अविरुद्धं च यत्त्वस्य प्रमाणं तच्च नान्यथा ।
एतद्विरुद्धं यत्तु स्यान्न तन्मानं कथञ्चन । १.३१ ।
31 All those sources which do not oppose the above and support them are also Pramanas. Those sources which are opposed to the above can never be Pramanas.
वैष्णवानि पुराणानि पञ्चरात्रात्मकत्वतः ।
प्रमाणान्येव मन्वाद्याः स्मृतयोऽप्यनुकूलतः । १.३२ ।
32 Since the Vaishnava Puranas propagate the same theme as propagated in the Pancharatra, they are also valid Pramanas. Similarly, since they propagate the same theme as Vedas and others, Manusmriti and other Smritis are valid Pramanas.
एतेषु विष्णोराधिक्यमुच्यतेऽन्यस्य न क्वचित् ।
अतस्तदेव मन्तव्यं नान्यथा तु कथञ्चन । १.३३ ।
33 All these Pramanas declare Lord Vishnu as the Supreme. They do not connote supremacy to another being anywhere. Hence, the supremacy of Vishnu is to be accepted as the Truth. One should never think otherwise.
मोहार्थान्यन्यशास्त्राणि कृतान्येवाऽज्ञया हरेः ।
अतस्तेषूक्तमग्राह्यमसुराणां तमोगतेः । १.३४ ।
34 The other granthas propagating other topics (such as supremacy of others) has been composed under the orders of Lord Hari himself. This is to ensure that Asuras end up obtaining Tamas. Hence the themes propagated by them is unacceptable.
यस्मात्कृतानि तानीह विष्णुनोक्तैः शिवादिभिः ।
एषां यन्न विरोधि स्यात्तत्रोक्तं तन्न वार्यते । १.३५ ।
35 Since those granthas have been composed, under the orders of Vishnu, by Shiva and others, the themes in those granthas that are not against the spirit of the Vedas and other pramanas are very much acceptable.
विष्ण्वाधिक्यविरोधीनि यानि वेदवचां स्यपि ।
तानि योज्यान्यानुकूल्याद्विष्ण्वाधिक्यस्य सर्वशः । १.३६ ।
36 Even if some of the riks in the Vedas appear to be going against the philosophy of the Supremacy of Lord Vishnu, they have to be re-interpreted and understood to mean and indicate the Supremacy of Lord Vishnu.
अवतारेषु यत्किञ्चिद्दर्शयेन्नरवद्धरिः ।
तच्चासुराणां मोहाय दोषा विष्णोर्नहि क्वचित् । १.३७ ।
37 In His avataras, Lord Vishnu sometimes appears to be human like (exhibit human frailities). This is only to put illusion into the minds of Asuras. He does not have any defects at all!
अज्ञत्वं पारवश्यं वा वेधभेदादिकं तथा ।
तथा प्राकृतदेहत्वं देहत्यागादिकं तथा । १.३८ ।
38 Ignorance, dependence upon others, pain, difference, having a nature-bound physical body, giving up the body (contd…)
अनीशत्वं च दुःखित्वं साम्यमन्यैश्च हीनताम् ।
प्रदर्शयति मोहाय दैत्यादीनां हरिः स्वयम् । १.३९ ।
39 Incapability, being sorrowful, equality with others, cheapness, these and some other defects are displayed by Lord Hari on His own will only for the purpose of creating illusion in the minds of Daityas.
इव्.न तस्य कश्चिद्दोषोऽस्ति पूर्णाखिलगुणो ह्यसौ ।
सर्वदेहस्थरूपेषु प्रादुर्भावेषु चेश्वरः । १.४० ।
40 HE absolutely does not have any defects at all. In all his physical forms and appearances, He is always full of complete and auspicious attributes.
ब्रह्माद्यभेदः साम्यं वा कुतस्तस्य महात्मनः ।
यदेवं वाचकं शास्त्रं तद्धि शास्त्रं परं मतम् । १.४१ ।
41 Where then is the oneness or equality of Brahma and others with this great One? Any shastra that proclaims such a truth (greatness of Him) is indeed superior shastra.
निर्णयायैव यत्प्रोक्तं ब्रह्मसूत्रं तु विष्णुना ।
व्यासरूपेण तद्ग्राह्यं तत्रोक्ताः सर्वनिर्णयाः । १.४२ ।
42 The Brahmasutras, which have been composed by Lord Vishnu in the form of Vyasa, for the purpose of aiding decisive interpretation of all shastras, is acceptable shastra in all ways. In them, all decisive interpretations have been given.
यथार्थवचनानां च मोहार्थानां च सं शयम् ।
अपनेतुं हि भगवान् ब्रह्मसूत्रमचीक्लृपत् । १.४३ ।
43 The Lord composed the Brahmasutras in order to resolve the confusion arriving out of interpreting certain statements as-is and other statements which cause illusion. Therefore, the meaning conveyed by Brahmasutras have to be understood very well before venturing to interpret other shastras.
तस्मात्सूत्रार्थमागृह्य कर्तव्यः सर्वनिर्णयः ।
सर्वदोषविहीनत्वं गुणैः सर्वैरुदीर्णता । १.४४ ।
अभेदः सर्वरूपेषु जीवभेदः सदैव च ।
विष्णोरुक्तानि सूत्रेषु सर्ववेदेड्यता तथा । १.४५ ।
तारतम्यं च मुक्तानां विमुक्तिर्विद्यया तथा ।
तस्मादेतद्विरुद्धं यन्मोहाय तदुदाहृतम् । १.४६ ।
44, 45, 46 Non-existence of any defect, being full of infinite auspicious attributes, absence of difference in any of the forms, absolute difference with all other souls always, being the central propagatory theme of all Vedas, hierarchy even amongst the liberated, liberation only due to knowledge – these are the truths propagated by the Brahmasutras. Therefore, anything that appears contrary to these truths is understood to have been there only for creating illusion (amongst Asuras).
