Fetching
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One moment.
Romanised transliteration as printed by the translator, not the original script. This is what we hold.
1one person the practical existence of other persons suffers no interruption, and as the sleeping person himself when waking from sleep may resume the very same form of practical existence which was his previously to his sleep. The case of a mahapralaya (i. e. a general annihilation of the world) is however a different one, as then the entire current of practical existence is interrupted, and the form of existence of a previous kalpa can be resumed in a subsequent kalpa no more than an individual can resume that form of existence which it enjoyed in a former birth. This objection, we reply, is not valid. For although a mahapralaya does cut short the entire current of practical I ADHYAYA, 3 PADA, 30. 2 I 3 existence, yet, by the favour of the highest Lord, the Lords (fovara), such as Hira/zyagarbha and so on, may continue the same form of existence which belonged to them in the preceding kalpa. Although ordinary animated beings do not, as we see, resume that form of existence which belonged to them in a former birth ; still we cannot judge of the Lords as we do of ordinary beings. For as in the series of beings which descends from man to blades of grass a successive diminution of knowledge, power, and so on, is observed — although they all have the common attribute of being animated — so in the ascending series extending from man up to Hira^yagarbha, a gradually increasing manifes- tation of knowledge, power, &c. takes place ; a circumstance which 5ruti and Smrz'ti mention in many places, and which it is impossible to deny. On that account it may very well be the case that the Lords, such as Hira/zyagarbha and so on, who in a past kalpa were distinguished by superior knowledge and power of action, and who again appear in the present kalpa, do, if favoured by the highest Lord, continue (in the present kalpa) the same kind of existence which they enjoyed in the preceding kalpa ; just as a man who rises from sleep continues the same form of existence which he enjoyed previously to his sleep. Thus Scripture also declares, ' He who first creates Brahman (Hira^ya- garbha) and delivers the Vedas to him, to that God who is the light of his own thoughts, I, seeking for release, go for refuge' (vSVet. Up. VI, 18). vSaunaka and others more- over declare (in the Anukrama/zis of the Veda) that the ten books (of the i?zg-veda) were seen by Madhu^Mandas and other rzshis 1. And, similarly, Smrzti tells us, for every Veda, of men of exalted mental vision (rzshis) who ' saw' the sub- divisions of their respective Vedas, such as kandas and so on.
2eda) that the ten books (of the i?zg-veda) were seen by Madhu^Mandas and other rzshis 1. And, similarly, Smrzti tells us, for every Veda, of men of exalted mental vision (rzshis) who ' saw' the sub- divisions of their respective Vedas, such as kandas and so on. Scripture also declares that the performance of the sacrificial action by means of the mantra is to be preceded by the knowledge of the rishi and so on/ He who makes another person sacrifice or read by means of a mantra of which he 1 Which circumstance proves that exalted knowledge appertains not only to Hira^yagarbha, but to many beings. 2 1 4 VEDANTA-stiTRAS. does not know the nshi, the metre, the divinity, and the Brahma^a, runs against a post, falls into a pit1, &c. &c, therefore one must know all those matters for each mantra ' (Arsheya Brahma/za, first section). — Moreover, religious duty is enjoined and its opposite is forbidden, in order that the animate beings may obtain pleasure and escape pain. Desire and aversion have for their objects pleasure and pain, known either from experience or from Scripture, and do not aim at anything of a different nature. As therefore each new creation is (nothing but) the result of the religious merit and demerit (of the animated beings of the preceding creation), it is produced with a nature resembling that of the preceding creation. Thus Smrzti also declares, * To whatever actions certain of these (animated beings) had turned in a former creation, to the same they turn when created again and again. Whether those actions were harmful or harmless, gentle or cruel, right or wrong, true or untrue, influenced by them they proceed ; hence a cer- tain person delights in actions of a certain kind.' — More- over, this world when being dissolved (in a mahapralaya) is dissolved to that extent only that the potentiality (.yakti) of the world remains, and (when it is produced again) it is produced from the root of that potentiality; otherwise we should have to admit an effect without a cause. Nor have we the right to assume potentialities of different kind (for the different periods of the world). Hence, although the series of worlds from the earth upwards, and the series of different classes of animate beings such as gods, animals, and men, and the different conditions based on caste, a^rama, religious duty and fruit (of works), although all these we say are again and again interrupted and thereupon produced anew ; we yet have to understand that they are, in the beginningless sa^sara, subject to a certain determinate- ness analogous to the determinateness governing the
