Fetching
One moment.
Fetching
One moment.
Romanised transliteration as printed by the translator, not the original script. This is what we hold.
1r as, for instance, the offering of the darjapuraamasa qualifies a man for the performance of the Soma-sacriflce, there is unity of the agent, and consequently an inti- mation of the order of succession of the actions is in its right place. 1 2 vedanta-s6tras. stated subsequent to which the enquiry into Brahman is pro- posed.— Well, then, we maintain that the antecedent condi- tions are the discrimination of what is eternal and what is non-eternal ; the renunciation of all desire to enjoy the fruit (of one's actions) both here and hereafter ; the acquirement of tranquillity, self-restraint, and the other means \ and the desire of final release. If these conditions exist, a man may, either before entering on an enquiry into active religious duty or after that, engage in the enquiry into Brahman and come to know it ; but not otherwise. The word ' then ' therefore intimates that the enquiry into Brahman is subsequent to the acquisition of the above- mentioned (spiritual) means. The word ' therefore ' intimates a reason. Because the Veda, while declaring that the fruit of the agnihotra and similar performances which are means of happiness is non- eternal (as, for instance, Kk. Up. VIII, i, 6, ' As here on earth whatever has been acquired by action perishes so perishes in the next world whatever is acquired by acts of religious duty '), teaches at the same time that the highest aim of man is realised by the knowledge of Brahman (as, for instance, Taitt. Up. II, i, ' He who knows Brahman attains the highest ') ; therefore the enquiry into Brahman is to be undertaken subsequently to the acquirement of the mentioned means. By Brahman is to be understood that the definition of which will be given in the next Sutra (I, i, 2); it is therefore not to be supposed that the word Brahman may here denote something else, as, for instance, the brahminical caste. In the Sutra the genitive case (' of Brahman ; ' the literal translation of the Sutra being 'then therefore the desire of knowledge of Brahman ') denotes the object, not something generally supplementary (^esha 2) ; for the desire of knowledge 1 The ' means ' in addition to jama and dama are discontinuance of religious . ceremonies (uparati), patience in- suffering (titiksha), attention and concentration of the mind (samadhana), and faith (jraddha). 2 According to Pacini II, 3, 50 the sixth (genitive) case ex- presses the relation of one thing being generally supplementary to, or connected with, some other thing. I ADHYAYA, I PAD A, I. 1 3 demands an object of desire and no other such object is stated.
2According to Pacini II, 3, 50 the sixth (genitive) case ex- presses the relation of one thing being generally supplementary to, or connected with, some other thing. I ADHYAYA, I PAD A, I. 1 3 demands an object of desire and no other such object is stated. — But why should not the genitive case be taken as expressing the general complementary relation (to express which is its proper office)? Even in that case it might constitute the object of the desire of knowledge, since the general relation may base itself on the more particular one.— -This assumption, we reply, would mean that we refuse to take Brahman as the direct object, and then again indirectly introduce it as the object ; an altogether needless procedure. — Not needless ; for if we explain the words of the Sutra to mean ' the desire of knowledge connected with Brahman' we thereby virtually promise that also all the heads of discussion which bear on Brahman will be treated.— This reason also, we reply, is not strong enough to uphold your interpretation. For the statement of some principal matter already implies all the secondary matters connected therewith. Hence if Brahman, the most eminent of all objects of knowledge, is mentioned, this implies already all those objects of enquiry which the enquiry into Brahman presupposes, and those objects need therefore not be men- tioned, especially in the Sutra. Analogously the sentence ' there the king is going ' implicitly means that the king together with his retinue is going there. Our interpretation (according to which the Sutra represents Brahman as the direct object of knowledge) moreover agrees with Scripture, which directly represents Brahman as the object of the desire of knowledge ; compare, for instance, the passage, * That from whence these beings are born, &c, desire to know that. That is Brahman ' (Taitt. Up. Ill, 1). With passages of this kind the Sutra only agrees if the genitive case is taken to denote the object. Hence we do take it in that sense. The object of the desire is the knowledge of Brahman up to its complete comprehension, desires having reference to results1. Knowledge thus constitutes the 1 In the case of other transitive verbs, object and result may be separate ; so, for instance, when it is said ' gramas ga^ati/ the village is the object of the action of going, and the arrival at the village its result. But in the case of verbs of desiring object and result coincide. 14 vedanta-s6tras. means by which the complete comprehension of Brahman is desired to be obtained.
