental to all these fields of activities is the Supreme Lord, who is called ānanda-maya. The Vedānta-sūtra also describes the Supreme by saying, ānanda-mayo ’bhyāsāt: the Supreme Personality of Godhead is by nature full of joy. To enjoy His transcendental bliss, He expands into vijñāna-maya, prāṇa-maya, jñāna-maya and anna-maya. In the field of activities the living entity is considered to be the enjoyer, and different from him is the ānanda-maya. That means that if the living entity decides to enjoy in dovetailing himself with the ānanda-maya, then he becomes perfect. This is the real picture of the Supreme Lord as the supreme knower of the field, the living entity as the subordinate knower, and the nature of the field of activities. One has to search for this truth in the Vedānta-sūtra, or Brahma-sūtra.

End of transcription.