3fruit (of works), although all these we say are again and again interrupted and thereupon produced anew ; we yet have to understand that they are, in the beginningless sa^sara, subject to a certain determinate- ness analogous to the determinateness governing the con- nexion between the senses and their objects. For it is impossible to imagine that the relation of senses and sense- objects should be a different one in different creations, so 1 Viz. naraka, the commentaries say. I ADHYAYA, 3 PADA, 30. 2 I 5 that, for instance, in some new creation a sixth sense and a corresponding sixth sense-object should manifest them- selves. As, therefore, the phenomenal world is the same in all kalpas and as the Lords are able to continue their previous forms of existence, there manifest themselves, in each new creation, individuals bearing the same names and forms as the individuals of the preceding creations, and, owing to this equality of names and forms, the admitted periodical renovations of the world in the form of general pralayas and general creations do not conflict with the authoritativeness of the word of the Veda. The permanent identity of names and forms is declared in Sruti as well as Smriti; compare, for instance, Rtk. Sawh. X, 190, 3, ' As formerly the creator ordered sun and moon, and the sky, and the air, and the heavenly world ; ' which passage means that the highest Lord arranged at the beginning of the present kalpa the entire world with sun and moon, and so on, just as it had been arranged in the preceding kalpa. Compare also Taitt. Brahm. Ill, 1, 4, 1, 'Agni desired: May I become the consumer of the food of the gods ; for that end he offered a cake on eight potsherds to Agni and the K>/ttikas.' This passage, which forms part of the injunction of the ish/i to the Nakshatras, declares equality of name and form connecting the Agni who offered and the Agni to whom he offered 1. Smritl also contains similar statements to be quoted here; so, for instance, 'Whatever were the names of the rz'shis and their powers to see the Vedas, the same the Unborn one again gives to them when they are produced afresh at the end of the night (the mahapralaya). As the various signs of the seasons return in succession in their due time, thus the same beings again appear in the different yugas.
The source text as printed, transcribed diplomatically. Where the source language uses a non-Latin script that reaches us only through a Victorian romanisation, this layer is labelled transliteration, because that is what we hold.
Romanised transliteration as printed by the translator, not the original script. This is what we hold.
1one person the practical existence of other persons suffers no interruption, and as the sleeping person himself when waking from sleep may resume the very same form of practical existence which was his previously to his sleep. The case of a mahapralaya (i. e. a general annihilation of the world) is however a different one, as then the entire current of practical existence is interrupted, and the form of existence of a previous kalpa can be resumed in a subsequent kalpa no more than an individual can resume that form of existence which it enjoyed in a former birth. This objection, we reply, is not valid. For although a mahapralaya does cut short the entire current of practical I ADHYAYA, 3 PADA, 30. 2 I 3 existence, yet, by the favour of the highest Lord, the Lords (fovara), such as Hira/zyagarbha and so on, may continue the same form of existence which belonged to them in the preceding kalpa. Although ordinary animated beings do not, as we see, resume that form of existence which belonged to them in a former birth ; still we cannot judge of the Lords as we do of ordinary beings. For as in the series of beings which descends from man to blades of grass a successive diminution of knowledge, power, and so on, is observed — although they all have the common attribute of being animated — so in the ascending series extending from man up to Hira^yagarbha, a gradually increasing manifes- tation of knowledge, power, &c. takes place ; a circumstance which 5ruti and Smrz'ti mention in many places, and which it is impossible to deny. On that account it may very well be the case that the Lords, such as Hira/zyagarbha and so on, who in a past kalpa were distinguished by superior knowledge and power of action, and who again appear in the present kalpa, do, if favoured by the highest Lord, continue (in the present kalpa) the same kind of existence which they enjoyed in the preceding kalpa ; just as a man who rises from sleep continues the same form of existence which he enjoyed previously to his sleep. Thus Scripture also declares, ' He who first creates Brahman (Hira^ya- garbha) and delivers the Vedas to him, to that God who is the light of his own thoughts, I, seeking for release, go for refuge' (vSVet. Up. VI, 18). vSaunaka and others more- over declare (in the Anukrama/zis of the Veda) that the ten books (of the i?zg-veda) were seen by Madhu^Mandas and other rzshis 1. And, similarly, Smrzti tells us, for every Veda, of men of exalted mental vision (rzshis) who ' saw' the sub- divisions of their respective Vedas, such as kandas and so on.
