यत्रैकाग्रतो तत्राविशेषात् ।
yatraikāgrato tatrāviśeṣāt |
(Vedānta-sūtra: 4.1.11)
“[Where should one perform upāsana?] Where one-pointedness [of mind] occurs, because of [there being] no particulars in that regard [i.e., because śāstra gives no injunctions regarding where upāsana should be performed other than where the mind can become one-pointed].”
Commentary
yatra dig-ādau cittaikāgratā syāt tatraivopāsīta hariṁ nāsty atra dig-ādi-niyama ity arthaḥ | kutaḥ ? aviśeṣāt tadvad atra viśeṣasyāśravaṇāt | smṛtiś caivam āha—tam eva deśaṁ seveta taṁ kālaṁ tām avasthitim | tān eva bhogān seveta mano yatra prasīdati || na hi deśādibhiḥ kaścid viśeṣaḥ samudīritaḥ | manaḥ-prasādanārthaṁ hi deśa-kālādi-cintanam ||
(Excerpt from the Govinda-bhāṣya)
“In directions and so forth [i.e., in places and times] where one-pointedness [of mind] can come about, there [and then] worship Hari. There are no regulations regarding direction and so forth in this regard. This is the meaning. Why? Because of no particulars (aviśeṣāt), that is, because of no hearing of any particulars [in śāstra] in this regard. Furthermore, the Smṛti [i.e., Varāha Purāṇa] states:
‘Avail oneself only of that place, that time, that circumstance, and those items wherein the mind is pacified. No particulars are stated [in śāstra] regarding place and so forth. Consideration of place, time, and so forth is only for the purpose of pacifying the mind.’”