From Cosmic Soma to Vedāntic Sutras: The Lives and Legacies of Chandra and Bādarāyaṇa”
By Cdr Alok Mohan
श्लोक
स ब्रह्मा अङ्गस्य स्फुटोऽत्रेति श्रुतो विदितो मया।
यस्यात्मज‐सङ्काशं चन्द्रे रूपं विभाव्यतेऽशेषतः॥
Translation (English):
“That one (who is) Brahmā, from whose limb Atri has evidently been produced, whose form as Soma (moon) emerges entirely, it is known by me”
(This is not a canonical verse from standard sources, but constructed here to evoke the mythic identity of Soma as generated from Atri and seen fully in Chandra.)
Introduction
In Hindu mythology and philosophy there is often a pair of figures: one mythic, cosmological and symbolic (such as Somā / Chandra), the other philosophical, exegetical and system‐building (such as Āchārya Bādarāyaṇa). Soma / Chandra represents the lunar deity: associated with vegetation, healing, time, waxing and waning, marriage alliances (i.e. with the 27 daughters of Dakṣa), the lunar dynasty (Candra-vaṃśa), and affects natural and astrological processes. Āchārya Bādarāyaṇa is the seer or sage associated with the Vedāntic school who (traditionally) composed the Brahma Sūtras (also called Vedānta Sūtra), systematizing the teachings of the Upaniṣads, reconciling apparent contradictions, and laying out the means (sādhanā) and fruit (phala) of knowledge of Brahman (ultimate reality).
The rest of this paper treats separately and comparatively the life, myths, teachings, philosophical significance, and later interpretations of these two, concluding with reflections on what their juxtaposition reveals for Hindu thought.
According to the Purāṇic tradition, Āchārya Bādarāyaṇa, also identified by many with Parāśarya Vyāsa, is revered as the composer of the Brahma Sūtras or Brahma Sūktas. While Vyāsa is usually described as belonging to the Vasiṣṭha lineage, some texts refer to Bādarāyaṇa as connected with the Āṅgirasa lineage, highlighting the diversity of genealogical traditions. Among his disciples, Tandi and Śāṭyāyani are regarded as prominent, indicating the continuity of his intellectual legacy. The Brahma Sūtras themselves consist of four chapters (adhyāyas), sixteen sections (pādas), one hundred and ninety-nine topical discussions (adhikaraṇas), and a total of five hundred and fifty-five aphorisms. These aphorisms are also known by several names, including Mīmāṃsā, Bādarāyaṇa Sūtra, Brahma Mīmāṃsā, Vedānta Sūtra, and Śārīraka Sūtra. Their principal aim is the systematic reconciliation of the diverse and sometimes seemingly contradictory teachings of the Upaniṣads, thereby presenting Vedāntic philosophy in a coherent and integrated form. With their brevity and philosophical depth, the Sūtras demand commentary and interpretation, and in this way, they bear a resemblance to the Bhagavadgītā attributed to Vyāsa, which likewise seeks to harmonize knowledge, devotion, and action. The Brahma Sūtras are universally acknowledged as the foundational text of the Vedānta system, also called Uttara Mīmāṃsā or Brahma Mīmāṃsā. Furthermore, tradition maintains that even before Bādarāyaṇa, seven earlier teachers of Vedānta had developed interpretive approaches to the Upaniṣads, suggesting that his work was both a culmination and a systematization of a long-standing philosophical current. The chapters of the Brahma Sūtras themselves carry telling titles: the first, Samanvaya (“Reconciliation”), establishes Brahman as the central teaching of the Upaniṣads by resolving conflicting passages; the second, Avirodha (“Non-Contradiction”), addresses objections from rival schools; the third, Sādhanā (“Means”), sets out the path to realization; and the fourth, Phala (“Fruit”), describes the ultimate liberation that arises from such knowledge.
Part I: Soma / Chandra (सोम या चन्द्र)
1. Mythic Origins and Genealogy
Soma (also called Chandra) is usually described as the son of the sage Atri and his wife Anasuya.
He is counted among the Navagraha (the celestial bodies/planets in Hindu astrology) and one of the Dikpālas.
Soma/Chandra is alternatively identified with the Vedic deity Soma (the sacred drink / plant / deity), though this identification evolves over time. In early Vedic layers, Soma is primarily the substance/deity of the ritual drink; later, Soma is more explicitly connected with the moon in certain texts.
