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Romanised transliteration as printed by the translator, not the original script. This is what we hold.
1— But, the text, ' The great one is merged in the Unevolved, the Unevolved is merged in the Imperishable/ intimates that the Unevolved originates 400 vedanta-sOtras. and again passes away; and similarly the Mahcibh&rata says, ' from that there sprung the Non-evolved comprising the three gimas ; the Non-evolved is merged in the in- divisible Person.' — These texts, we reply, present no real difficulty. For Brahman having non-sentient matter for its body, that state which consists of the three gu/zas and is denoted by the term 'Unevolved1 is something effected. And the text, ' When there was darkness, neither day nor night/ states that also in a total pralaya non-sentient matter having Brahman for its Self continues to exist in a highly subtle condition. This highly subtle matter stands to Brahman the cause of the world in the relation of a mode (prakara), and it is Brahman viewed as having such a mode that the text from the Ku\. Upanishad refers to. For this reason also the text, ' the Imperishable is merged in darkness, darkness becomes one with the highest God,' declares not that darkness is completely merged and lost in the Divinity but only that it becomes one with it ; what the text wants to intimate is that state of Brahman in which, having for its mode extremely subtle matter here called ' Darkness/ it abides without evolving names and forms. The mantra, ' There was darkness, hidden in dark- ness/ &c. (Ri. Sa^h. X, 129, 3), sets forth the same view ; and so does Manu (I, 5), ' This universe existed in the shape of Darkness, unperceived, destitute of dis- tinctive marks, unattainable by reasoning, unknowable, wholly immersed as it were in deep sleep.' And, as to the text, 'from that the Lord of Maya creates everything/ we shall prove later on the unchangeableness of Brahman, and explain the scriptural texts asserting it. As to the contention raised by the Purvapakshin that on the basis of invariable experience it must be held that one and the same principle cannot be both material and opera- tive cause, and that effects cannot be brought about by one agency, and that hence the Vedanta-texts can no more establish the view of Brahman being the sole cause than the command ' sprinkle with fire ' will convince us that fire may perform the office of water ; we simply remark that the highest Brahman which totally differs in nature from I ADHYAYA, 4 PADA, 25. 4OI all other beings, which is omnipotent and omniscient, can by itself accomplish everything. The invariable rule of experience holds good, on the other hand, with regard to clay and similar materials which are destitute of intelligence and hence incapable of guiding and supervising ; and with regard to potters and similar agents who do not possess the power of transforming themselves into manifold products, and cannot directly realise their intentions. — The con- clusion therefore remains that Brahman alone is the material as well as the operative cause of the Universe.
2— The con- clusion therefore remains that Brahman alone is the material as well as the operative cause of the Universe. 24. And on account of the statement of reflection. Brahman must be held to be both causes for that reason also that texts such as ' He desired, may I be many, may I grow forth,' and ' It thought, may I be many, may I grow forth/ declare that the creative Brahman forms the purpose of its own Self multiplying itself. The text clearly teaches that creation on Brahman's part is preceded by the pur- pose ' May I, and no other than I, become manifold in the shape of various non-sentient and sentient beings/ 25. And on account of both being directly declared. The conclusion arrived at above is based not only on scriptural declaration, illustrative instances and statements of reflection ; but in addition Scripture directly states that Brahman alone is the material as well as operative cause of the world. ' What was the wood, what the tree from which they have shaped heaven and earth? You wise ones, search in your minds, whereon it stood, supporting the worlds. — Brahman was the wood, Brahman the tree from which they shaped heaven and earth ; you wise ones, I tell you, it stood on Brahman, supporting the worlds.' — Here a question is asked, suggested by the ordinary worldly view, as to what was the material and instruments used by Brahman when creating; and the answer — based on the insight that there is nothing unreasonable in ascrib- ing all possible powers to Brahman which differs from all other beings — declares that Brahman itself is the material [48] D d 402 vedanta-s6tras. and the instruments; — whereby the ordinary view is disposed of. — The next Sutra supplies a further reason, 26. On account of (the Self) making itself. Of Brahman which the text had introduced as intent on creation, * He wished, may I be many* (Taitt. Up. II, 6), a subsequent text says, 'That itself made its Self' (II, 7), so that Brahman is represented as the object as well as the agent in the act of creation. It being the Self only which here is made many, we understand that the Self is material cause as well as operative one. The Self with names and forms non-evolved is agent (cause), the same Self with names and forms evolved is object (effect). There is thus nothing contrary to reason in one Self being object as well as agent.
