सर्वधर्मोपपत्तेश्च ।
sarva-dharmopapatteś ca |
(Vedānta-sūtra: 2.1.37)
“And because of the establishment of all attributes [in Brahman, Brahman rightly both remains impartial to jīvas in general and favors his bhaktas specifically].
Commentary
avicintya-svarūpe sarveśvare sarveṣāṁ viruddānām aviruddānāṁ ca dharmāṇām upapatteḥ siddheś ca bhakta-pakṣa-pāto’pi guṇaḥ sujñair āstheya eva | yathā jñānātmako jñānavān śyāmaś caivam aviṣamo bhakta-preyān ity ādayo mitho viruddhāḥ kṣānty-ārjavādayo ’viruddhāś ca parasminn eva santi | smṛtiś ca—‘aiśvarya-yogād bhagavān viruddhārtho’bhidhīyate | tathāpi doṣāḥ parame naivāhāryāḥ kathañcana | guṇā viruddhā apy ete samāhāryāḥ samantataḥ ||’ iti | tathā cāviṣamo’pi harir bhakta-suhṛd iti siddham |
(Govinda-bhāṣya on Vedānta-sūtra: 2.1.37)
“And because of the establishment (upapattiḥ) of [the existence of] all contradictory and non-contradictory attributes in the Īśvara of all, who is of completely inconceivable essential nature (avicintya-svarūpa), even favoring of bhaktas is verily to be regarded as a quality by those of fine understanding. As [Brahman is] constituted of consciousness yet also a possessor of consciousness and swarthy [in appearance], so he is impartial and a lover [alt., protector] of bhaktas. In this way, contradictory qualities, and non-contradictory qualities, such as forbearance, straightforwardness, and so on, verily exist in the Supreme. The Smṛti [i.e., Kūrma Purāṇa, also says]: ‘By virtue of possessing mastery (aiśvarya), Bhagavān is known as Viruddhārtha [i.e., ‘he who is an object of contradiction’]. Still, faults are never to be attributed to the Supreme by any means, whereas even contradictory qualities are always to be attributed in full [to him, i.e., understood to coexist and function cooperatively within him].’ Therefore, furthermore, it is established that although impartial, Hari is a well-wisher of bhaktas.”