Verse 3.19

Sanskrit text and transliteration:

अन्वयव्यतिरेकादिचिन्तनं वा तपो भवेत् ।
अहं ब्रह्मेतिवाक्यार्थबोधायालमिदं यतः ॥ १९ ॥

anvayavyatirekādicintanaṃ vā tapo bhavet |
ahaṃ brahmetivākyārthabodhāyālamidaṃ yataḥ || 19 ||

English translation of verse 3.19:

Or, tapas is reflection on the subject-matter through the method of anvaya and vyatireka, etc., since this is competent to make us understand the knowledge conveyed by the sentence, “I am Brahman.”

Notes:

In the previous verse Sureśvara explained tapas in the sense of concentration as stated by Śaṅkara in his commentary. Now\he gives his own explanation. Since the problem with which Bhṛgu is concerned is inquiry into Brahman, Srueśvara interprets tapas as reflection on the subject-matter through the method of anvaya and vyatireka, i.e., agreement in presence as well as in absence, reflection on the import of the Vedānta text, inquiry into the means (sādhana) which will be conducive to the end, and examination of the nature of the end (phala) to be attained. He adopts this interpretation, as the inquiry into the subjectmatter along these lines will lead to the attainment of the knowledge of Brahman from the Vedānta texts.