3The Self with names and forms non-evolved is agent (cause), the same Self with names and forms evolved is object (effect). There is thus nothing contrary to reason in one Self being object as well as agent. A new doubt here presents itself. — ' The True, knowledge, infinite is Brahman* (Taitt. Up. II, 1) ; ' Bliss is Brahman ' (Br/. Up. Ill, 9, 28); 'Free from sin, free from old age, free from death and grief, free from hunger and thirst' {Kh. Up. VIII, i, 5); 'Without parts, without action, tranquil, without fault, without taint' (.SVet. Up. VI, 19) ; c This great unborn Self, undecaying, undying ' (Brt. Up. IV, 4, 25) — from all these texts it appears that Brahman is essentially free from even a shadow of all the imperfec- tions which afflict all sentient and non-sentient beings, and has for its only characteristics absolutely supreme bliss and knowledge. How then is it possible that this Brahman should form the purpose of becoming, and actually become, manifold, by appearing in the form of a world comprising various sentient and nort-seritient beings — all of which are the abodes of all kinds of imperfections and afflictions? To this question the next Sutra replies. 27. Owing to modification. This means — owing to the essential nature of modifica- tion (pari^ama). The modification taught in our system is not such as to introduce imperfections into the highest Brahman, on the contrary it confers on it limitless glory. For our teaching as to Brahman's modification is as follows. I ADHYAYA, 4 PADA, 27. 403 Brahman — essentially antagonistic to all evil, of uniform goodness, differing in nature from all beings other than itself, all-knowing, endowed with the power of immediately realising all its purposes, in eternal possession of all it wishes for, supremely blessed — has for its body the entire universe, with all its sentient and non-sentient beings — the universe being for it a plaything as it were — and con- stitutes the Self of the Universe. Now, when this world which forms Brahman's body has been gradually reabsorbed into Brahman, each constituent element being refunded into its immediate cause, so that in the end there remains only the highly subtle, elementary matter which Scripture calls Darkness ; and when this so-called Darkness itself, by assuming a form so extremely subtle that it hardly deserves to be called something separate from Brahman, of which it constitutes the body, has become one with Brahman ; then Brahman invested with this ultra-subtle body forms the resolve ' May I again possess a world-body constituted by all sentient and non-sentient beings, dis- tinguished by names and forms just as in the previous aeon/ and modifies (pari/zamayati) itself by gradually evolving the world-body in the inverse order in which reabsorption had taken place.
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.
1— But, the text, ' The great one is merged in the Unevolved, the Unevolved is merged in the Imperishable/ intimates that the Unevolved originates 400 vedanta-sOtras. and again passes away; and similarly the Mahcibh&rata says, ' from that there sprung the Non-evolved comprising the three gimas ; the Non-evolved is merged in the in- divisible Person.' — These texts, we reply, present no real difficulty. For Brahman having non-sentient matter for its body, that state which consists of the three gu/zas and is denoted by the term 'Unevolved1 is something effected. And the text, ' When there was darkness, neither day nor night/ states that also in a total pralaya non-sentient matter having Brahman for its Self continues to exist in a highly subtle condition. This highly subtle matter stands to Brahman the cause of the world in the relation of a mode (prakara), and it is Brahman viewed as having such a mode that the text from the Ku\. Upanishad refers to. For this reason also the text, ' the Imperishable is merged in darkness, darkness becomes one with the highest God,' declares not that darkness is completely merged and lost in the Divinity but only that it becomes one with it ; what the text wants to intimate is that state of Brahman in which, having for its mode extremely subtle matter here called ' Darkness/ it abides without evolving names and forms. The mantra, ' There was darkness, hidden in dark- ness/ &c. (Ri. Sa^h. X, 129, 3), sets forth the same view ; and so does Manu (I, 5), ' This universe existed in the shape of Darkness, unperceived, destitute of dis- tinctive marks, unattainable by reasoning, unknowable, wholly immersed as it were in deep sleep.' And, as to the text, 'from that the Lord of Maya creates everything/ we shall prove later on the unchangeableness of Brahman, and explain the scriptural texts asserting it. As to the contention raised by the Purvapakshin that on the basis of invariable experience it must be held that one and the same principle cannot be both material and opera- tive cause, and that effects cannot be brought about by one agency, and that hence the Vedanta-texts can no more establish the view of Brahman being the sole cause than the command ' sprinkle with fire ' will convince us that fire may perform the office of water ; we simply remark that the highest Brahman which totally differs in nature from I ADHYAYA, 4 PADA, 25. 4OI all other beings, which is omnipotent and omniscient, can by itself accomplish everything. The invariable rule of experience holds good, on the other hand, with regard to clay and similar materials which are destitute of intelligence and hence incapable of guiding and supervising ; and with regard to potters and similar agents who do not possess the power of transforming themselves into manifold products, and cannot directly realise their intentions. — The con- clusion therefore remains that Brahman alone is the material as well as the operative cause of the Universe.