2. Consorts, Love, Curse, and Lunar Phases
He marries the 27 daughters of Dakṣa (the Nakṣatras – lunar mansions). However, he shows special affection for one of them, Rohinī, neglecting the others.
The neglected wives complain to their father, Dakṣa, who curses Soma. The curse causes him to “wane” (i.e. to lose brightness / diminish). The wives’ intercession leads to the curse being modified: Soma’s waning and waxing become periodic, so that for 14 or 15 nights he declines, and then for a similar period he grows.
A further myth: Chandra abducts Tārā, who is the wife of Bṛhaspati (the planet Jupiter’s regent), which causes a conflict among divine beings. Their union produces Budha (planet Mercury). Eventually Tārā is restored to Bṛhaspati.
3. Soma and Nature, Medicinal Plants, Vegetation
Soma / Chandra is associated with plants, herbs, water, and the life of vegetation. The waxing and waning of Soma is linked to growth and decay in nature—his diminution corresponds with decline, his increase with flourishing.
According to some stories (e.g. in the Harivamśa or the Puranic tradition), when Soma travels in his chariot and the moonlight splashes or drips, or from the effulgence (tears, or rays) of the moon, medicinal herbs come into being; or Soma’s presence influences water, herbs, and vegetation. (Vedic Astro)
4. Soma and the Lunar Dynasty (Chandra-vaṃśa)
Chandra is the progenitor of the Lunar dynasty (Candra-vaṃśa), which includes figures like Budha, Pururavas, Yayāti, etc. The narrative ties mythic genealogy to royal lineages, such as those described in epics (Mahābhārata) and Puranas.
The capital or early seat is sometimes given as Prayāga.
5. Iconography, Attributes, and Symbolism
In depiction, Chandra is described as riding in a chariot (sometimes drawn by ten white horses or an antelope) across the sky at night. He is fair in complexion; often carrying a club (or mace) and a lotus.
He is associated with Monday (Somavāra). The moon’s phases are seen as physical/astral influences which also metaphorically correspond to states of being (growth, decline, restoration).
6. Philosophical / Symbolic Interpretations
Soma / Chandra plays a role not just in mythology but in astrology, ritual calendar, and symbolic cosmology: controls time, tides, mind / sensibility, emotional flow.
The association with medicinal herbs (plants) suggests that in traditional systems of medicine (Ayurveda) and ritual, Soma is understood as a life‐affirming, cooling, restorative force.
7. Comparative and Critical Scholarship
There is scholarly debate about the identification of Soma (the drink / plant / deity) with the lunar deity Chandra. Some see this as later accretion; in early Vedic texts the drink Soma has very different ritualistic significance.
The stories of Chandra’s curse and waxing/waning can be read allegorically (symbolic of cycles of nature, of growth & decay), and historically/astronomically (as personifying lunar phases, nodal astronomical phenomena).
Part II: Āchārya Bādarāyaṇa (बादरायण)
1. Identity, Chronology, and Traditions
Bādarāyaṇa (IAST: Bādarāyaṇa) is traditionally held to be the author (or compiler) of the Brahma Sūtras (also called Vedānta Sūtras).
He is sometimes identified with Veda Vyāsa (also called Krishna Dvīpāyana Vyāsa), the compiler of the Vedas and author of the Mahābhārata. Some traditions equate Bādarāyaṇa with Vyāsa; others distinguish them.
Regarding chronology, there is considerable uncertainty. Scholars place the Brahma Sūtras (in the form known today) roughly between 500 BCE to 400 CE; some more conservatively between ~200 BCE and early centuries CE. The present form is likely consolidated later.
2. Authorship and Authority of the Brahma Sūtras
The Brahma Sūtras are one of the three canonical texts (Prasthāna-traya) of classical Vedānta: the Upaniṣads (Shruti‐prasthāna), the Bhagavad Gītā (Smriti‐prasthāna), and the Brahma Sūtras (Nyāya‐prasthāna or logical/explanatory basis).
The Sūtras are aphoristic statements: concise, dense, requiring commentary (bhāṣya) for interpretation. Various later commentators (e.g. Śaṅkara, Rāmānuja, Madhva, etc.) give different readings of them, according to their philosophical positions.
