Learniverse

Sutra 3: Śāstra-yonitvāt

“(Brahman is to be known) because it is the source of the Scriptures.”

Alright, so we just defined Brahman in the previous Sutra as the Source, Sustainer, and Dissolver of the universe — the ultimate Big Boss of reality.

But now the natural question comes up:

“Cool, but how do we know that’s what Brahman is? Like, where are you getting this from? Is this your idea? Some ancient philosopher’s guess?”

And Sutra 3 answers:

Because the Scriptures say so — and they’re not just any book. Brahman is literally the Source of those Scriptures too.

Yup. The Scriptures — especially the Upanishads — are not seen as someone’s subjective musings or creative writing. They’re treated more like a spiritual GPS — signals coming directly from the Source itself. And Brahman is the network, the signal, and the destination.

Let's Break It Down: What Does "Śāstra-yonitvāt" Mean?

Śāstra = Scripture
Yoni = womb, source, origin
Tvāt = because of, due to

So, the phrase literally means:

“Because the Scriptures are born from (or rooted in) Brahman.”

But don’t picture a bearded god writing the Vedas on a mountaintop like Moses. In Vedanta, the Vedas are considered apauruṣeya — not of human origin. That is, they weren’t "written" by someone; they were heard (śruti) by ancient sages in deep states of spiritual awareness.

Just like how a radio picks up unseen frequencies, these rishis tuned into the subtle truths of existence — and what they heard is what became the Vedas.

And the power behind those truths? Brahman.

Real World Analogy:

Imagine you’re using Google Maps on your phone. You don’t see the satellites, but you trust the directions. Why? Because the system works — consistently, logically, intelligently. You don’t need to see the satellites to know they exist.

Similarly, the Vedas — especially the Upanishads, which are the “philosophy section” of the Vedas — give us directions toward understanding reality. We trust them, not blindly, but because they consistently lead people toward liberation — the ultimate destination.

And what’s the “satellite” that powers this whole spiritual GPS?
Brahman.

Shankara's Mic Drop 🧠

Shankara, ever the sharp philosopher, doesn’t just say, “The Scriptures say so, so believe it.” He justifies why the Scriptures are a valid and essential source:

Brahman is beyond perception.
You can’t see it, hear it, taste it, touch it, or smell it — so the senses are out. No microscope, telescope, or AI can detect Brahman.
It’s also beyond inference.
You can’t logically deduce Brahman from other things, because everything else depends on Brahman. It’s like trying to prove the existence of light using only shadows. Doesn’t work.
So what’s left?
A valid, reliable, non-empirical source of knowledge. That’s where śruti (revealed knowledge from Scripture) comes in.

Basically, if Brahman could be fully known through reason or science, we’d all be enlightened by now. But we’re not — because Brahman is the ground of even thought and logic itself. It’s like trying to see your own eye without a mirror.

The mirror, in this case, is the Upanishads.

But Wait — Can’t Logic Do the Job?

Good question. And here's the twist:

Logic is great — but only as a sidekick, not the hero.

Shankara says logic (tarka) is like a flashlight. It helps you walk the path, but it can't build the path. You need the blueprint — and that’s the Scriptures.

He compares it to medicine:

The Scripture is like a doctor’s prescription, based on years of subtle understanding.
Logic is like the explanation of how the medicine works — helpful, but not a substitute for the medicine itself.
And Brahman? That’s the healing — the full return to your natural state of eternal peace.

Analogy Time: You Can’t Google Enlightenment (Well, Kinda)

You know how we trust physics textbooks to tell us what gravity is, even though most of us haven’t done the equations ourselves?

Now imagine a being that’s the source of the very laws of physics. Would you expect to figure that out with just your five senses and Google searches?

Nope. That’s where Vedanta steps in and says:

“The only way to know Brahman is through the lens of the Upanishads —
and the reason we can trust them is because they’re born of Brahman.”

It’s kind of like trusting a dream character to explain the waking world — wouldn’t work. But when someone who’s awake tells you the dream is just a dream, you listen.

TL;DR, but Enlightened:

Brahman can’t be seen, touched, or fully grasped by logic — so we need another valid source: śruti (scripture).
The Upanishads don’t just describe Brahman — they’re born from Brahman.
Just like a GPS system works because it’s powered by satellites, the Upanishads work because they’re powered by Brahman.
Logic is a useful tool, but it can’t originate this knowledge. It can only help clarify what the Upanishads reveal.
Brahman is the Source of the world, the scriptures, your self, and the very urge to seek the truth.

Chapter 1

Content