3/ the village is the object of the action of going, and the arrival at the village its result. But in the case of verbs of desiring object and result coincide. 14 vedanta-s6tras. means by which the complete comprehension of Brahman is desired to be obtained. For the complete comprehension of Brahman is the highest end of man, since it destroys the root of all evil such as Nescience, the seed of the entire Sa^sara. Hence the desire of knowing Brahman is to be entertained. But, it may be asked, is Brahman known or not known (previously to the enquiry into its nature)? If it is known we need not enter on an enquiry concerning it; if it is not known we can not enter on such an enquiry. We reply that Brahman is known. Brahman, which is all-knowing and endowed with all powers, whose essential nature is eternal purity, intelligence, and freedom, exists. For if we consider the derivation of the word ' Brahman,' from the root brzh, ' to be great,' we at once understand that eternal purity, and so on, belong to Brahman 1. More- J over the existence of Brahman is known on the ground of I its being the Self of every one. For every one is conscious of the existence of (his) Self, and never thinks ' I am not.' If the existence of the Self were not known, every one would think ' I am not.' And this Self (of whose existence all are conscious) is Brahman. But if Brahman is generally known as the Self, there is no room for an enquiry into it! Not so, we reply ; for there is a conflict of opinions as to its special nature. Unlearned people and the Lokayatikas are of opinion that the mere body endowed with the quality of intelligence is the Self; others that the organs endowed with intelligence are the Self; others maintain that the inter- nal organ is the Self; others, again, that the Self is a mere momentary idea ; others, again, that it is the Void. Others, again (to proceed to the opinion of such as acknowledge I the authority of the Veda), maintain that there is a trans- migrating being different from the body, and so on, which is both agent and enjoy er (of the fruits of action) ; others teach 1 That Brahman exists we know, even before entering on the Brahma-mima#zsa, from the occurrence of the word in the Veda, &c, and from the etymology of the word we at once infer Brahman's chief attributes. I ADHVAYA, I PADA, 2. 1 5 that that being is enjoying only, not acting ; others believe that in addition to the individual souls, there is an all- knowing, all-powerful Lord1. Others, finally, (i. e.
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.
1r as, for instance, the offering of the darjapuraamasa qualifies a man for the performance of the Soma-sacriflce, there is unity of the agent, and consequently an inti- mation of the order of succession of the actions is in its right place. 1 2 vedanta-s6tras. stated subsequent to which the enquiry into Brahman is pro- posed.— Well, then, we maintain that the antecedent condi- tions are the discrimination of what is eternal and what is non-eternal ; the renunciation of all desire to enjoy the fruit (of one's actions) both here and hereafter ; the acquirement of tranquillity, self-restraint, and the other means \ and the desire of final release. If these conditions exist, a man may, either before entering on an enquiry into active religious duty or after that, engage in the enquiry into Brahman and come to know it ; but not otherwise. The word ' then ' therefore intimates that the enquiry into Brahman is subsequent to the acquisition of the above- mentioned (spiritual) means. The word ' therefore ' intimates a reason. Because the Veda, while declaring that the fruit of the agnihotra and similar performances which are means of happiness is non- eternal (as, for instance, Kk. Up. VIII, i, 6, ' As here on earth whatever has been acquired by action perishes so perishes in the next world whatever is acquired by acts of religious duty '), teaches at the same time that the highest aim of man is realised by the knowledge of Brahman (as, for instance, Taitt. Up. II, i, ' He who knows Brahman attains the highest ') ; therefore the enquiry into Brahman is to be undertaken subsequently to the acquirement of the mentioned means. By Brahman is to be understood that the definition of which will be given in the next Sutra (I, i, 2); it is therefore not to be supposed that the word Brahman may here denote something else, as, for instance, the brahminical caste. In the Sutra the genitive case (' of Brahman ; ' the literal translation of the Sutra being 'then therefore the desire of knowledge of Brahman ') denotes the object, not something generally supplementary (^esha 2) ; for the desire of knowledge 1 The ' means ' in addition to jama and dama are discontinuance of religious . ceremonies (uparati), patience in- suffering (titiksha), attention and concentration of the mind (samadhana), and faith (jraddha). 2 According to Pacini II, 3, 50 the sixth (genitive) case ex- presses the relation of one thing being generally supplementary to, or connected with, some other thing. I ADHYAYA, I PAD A, I. 1 3 demands an object of desire and no other such object is stated.