तस्माद्ये ये गुणा विष्णोर्ग्राह्यास्ते सर्व एव तु” ।
इत्याद्युक्तं भगवता भविष्यत्पर्वणि स्फुटम् । १.४७ ।
47 Therefore, all that has been detailed as Lord Vishnu’s attributes are all perfectly acceptable. These and others have been clearly enumerated by Lord (Veda Vyasa) in the Bhavishyat Parva.
“एष मोहं सृजाम्याण्सु यो जनान्मोहयिष्यति ।
त्वं च रुद्र महाबाहो मोहशास्त्राणि कारय । १.४८ ।
अतत्थ्यानि वितत्थ्यानि दर्शयस्व महाभुज ।
प्रकाण्सं कुरु चाऽत्मानमप्रकाण्सं च मां कुरु” । १.४९ ।
48, 49 O Rudra, the one with great arms, I will compose illusionary shastras to put (tamasic) people into illusion. You too get others to compose such shastras and you do the same as well. O One with great shoulders! bring out points which does not exist anywhere, bring out contradictory messages. Mask my presence. Make yourself shine.
इति वाराहवचनं ब्रह्माण्डोक्तं तथाऽपरम् ।
“अमोहाय गुणा विष्णोराकारश्चिच्छरीरता । १.५० ।
50 There exists such a statement (as above) in the Varaha Purana. The statements in Brahmanda Purana also state the same. The attributes of the Lord, form, having a body that is pure knowledge (contd)
निर्दोषत्वं तारतम्यं मुक्तानामपि चोच्यते ।
एतद्विरुद्धं यत्सर्वं तन्मोहाय इति निर्णयः ” । १.५१ ।
51 Absence of any defect, Hierarchy even in Moksha, anything that is against these principles are for illusion of Asuras. That is the decision.
व्.स्कान्देऽप्युक्तं शिवेनैव षण्मुखायैव सादरम् ।
शिवशास्त्रेऽपि तद्ग्राह्यं भगवच्छास्त्रयोगि यत् । १.५२ ।
52 A similar message exists in Skanda Purana as well and has been told respectfully by Shiva to Shanmukha. Though Skanda Purana is a Shaiva Purana, it is acceptable since it is in sync wiht the shastra of the Lord (Veda Vyasa).
“परमो विष्णुरेवैकस्तज्ज्ञानं मोक्षसाधनम् ।
शास्त्राणां निर्णयस्त्वेष तदन्यन्मोहनाय हि । १.५३ ।
53 “Lord Vishnu alone is Supreme. His knowledge alone is the path to salvation. This is the purport of all shastras. All that is against these principles have been composed to cause illusion.
ज्ञानं विना तुया मुक्तिः साम्यं च मम विष्णुना ।
तीर्थाऽदिमात्रतो ज्ञानं ममाऽधिक्यं च विष्णुतः । १.५४ ।
54 Moksha without knowledge, Equality between Vishnu and me, direct knowledge due to pilgrimage and other such rituals, my superiority over Lord Vishnu…
अभेदश्चास्मदादीनां मुक्तानां हरिणा तथा ।
इत्यादि सर्वं मोहाय कथ्यते पुत्र नान्यथा”६ । १.५५ ।
55 Oneness of all of us and Oneness with Lord Hari after Mukti, all such statements, O dear son, have been told only to cause illusion and not with any other purpose”
उक्तं पाद्मपुराणे चशैव एव शिवेन तु ।
यदुक्तं हरिणा पूर्वमुमायै प्राह तद्धरः । १.५६ ।
56 In the Shaiva section of Padma Purana itself, it has been told by Shiva himself. What Lord Hari had told him previously, he narrated the same to Uma.
“त्वामाराध्य तथा ण्सम्भो ग्रहीष्यामि वरं सदा ।
द्वापराऽदौ युगे भूत्वा कलया मानुषाऽदिषु । १.५७ ।
57 “O Shambhu! In the Kruta, Treta and Dwapara yugas, I will appear on earth in human form and worship you and obtain boons from you”
स्वाऽगमैः कल्पितैस्त्वं च जनान्मद्विमुखान् कुरु ।
मां च गोपाय येन स्यात्सृष्टिरेषोत्तराधरा”७ । १.५८ ।
58 “Using your created shastras, make people go away from me. Because of this, those daityas who have taken the correct route will take the route of evil and destroy themselves”
न च वैष्णवशास्त्रेषु वेदेष्वपि हरेः परः ।
क्वचिदुक्तोऽन्यशास्त्रेषु परमो विष्णुरीरितः । १.५९।
59 In Vaishnava shastras or in the Vedas, there is no statement which ever attributes supremacy to anyone apart from Lord Hari. Whereas in other shastras, there has sometimes been an allusion to the supremacy of Lord Vishnu.
निर्दोषत्वाच्च वेदानां वेदोक्तं ग्राह्यमेव हि ।
वेदेषु च परो विष्णुः सर्वस्मादुच्यते सदा । १.६० ।
60 Since the Vedas are absolutely free of defects, what is said in them is completely and always acceptable. In the Vedas, it has always been mentioned that Lord Vishnu is superior to all else.
Anandatirtha Prathishtana 