वैषम्यनैर्घृण्ये न सापेक्षत्वात्तथा हि दर्शयति ।
vaiṣamya-nairghṛṇye na sāpekṣatvāt tathā hi darśayati |
(Vedānta-sūtra: 2.1.34)
“There exists no partiality or cruelty [in Brahman when he acts as the emanator of the universe] because of [Brahman’s] being dependent [on the karma of the jīvas] since the śāstra shows so.”
Commentary
punar āśaṅkya pariharati | brahma-kartṛtva-vādo’samañjasaḥ samañjaso veti vīkṣāyāṁ sukha-duḥkha-bhājo deva-manuṣyādīn sṛjati brahmaṇi vaiṣamyādyāpatter asamañjasaḥ | tataś ca nirdoṣatāvādi-śruty-uparodhāpattir iti prāpte—
vaiṣamya-nairghṛṇye na sāpekṣatvāt tathā hi darśayati |
brahmaṇi kartari vaiṣamyaṁ nairghṛṇyaṁ ca doṣo na | kutaḥ? sāpekṣatvāt sraṣṭuḥ karmāpekṣitvāt | pramāṇam āha tathā hīti | ‘eṣa eva sādhu-karma kārayati taṁ yam ebhyo lokebhya unninīṣate, eṣa evāsādhu-karma kārayati taṁ yam adho ninīyate |’ iti bṛhad-āraṇyaka-śrutiḥ | kṣetrajñānāṁ devādi-bhāva-prāptim īśvara-nimittāṁ darśayantī madhye karma parāmṛśatīty arthaḥ |
(Govinda-bhāṣya on Vedānta-sūtra: 2.1.34)
“Again he raises a doubt and resolves [it]. Is the proposition of Brahman’s doership (kartṛtva) [in regard to the emanation, sustenance, and so forth of the universe] proper or improper? [A prima facie view is posed:] ‘Upon examination, it is improper because of the occurrence of partiality (vaiṣamya) and so on [i.e., cruelty (naighṛṇya)] in Brahman when emanating devas, human beings, and so forth who experience happiness and suffering. Consequently, furthermore, the occurrence comes about of opposition to the statements (śrutis) [in the śāstra] of [Brahman’s] being faultless and so forth.’ When this [prima facie view] is encountered, [the author writes sūtra 2.1.33]:
“‘There exists no partiality or cruelty [in Brahman in that case] because of [Brahman’s] being dependent [on the karma of the jīvas] since the śāstra shows so.’
“There is no fault of partiality (vaiṣamya) or cruelty (naighṛṇya) in Brahman as a doer [i.e., as the emanator and so forth of the universe]. Why? Because of [Brahman’s] being dependent (sāpekṣatvāt), that is, the emanator’s [i.e., Brahman as the emanator of the universe’s] being dependent upon [the jīvas’] karma. The author states evidence [in this regard], ‘Since the śāstra shows so.’ There is a statement (śruti) in the Bṛhadārayaṇaka [Upaniṣad], ‘He [i.e., Brahman] himself causes to perform good karma one whom he desires to elevate from these planes. He himself causes to perform bad karma one whom he desire to take down.’ The śāstra shows that the knowers of the field’s [i.e., the jīvas’] attainment of the state of [being] a deva and so on is that the cause of which is Īśvara [i.e., the śāstra shows that Īśvara is the cause of the jīvas’ attainment of the states of being devas, human beings, and so on], meaning, in the middle he considers the karma [of each individual jīva prior to causing the jīvas to act in a particular way and thereby attain a particular state, such as that of being a deva, a human being, or otherwise].”
Note: The verse said to be found in Bṛhadārayaṇaka Upaniṣad actually seems to be found in Kauśītaki-brāhmaṇa Upaniṣad (3.9).