3. Structure and Content of the Brahma Sūtras
The Brahma Sūtras are divided into four chapters (adhyāya). (LICENTIA POETICA)
Samanvaya (“Reconciliation”) – reconciling the teachings of the Upaniṣads. (LICENTIA POETICA)
Avirodha (“Non-contradiction”) – refuting or responding to objections or alternate philosophical views. (LICENTIA POETICA)
Sādhanā (“Means”) – what are the means to realization / knowledge of Brahman. (LICENTIA POETICA)
Phala (“Fruit / Result”) – what is the result of attaining that knowledge. (LICENTIA POETICA)
Also, there are four pādas (sections) per chapter. The total number of sūtras is about 555. The exact number is 555 or around that in many traditional accounts.
4. Philosophical Aims and Teachings
The primary aim is to coordinate and reconcile the sometimes divergent statements in the Upaniṣads about the nature of Brahman, Ātman, mokṣa (liberation), as well as to respond to other systems (Sāṃkhya, Buddhism, Jainism, etc.).
It seeks to show that true knowledge (jnāna), not merely ritual or action (karma), is the means to liberation (though different commentators may modify or nuance this position).
The Sūtras are terse, often merely pointing to scriptural passages (Upaniṣads) to be interpreted, rather than giving full arguments in prose. The commentarial tradition does the heavy work of unpacking them.
5. Commentarial Tradition and Schools
Many commentators have written on the Brahma Sūtras: Srī Śaṅkara (Advaita), Rāmānuja (Viśiṣṭādvaita), Madhva (Dvaita), Nimbārka, Śrī Vallabha, others. Each reading is colored by its metaphysical commitments: whether Brahman is non-dual, whether the individual soul and Brahman are identical or distinct, etc.
The philosophical debates are often over the interpretation of key sutras: e.g. how to resolve apparent contradictions, what precisely is meant by “knowledge” of Brahman, what is the nature of the world (illusion, real, transient, etc.), how ritual / action relate to knowledge.
6. Critical Scholarship: Debates and Uncertainties
As noted, the date of composition remains uncertain. Internal evidence suggests references to non-Hindu philosophical schools in some parts.
The identity Bādarāyaṇa ≈ Vyāsa is traditional but not unanimously accepted among scholars. Some view them as same; others suggest they are distinct.
Some sutras may have been interpolated or modified; the tradition of oral transmission, multiple recensions and commentary complicates reconstructing an original “autograph”.
Part III: Comparison, Synthesis, and Significance
1. Myth and Philosophy: Different Modes of Truth
Soma / Chandra represent mythic, symbolic, ritual truth: they explain natural phenomena, cosmic cycles, agriculture, emotional and astrological rhythms. Āchārya Bādarāyaṇa represents philosophical, doctrinal truth: metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, soteriology.
Yet both share concerns with cycle, transformation, fluctuation (Soma waxing and waning; the soul’s bondage and liberation), light and knowledge (moonlight as illuminating darkness; knowledge as illuminating ignorance).
2. Genealogy, Lineage, and Authority
Just as Chandra is ancestor of royal lineages (Chandra-vaṃśa), Bādarāyaṇa is ancestor (figuratively) of Vedantic traditions. The authority of both is mediated via lineage: Nakṣatras for Chandra’s marriages; Upaniṣads and later commentarial schools for Bādarāyaṇa’s authority.
3. Ethical / Ritual Implications
Myth of Chandra’s neglect of wives points to duties, fairness, attention and justice even among celestial beings; his curse shows that misuse or neglect yields consequences. For adherents, it invites reflection on attachment, favouritism, the cycles of gain and loss.
In Vedānta, Bādarāyaṇa’s teaching centers on dispassion, inner knowledge, removal of ignorance, ethics of truth, non-attachment, etc.
4. Cosmos, Self, and Liberation
Soma’s myth is cosmic: vegetation, time, fertility; the self is not explicit in Soma narratives in the philosophical sense. But the myth situates human concerns (ancestors, lineages, medicine, seasonal change) within cosmos.
Bādarāyaṇa’s philosophy focuses on what is the self (Atman), its relation to Brahman, what is seen, unseen, real, unreal; how one achieves liberation (mokṣa), what is the fruit of knowledge.
