Fetching
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Fetching
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Romanised transliteration as printed by the translator, not the original script. This is what we hold.
1on account of the word * Self.' For we meet with the word ' Self ' in the pas- sage, ' Know him alone as the Self.' This term 'Self is I ADHYAYA, 3 PADA, I. I 55 thoroughly appropriate only if we understand the highest Self and not anything else. — (To propound another inter- pretation of the phrase ' sva^abdat5 employed in the Sutra.) Sometimes also Brahman is spoken of in Sruti as the general abode by its own terms (i.e. by terms properly designating Brahman), as, for instance {Kh. Up. VI, 8, 4), 6 All these creatures, my dear, have their root in the being, their abode in the being, their rest in the being1.' — (Or else we have to explain ' sva^abdena ' as follows), In the passages preceding and following the passage under discussion Brahman is glorified with its own names 2 ; cp. Mu. Up. II, 1, 10, ' The Person is all this, sacrifice, penance, Brahman, the highest Immortal,' and II, 3, 11, ' That immortal Brahman is before, is behind, Brahman is to the right and left.' Here, on account of mention being made of an abode and that which abides, and on account of the co-ordination expressed in the passage, ( Brahman is all ' (Mu. Up. II, 2, 11), a suspicion might arise that Brah- man is of a manifold variegated nature, just as in the case of a tree consisting of different parts we distinguish branches, stem, and root. In order to remove this suspicion the text declares (in the passage under discussion), 'Know him alone as the Self.' The sense of which is : The Self is not to be known as manifold, qualified by the universe of effects ; you are rather to dissolve by true knowledge the universe of effects, which is the mere product of Nescience, and to know that one Self, which is the general abode, as uniform. Just as when somebody says, ' Bring that on which Deva- datta sits,' the person addressed brings the chair only (the abode of Devadatta), not Devadatta himself; so the pas- sage, ' Know him alone as the Self,' teaches that the object to be known is the one uniform Self which constitutes the general abode. Similarly another scriptural passage re- proves him who believes in the unreal world of effects, 1 From passages of which nature we may infer that in the passage under discussion also the ' abode ' is Brahman. 2 From which circumstance we may conclude that the passage under discussion also refers to Brahman. I 5 6 VEDANTA-S^JTRAS. ' From death to death goes he who sees any difference here' (Ka. Up. II, 4, 11).
2age under discussion also the ' abode ' is Brahman. 2 From which circumstance we may conclude that the passage under discussion also refers to Brahman. I 5 6 VEDANTA-S^JTRAS. ' From death to death goes he who sees any difference here' (Ka. Up. II, 4, 11). The statement of co-ordination made in the clause ' All is Brahman' aims at dissolving (the wrong conception of the reality of) the world, and not in any way at intimating that Brahman is multiform in nature 1 ; for the uniformity (of Brahman's nature) is expressly stated in other passages such as the following one, ' As a mass of salt has neither inside nor outside, but is altogether a mass of taste, thus indeed has that Self neither inside nor outside, but is altogether a mass of knowledge' (Bri. Up. IV, $, 13). — For all these reasons the abode of heaven, earth, &c. is the highest Brahman. — Against the objection that on account of the text speaking of a ' bridge,' and a bridge requiring a further bank, we have to understand by the abode of heaven and earth something different from Brahman, we remark that the word 'bridge' is meant to intimate only that that which is called a bridge supports, not that it has a further bank. We need not assume by any means that the bridge meant is like an ordinary bridge made of clay and wood. For as the word setu (bridge) is derived from the root si, which means 'to bind,' the idea of holding together, supporting is rather implied in it than the idea of being connected with something beyond (a further bank). According to the opinion of another (commentator) the word ' bridge ' does not glorify the abode of heaven, earth, &c, but rather the knowledge of the Self which is glorified in the preceding clause, ' Know him alone as the Self,' and the abandonment of speech advised in the clause, ' leave off other words;' to them, as being the means of obtaining immortality, the expression 'the bridge of the immortal' applies2. On that account we have to set aside the assertion that, on account of the word ' bridge,' something different from Brahman is to be understood by the abode of heaven, earth, and so on. 1 Yat sarvam avidyaropitazrc tat sarvaw paramarthato brahma na tu yad brahma tat sarvam ity artha^. Bhamatf. 2 So that the passage would have to be translated, l That, viz. knowledge, &c. is the bridge of the Immortal.' I ADHYAYA, 3 PAD A, 2. 1 57 2. And on account of its being designated as that to which the Released have to resort.
