The four elements of Anubandha Chatustaya?

 The four elements of Anubandha Chatustaya?

               Not only Prakarana grandhas all Vedantic and Spiritual texts at the very beginning explain the ‘anubandha-catustaya.  Anubandha- catustaya means the requisite qualities or considerations with respect to the text.  They are four in number. They are common to all Vedantic texts.  Usually they serve as a foreword or introductory note to the texts.

Anubandha-catustaya are as follows:

1.       Adhikari:   The deservedness of an aspirant to study and receive the knowledge enshrined in the text.

2.      Vishaya:   The subject matter of the text.

3.      Prayojana:  Prayojana or phala is the result which acquires from studying the text. 

4.      Sambandha:  Relationship between the text and the subject matter.

By taking the example of Sankara bhagavad pada’s Atma bodha, let us understand how The Jagadguru put forth the anubandha catustaya.

Adhikari:  Adhikari means deserved and qualified aspirant. To understand a spiritual text the aspirant must processes some qualities. That person only can understand that text.

According to Sankara bhagavad pada the person qualified to study Atma bodha must possess the following qualities.

1.       Pure of heart (ksheenapapanam). The heart of the aspirant must be purified. He should perform NISHKAMA KARMAS for purification of heart.

2.      Peaceful and calm (santanam). He should control his minds activities and should maintain perfect balance in dualities.

3.      Free from worldly cravings (vita-ragam). His mind should be liberated from craving from worldly desires.  Desires must be vanished from him.

4.      Desirous of Liberation (mumukshunam). He should desire liberation. His mind should be liberated from all factors which bind him to the mundane world.

Vishaya: The Vishaya or the subject matter of the Atma bodha is Self- knowledge.  The title itself explains the same, Atma=self, bodha=knowledge. Understanding that the Individual consciousness which lies in one’s self is nothing but Brahman that is Pure consciousness. This is called Atma jnana or self knowledge. Knowing the identity with Individual Self (Jiva), and the Universal Self (Brahma). The entire subject of the text reveals this proposition only.

Prayojanam:  Moksha or Liberation is the prayojana or result of the text Atma bodha.  Moksha means escaping from the chain of births and deaths. Mumukshus desire only moksha.  By studying Atma bodha the seeker can attain Moksha.  This is the ultimate prayojana of studying Atma bodha. 

Sambandham:  This is the relationship between the subject matter (vishaya) delineated by the text and the text itself.  Sambandha is technically defined as` bodhya- bodhaka-bhava-sambandha’, that is the relationship between the `explained and the `explainer’.  Sambandha is necessary for an Adhikari to study the text.  More over Sambandha also puts forth that the text has the capacity to independently fulfil its aim of giving Self-K knowledge and that it is adequate in itself.  Sambandha, in the verse indicated by the word ‘vidhiyate’.

Dr A. Tara Lakshmi,
Srikalakasti