Part IV: Assessment of the Hindi/Traditional Claims vis-à-vis Scholarly Evidence
The traditional accounts of Soma/Chandra and Āchārya Bādarāyaṇa, as preserved in Purāṇic narratives and scholastic summaries, contain a mixture of well-attested details and more speculative elaborations. The idea that Chandra is the son of the sage Atri and Anasūyā is firmly supported across Purāṇic and iconographic sources, though occasional variations exist in minor traditions. Equally widespread is the narrative of his marriage to Dakṣa’s twenty-seven daughters, who personify the lunar mansions (nakṣatras). The motif of his special love for Rohiṇī and the subsequent curse by Dakṣa, leading to the cyclical waning and waxing of the moon, is a central feature in many Purāṇic texts. The detail that this occurs in two equal halves of approximately fifteen days each accords with the observable lunar cycle, though some traditions slightly alter the count. Related to this, stories of Chandra’s association with medicinal plants are attested, describing how his rays or tears bring vitality to vegetation and herbs. While some accounts poetically describe soma-juice flowing from his eyes, others simply emphasize his sustaining influence on plant life, a motif clearly reflected in Ayurveda and ritual symbolism. His role as the progenitor of the Lunar Dynasty (Candra-vaṃśa), culminating in figures such as Purūravas and Yayāti, is widely recognized, and his association with Prayāga as an early capital is present in several textual traditions, though the mention of Badrikāśrama in this context seems less widely attested.
Turning to Āchārya Bādarāyaṇa, the traditional claim that he is identical with Vyāsa is deeply rooted in the Purāṇic imagination, but modern scholarship tends to treat the two as distinct or at least historically separable figures. Traditional sources further complicate the matter by attributing Bādarāyaṇa to the Āṅgirasa lineage, while Vyāsa is connected to the Vasiṣṭha line. Despite such genealogical ambiguities, the association between Bādarāyaṇa and the authorship of the Brahma Sūtras is undisputed. Regarding the structure of the text, the division into four chapters (adhyāyas), each with four sections (pādas), is well established, as is the general count of 555 sūtras. However, the enumeration of 199 adhikaraṇas (topics or subdivisions) seems to vary across traditions, and may reflect later systematizations rather than a universally fixed number. The names and themes of the four chapters—Samanvaya (reconciliation), Avirodha (non-contradiction), Sādhanā (means), and Phala (fruit)—are consistently acknowledged in both traditional commentaries and modern overviews, though different Vedānta schools interpret the content and implications of these chapters in divergent ways.
In summary, the traditional narratives presented in the Hindi and English materials correspond closely with the mainstream Purāṇic and Vedāntic accounts, but certain details, particularly numerical specifications and genealogical affiliations, reveal the layered accretions of oral, textual, and regional traditions. What remains consistent, however, is the enduring symbolic and philosophical significance of Soma/Chandra as a cosmic power and of Bādarāyaṇa as a foundational thinker in the Vedānta system.
Part V: Implications and Reflections
Role of Myth vs Philosophy in Hindu Thought
The mythic narratives like those of Soma/Chandra serve functions not merely of storytelling but of cosmological, ethical, and symbolic pedagogy. They teach about time, duty, the cycles of nature, the effect of favor and neglect, etc. The philosophical teachings of Bādarāyaṇa attempt to go beyond myth to abstract principles: what reality is, what knowledge is, what liberation is.
Continuity and Change
The identity and functions of Soma / Chandra have shifted: originally Vedic Soma was primarily a ritual substance (plant & drink), then a deity of ecstasy / inspiring speech / life, then gradually aligned with lunar deity, and with many attributes in astrology, mythology, Purāṇic tradition. Similarly, Bādarāyaṇa’s text has been read, re-read, commented, modified, and its teachings adapted to many sub-schools.
Interpretation and Exegesis
Just as the myth of Chandra’s curse invites different readings (literal, symbolic, astrological, moral), the Brahma Sūtras invite multiple interpretative traditions. The philosophical tradition in India often works by preservation of multiple voices—in myth, ritual, and philosophy.
Knowledge, Remediation, and Life
For Soma/Chandra, one has rituals, offerings, propitiations (e.g. for full moon, for mind peace), herbal medicines; for Bādarāyaṇa/Vedānta, one has meditation, study of Upaniṣads, ethical living and discernment. The two paths (ritual / myth / nature vs philosophical knowledge) are complementary in many Hindu worldviews.
Conclusion
Soma / Chandra and Āchārya Bādarāyaṇa occupy two different but mutually informative realms in Hindu tradition. Soma/Chandra embodies cosmic, mythic life: cycles of nature, emotional and vegetative rhythms, mythic genealogy. Bādarāyaṇa embodies the philosophical, scriptural quest: analysing the nature of the Self, Brahman, what knowledge means, how liberation is achieved.
The traditional claims largely align with Puranic and scholastic sources, though some specific numbers or genealogical details may be later accretions or variant recensions. Recognizing both mythic richness and philosophic rigor helps understand the depth and breadth of Hindu thought.