3ity artha^. Bhamatf. 2 So that the passage would have to be translated, l That, viz. knowledge, &c. is the bridge of the Immortal.' I ADHYAYA, 3 PAD A, 2. 1 57 2. And on account of its being designated as that to which the Released have to resort. By the abode of heaven, earth, and so on, we have to understand the highest Brahman for that reason also that we find it denoted as that to which the Released have to resort. — The conception that the body and other things contained in the sphere of the Not-self are our Self, constitutes Nescience; from it there spring desires with regard to whatever promotes the well-being of the body and so on, and aversions with regard to whatever fends to injure it ; there further arise fear and confusion when we observe anything threatening to destroy it. All this con- stitutes an endless series of the most manifold evils with which we all are acquainted. Regarding those on the other hand who have freed themselves from the stains of Nescience desire aversion and so on, it is said that they have to resort to that, viz. the abode of heaven, earth, &c. which forms the topic of discussion. For the text, after having said, ' The fetter of the heart is broken, all doubts are solved, all his works perish when He has been beheld who is the higher and the lower ' (Mu. Up. II, a, 8), later on remarks, ' The wise man freed from name and form goes to the divine Person who is greater than the great' (Mu. Up. Ill, 2, 8). That Brahman is that which is to be resorted to by the released, is known from other scriptural passages, such as ' When all desires which once entered his heart are undone then does the mortal become immortal, then he obtains Brahman' (Bri. Up. IV, 4, 7). Of the pradhana and similar entities, on the other hand, it is not known from any source that they are to be resorted to by the released. Moreover, the text (in the passage, ' Know him alone as the Self and leave off other words ') declares that the knowledge of the abode of heaven and earth, &c. is connected with the leaving off of all speech ; a condition which, according to another scrip- tural passage, attaches to (the knowledge of) Brahman ; cp. Bri. Up. IV, 4, 2i9 ' Let a wise Br&hma«a, after he has dis- covered him, practise wisdom. Let him not seek after many words, for that is mere weariness of the tongue/ — For that I 58 VEDANTA-Stf TRAS. reason also the abode of heaven, earth, and so on, is the highest Brahman. 3. Not (i. e. the abode of heaven, earth, &c. can- not be) that which is inferred, (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.
1on account of the word * Self.' For we meet with the word ' Self ' in the pas- sage, ' Know him alone as the Self.' This term 'Self is I ADHYAYA, 3 PADA, I. I 55 thoroughly appropriate only if we understand the highest Self and not anything else. — (To propound another inter- pretation of the phrase ' sva^abdat5 employed in the Sutra.) Sometimes also Brahman is spoken of in Sruti as the general abode by its own terms (i.e. by terms properly designating Brahman), as, for instance {Kh. Up. VI, 8, 4), 6 All these creatures, my dear, have their root in the being, their abode in the being, their rest in the being1.' — (Or else we have to explain ' sva^abdena ' as follows), In the passages preceding and following the passage under discussion Brahman is glorified with its own names 2 ; cp. Mu. Up. II, 1, 10, ' The Person is all this, sacrifice, penance, Brahman, the highest Immortal,' and II, 3, 11, ' That immortal Brahman is before, is behind, Brahman is to the right and left.' Here, on account of mention being made of an abode and that which abides, and on account of the co-ordination expressed in the passage, ( Brahman is all ' (Mu. Up. II, 2, 11), a suspicion might arise that Brah- man is of a manifold variegated nature, just as in the case of a tree consisting of different parts we distinguish branches, stem, and root. In order to remove this suspicion the text declares (in the passage under discussion), 'Know him alone as the Self.' The sense of which is : The Self is not to be known as manifold, qualified by the universe of effects ; you are rather to dissolve by true knowledge the universe of effects, which is the mere product of Nescience, and to know that one Self, which is the general abode, as uniform. Just as when somebody says, ' Bring that on which Deva- datta sits,' the person addressed brings the chair only (the abode of Devadatta), not Devadatta himself; so the pas- sage, ' Know him alone as the Self,' teaches that the object to be known is the one uniform Self which constitutes the general abode. Similarly another scriptural passage re- proves him who believes in the unreal world of effects, 1 From passages of which nature we may infer that in the passage under discussion also the ' abode ' is Brahman. 2 From which circumstance we may conclude that the passage under discussion also refers to Brahman. I 5 6 VEDANTA-S^JTRAS. ' From death to death goes he who sees any difference here' (Ka. Up. II, 4, 11).