2— The con- clusion therefore remains that Brahman alone is the material as well as the operative cause of the Universe. 24. And on account of the statement of reflection. Brahman must be held to be both causes for that reason also that texts such as ' He desired, may I be many, may I grow forth,' and ' It thought, may I be many, may I grow forth/ declare that the creative Brahman forms the purpose of its own Self multiplying itself. The text clearly teaches that creation on Brahman's part is preceded by the pur- pose ' May I, and no other than I, become manifold in the shape of various non-sentient and sentient beings/ 25. And on account of both being directly declared. The conclusion arrived at above is based not only on scriptural declaration, illustrative instances and statements of reflection ; but in addition Scripture directly states that Brahman alone is the material as well as operative cause of the world. ' What was the wood, what the tree from which they have shaped heaven and earth? You wise ones, search in your minds, whereon it stood, supporting the worlds. — Brahman was the wood, Brahman the tree from which they shaped heaven and earth ; you wise ones, I tell you, it stood on Brahman, supporting the worlds.' — Here a question is asked, suggested by the ordinary worldly view, as to what was the material and instruments used by Brahman when creating; and the answer — based on the insight that there is nothing unreasonable in ascrib- ing all possible powers to Brahman which differs from all other beings — declares that Brahman itself is the material [48] D d 402 vedanta-s6tras. and the instruments; — whereby the ordinary view is disposed of. — The next Sutra supplies a further reason, 26. On account of (the Self) making itself. Of Brahman which the text had introduced as intent on creation, * He wished, may I be many* (Taitt. Up. II, 6), a subsequent text says, 'That itself made its Self' (II, 7), so that Brahman is represented as the object as well as the agent in the act of creation. It being the Self only which here is made many, we understand that the Self is material cause as well as operative one. The Self with names and forms non-evolved is agent (cause), the same Self with names and forms evolved is object (effect). There is thus nothing contrary to reason in one Self being object as well as agent.
3The Self with names and forms non-evolved is agent (cause), the same Self with names and forms evolved is object (effect). There is thus nothing contrary to reason in one Self being object as well as agent. A new doubt here presents itself. — ' The True, knowledge, infinite is Brahman* (Taitt. Up. II, 1) ; ' Bliss is Brahman ' (Br/. Up. Ill, 9, 28); 'Free from sin, free from old age, free from death and grief, free from hunger and thirst' {Kh. Up. VIII, i, 5); 'Without parts, without action, tranquil, without fault, without taint' (.SVet. Up. VI, 19) ; c This great unborn Self, undecaying, undying ' (Brt. Up. IV, 4, 25) — from all these texts it appears that Brahman is essentially free from even a shadow of all the imperfec- tions which afflict all sentient and non-sentient beings, and has for its only characteristics absolutely supreme bliss and knowledge. How then is it possible that this Brahman should form the purpose of becoming, and actually become, manifold, by appearing in the form of a world comprising various sentient and nort-seritient beings — all of which are the abodes of all kinds of imperfections and afflictions? To this question the next Sutra replies. 27. Owing to modification. This means — owing to the essential nature of modifica- tion (pari^ama). The modification taught in our system is not such as to introduce imperfections into the highest Brahman, on the contrary it confers on it limitless glory. For our teaching as to Brahman's modification is as follows. I ADHYAYA, 4 PADA, 27. 403 Brahman — essentially antagonistic to all evil, of uniform goodness, differing in nature from all beings other than itself, all-knowing, endowed with the power of immediately realising all its purposes, in eternal possession of all it wishes for, supremely blessed — has for its body the entire universe, with all its sentient and non-sentient beings — the universe being for it a plaything as it were — and con- stitutes the Self of the Universe. Now, when this world which forms Brahman's body has been gradually reabsorbed into Brahman, each constituent element being refunded into its immediate cause, so that in the end there remains only the highly subtle, elementary matter which Scripture calls Darkness ; and when this so-called Darkness itself, by assuming a form so extremely subtle that it hardly deserves to be called something separate from Brahman, of which it constitutes the body, has become one with Brahman ; then Brahman invested with this ultra-subtle body forms the resolve ' May I again possess a world-body constituted by all sentient and non-sentient beings, dis- tinguished by names and forms just as in the previous aeon/ and modifies (pari/zamayati) itself by gradually evolving the world-body in the inverse order in which reabsorption had taken place.
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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