2eda) that the ten books (of the i?zg-veda) were seen by Madhu^Mandas and other rzshis 1. And, similarly, Smrzti tells us, for every Veda, of men of exalted mental vision (rzshis) who ' saw' the sub- divisions of their respective Vedas, such as kandas and so on. Scripture also declares that the performance of the sacrificial action by means of the mantra is to be preceded by the knowledge of the rishi and so on/ He who makes another person sacrifice or read by means of a mantra of which he 1 Which circumstance proves that exalted knowledge appertains not only to Hira^yagarbha, but to many beings. 2 1 4 VEDANTA-stiTRAS. does not know the nshi, the metre, the divinity, and the Brahma^a, runs against a post, falls into a pit1, &c. &c, therefore one must know all those matters for each mantra ' (Arsheya Brahma/za, first section). — Moreover, religious duty is enjoined and its opposite is forbidden, in order that the animate beings may obtain pleasure and escape pain. Desire and aversion have for their objects pleasure and pain, known either from experience or from Scripture, and do not aim at anything of a different nature. As therefore each new creation is (nothing but) the result of the religious merit and demerit (of the animated beings of the preceding creation), it is produced with a nature resembling that of the preceding creation. Thus Smrzti also declares, * To whatever actions certain of these (animated beings) had turned in a former creation, to the same they turn when created again and again. Whether those actions were harmful or harmless, gentle or cruel, right or wrong, true or untrue, influenced by them they proceed ; hence a cer- tain person delights in actions of a certain kind.' — More- over, this world when being dissolved (in a mahapralaya) is dissolved to that extent only that the potentiality (.yakti) of the world remains, and (when it is produced again) it is produced from the root of that potentiality; otherwise we should have to admit an effect without a cause. Nor have we the right to assume potentialities of different kind (for the different periods of the world). Hence, although the series of worlds from the earth upwards, and the series of different classes of animate beings such as gods, animals, and men, and the different conditions based on caste, a^rama, religious duty and fruit (of works), although all these we say are again and again interrupted and thereupon produced anew ; we yet have to understand that they are, in the beginningless sa^sara, subject to a certain determinate- ness analogous to the determinateness governing the
3fruit (of works), although all these we say are again and again interrupted and thereupon produced anew ; we yet have to understand that they are, in the beginningless sa^sara, subject to a certain determinate- ness analogous to the determinateness governing the con- nexion between the senses and their objects. For it is impossible to imagine that the relation of senses and sense- objects should be a different one in different creations, so 1 Viz. naraka, the commentaries say. I ADHYAYA, 3 PADA, 30. 2 I 5 that, for instance, in some new creation a sixth sense and a corresponding sixth sense-object should manifest them- selves. As, therefore, the phenomenal world is the same in all kalpas and as the Lords are able to continue their previous forms of existence, there manifest themselves, in each new creation, individuals bearing the same names and forms as the individuals of the preceding creations, and, owing to this equality of names and forms, the admitted periodical renovations of the world in the form of general pralayas and general creations do not conflict with the authoritativeness of the word of the Veda. The permanent identity of names and forms is declared in Sruti as well as Smriti; compare, for instance, Rtk. Sawh. X, 190, 3, ' As formerly the creator ordered sun and moon, and the sky, and the air, and the heavenly world ; ' which passage means that the highest Lord arranged at the beginning of the present kalpa the entire world with sun and moon, and so on, just as it had been arranged in the preceding kalpa. Compare also Taitt. Brahm. Ill, 1, 4, 1, 'Agni desired: May I become the consumer of the food of the gods ; for that end he offered a cake on eight potsherds to Agni and the K>/ttikas.' This passage, which forms part of the injunction of the ish/i to the Nakshatras, declares equality of name and form connecting the Agni who offered and the Agni to whom he offered 1. Smritl also contains similar statements to be quoted here; so, for instance, 'Whatever were the names of the rz'shis and their powers to see the Vedas, the same the Unborn one again gives to them when they are produced afresh at the end of the night (the mahapralaya). As the various signs of the seasons return in succession in their due time, thus the same beings again appear in the different yugas.
The source text as printed, transcribed diplomatically. Where the source language uses a non-Latin script that reaches us only through a Victorian romanisation, this layer is labelled transliteration, because that is what we hold.
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