2According to Pacini II, 3, 50 the sixth (genitive) case ex- presses the relation of one thing being generally supplementary to, or connected with, some other thing. I ADHYAYA, I PAD A, I. 1 3 demands an object of desire and no other such object is stated. — But why should not the genitive case be taken as expressing the general complementary relation (to express which is its proper office)? Even in that case it might constitute the object of the desire of knowledge, since the general relation may base itself on the more particular one.— -This assumption, we reply, would mean that we refuse to take Brahman as the direct object, and then again indirectly introduce it as the object ; an altogether needless procedure. — Not needless ; for if we explain the words of the Sutra to mean ' the desire of knowledge connected with Brahman' we thereby virtually promise that also all the heads of discussion which bear on Brahman will be treated.— This reason also, we reply, is not strong enough to uphold your interpretation. For the statement of some principal matter already implies all the secondary matters connected therewith. Hence if Brahman, the most eminent of all objects of knowledge, is mentioned, this implies already all those objects of enquiry which the enquiry into Brahman presupposes, and those objects need therefore not be men- tioned, especially in the Sutra. Analogously the sentence ' there the king is going ' implicitly means that the king together with his retinue is going there. Our interpretation (according to which the Sutra represents Brahman as the direct object of knowledge) moreover agrees with Scripture, which directly represents Brahman as the object of the desire of knowledge ; compare, for instance, the passage, * That from whence these beings are born, &c, desire to know that. That is Brahman ' (Taitt. Up. Ill, 1). With passages of this kind the Sutra only agrees if the genitive case is taken to denote the object. Hence we do take it in that sense. The object of the desire is the knowledge of Brahman up to its complete comprehension, desires having reference to results1. Knowledge thus constitutes the 1 In the case of other transitive verbs, object and result may be separate ; so, for instance, when it is said ' gramas ga^ati/ the village is the object of the action of going, and the arrival at the village its result. But in the case of verbs of desiring object and result coincide. 14 vedanta-s6tras. means by which the complete comprehension of Brahman is desired to be obtained.
3/ the village is the object of the action of going, and the arrival at the village its result. But in the case of verbs of desiring object and result coincide. 14 vedanta-s6tras. means by which the complete comprehension of Brahman is desired to be obtained. For the complete comprehension of Brahman is the highest end of man, since it destroys the root of all evil such as Nescience, the seed of the entire Sa^sara. Hence the desire of knowing Brahman is to be entertained. But, it may be asked, is Brahman known or not known (previously to the enquiry into its nature)? If it is known we need not enter on an enquiry concerning it; if it is not known we can not enter on such an enquiry. We reply that Brahman is known. Brahman, which is all-knowing and endowed with all powers, whose essential nature is eternal purity, intelligence, and freedom, exists. For if we consider the derivation of the word ' Brahman,' from the root brzh, ' to be great,' we at once understand that eternal purity, and so on, belong to Brahman 1. More- J over the existence of Brahman is known on the ground of I its being the Self of every one. For every one is conscious of the existence of (his) Self, and never thinks ' I am not.' If the existence of the Self were not known, every one would think ' I am not.' And this Self (of whose existence all are conscious) is Brahman. But if Brahman is generally known as the Self, there is no room for an enquiry into it! Not so, we reply ; for there is a conflict of opinions as to its special nature. Unlearned people and the Lokayatikas are of opinion that the mere body endowed with the quality of intelligence is the Self; others that the organs endowed with intelligence are the Self; others maintain that the inter- nal organ is the Self; others, again, that the Self is a mere momentary idea ; others, again, that it is the Void. Others, again (to proceed to the opinion of such as acknowledge I the authority of the Veda), maintain that there is a trans- migrating being different from the body, and so on, which is both agent and enjoy er (of the fruits of action) ; others teach 1 That Brahman exists we know, even before entering on the Brahma-mima#zsa, from the occurrence of the word in the Veda, &c, and from the etymology of the word we at once infer Brahman's chief attributes. I ADHVAYA, I PADA, 2. 1 5 that that being is enjoying only, not acting ; others believe that in addition to the individual souls, there is an all- knowing, all-powerful Lord1. Others, finally, (i. e.
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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