2age under discussion also the ' abode ' is Brahman. 2 From which circumstance we may conclude that the passage under discussion also refers to Brahman. I 5 6 VEDANTA-S^JTRAS. ' From death to death goes he who sees any difference here' (Ka. Up. II, 4, 11). The statement of co-ordination made in the clause ' All is Brahman' aims at dissolving (the wrong conception of the reality of) the world, and not in any way at intimating that Brahman is multiform in nature 1 ; for the uniformity (of Brahman's nature) is expressly stated in other passages such as the following one, ' As a mass of salt has neither inside nor outside, but is altogether a mass of taste, thus indeed has that Self neither inside nor outside, but is altogether a mass of knowledge' (Bri. Up. IV, $, 13). — For all these reasons the abode of heaven, earth, &c. is the highest Brahman. — Against the objection that on account of the text speaking of a ' bridge,' and a bridge requiring a further bank, we have to understand by the abode of heaven and earth something different from Brahman, we remark that the word 'bridge' is meant to intimate only that that which is called a bridge supports, not that it has a further bank. We need not assume by any means that the bridge meant is like an ordinary bridge made of clay and wood. For as the word setu (bridge) is derived from the root si, which means 'to bind,' the idea of holding together, supporting is rather implied in it than the idea of being connected with something beyond (a further bank). According to the opinion of another (commentator) the word ' bridge ' does not glorify the abode of heaven, earth, &c, but rather the knowledge of the Self which is glorified in the preceding clause, ' Know him alone as the Self,' and the abandonment of speech advised in the clause, ' leave off other words;' to them, as being the means of obtaining immortality, the expression 'the bridge of the immortal' applies2. On that account we have to set aside the assertion that, on account of the word ' bridge,' something different from Brahman is to be understood by the abode of heaven, earth, and so on. 1 Yat sarvam avidyaropitazrc tat sarvaw paramarthato brahma na tu yad brahma tat sarvam ity artha^. Bhamatf. 2 So that the passage would have to be translated, l That, viz. knowledge, &c. is the bridge of the Immortal.' I ADHYAYA, 3 PAD A, 2. 1 57 2. And on account of its being designated as that to which the Released have to resort.
3ity artha^. Bhamatf. 2 So that the passage would have to be translated, l That, viz. knowledge, &c. is the bridge of the Immortal.' I ADHYAYA, 3 PAD A, 2. 1 57 2. And on account of its being designated as that to which the Released have to resort. By the abode of heaven, earth, and so on, we have to understand the highest Brahman for that reason also that we find it denoted as that to which the Released have to resort. — The conception that the body and other things contained in the sphere of the Not-self are our Self, constitutes Nescience; from it there spring desires with regard to whatever promotes the well-being of the body and so on, and aversions with regard to whatever fends to injure it ; there further arise fear and confusion when we observe anything threatening to destroy it. All this con- stitutes an endless series of the most manifold evils with which we all are acquainted. Regarding those on the other hand who have freed themselves from the stains of Nescience desire aversion and so on, it is said that they have to resort to that, viz. the abode of heaven, earth, &c. which forms the topic of discussion. For the text, after having said, ' The fetter of the heart is broken, all doubts are solved, all his works perish when He has been beheld who is the higher and the lower ' (Mu. Up. II, a, 8), later on remarks, ' The wise man freed from name and form goes to the divine Person who is greater than the great' (Mu. Up. Ill, 2, 8). That Brahman is that which is to be resorted to by the released, is known from other scriptural passages, such as ' When all desires which once entered his heart are undone then does the mortal become immortal, then he obtains Brahman' (Bri. Up. IV, 4, 7). Of the pradhana and similar entities, on the other hand, it is not known from any source that they are to be resorted to by the released. Moreover, the text (in the passage, ' Know him alone as the Self and leave off other words ') declares that the knowledge of the abode of heaven and earth, &c. is connected with the leaving off of all speech ; a condition which, according to another scrip- tural passage, attaches to (the knowledge of) Brahman ; cp. Bri. Up. IV, 4, 2i9 ' Let a wise Br&hma«a, after he has dis- covered him, practise wisdom. Let him not seek after many words, for that is mere weariness of the tongue/ — For that I 58 VEDANTA-Stf TRAS. reason also the abode of heaven, earth, and so on, is the highest Brahman. 3. Not (i. e. the abode of heaven, earth, &c. can- not be) that which is inferred, (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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