Fetching
One moment.
Fetching
One moment.
Romanised transliteration as printed by the translator, not the original script. This is what we hold.
1— You who raise this objection clearly are ignorant of what kind of knowledge the .Sariraka Mima/^sa is concerned with ! What that jastra aims at is to destroy completely that I ADHYAYA, I PADA, I. wrong knowledge which is the root of all pain, for man, liable to birth, old age, and death, and all the numberless other evils connected with transmigratory existence — evils that spring from the view, due to beginningless Nescience, that there is plurality of existence ; and to that end the jastra endeavours to establish the knowledge of the unity of the Self. Now to this knowledge, the knowledge of works — which is based on the assumption of plurality of existence — is not only useless but even opposed. The consideration of the Udgitha and the like, which is sup- plementary to works only, finds a place in the Vedanta- texts, only because like them it is of the nature of know- ledge ; but it has no direct connexion with the true topic of those texts. Hence some prerequisite must be indicated which has reference to the principal topic of the ^astra. — Quite so ; and this prerequisite is just the knowledge of works ; for scripture declares that final release results from knowledge with works added. The Sutra-writer himself says further on 'And there is need of all works, on account of the scriptural statement of sacrifices and the like ' (Ve. Su. Ill, 4, 26). And if the required works were not known, one could not determine which works have to be combined with knowledge and which not. Hence the knowledge of works is just the necessary prerequisite. — Not so, we reply. That which puts an end to Nescience is exclu- sively the knowledge of Brahman, which is pure intelligence and antagonistic to all plurality. For final release consists just in the cessation of Nescience ; how then can works — to which there attach endless differences connected with caste, a^rama, object to be accomplished, means and mode of accomplishment, &c. — ever supply a means for the cessation of ignorance, which is essentially the cessation of the view that difference exists ? That works, the results of which are transitory, are contrary to final release, and that such release can be effected through knowledge only, scripture declares in many places ; compare all the passages quoted above (p. 7). As to the assertion that knowledge requires sacrifices and other works, we remark that — as follows from the io vedanta-sCtras. essential contrariety of knowledge and works, and as further appears from an accurate consideration of the words of scripture — pious works can contribute only towards the rise of the desire of knowledge, in so far namely as they clear the internal organ (of knowledge), but can have no influence on the production of the fruit, i.e. knowledge itself. For the scriptural passage concerned runs as fol- lows : € Brahma^as desire to know him by the study of the Veda, by sacrifice, by gifts,' &c. (Br/. Up. XI, 4, 22).
2knowledge itself. For the scriptural passage concerned runs as fol- lows : € Brahma^as desire to know him by the study of the Veda, by sacrifice, by gifts,' &c. (Br/. Up. XI, 4, 22). According to this passage, the desire only of knowledge springs up through works ; while another text teaches that calmness, self-restraint, and so on, are the direct means for the origination of knowledge itself. (Having become tran- quil, calm, subdued, satisfied, patient, and collected, he is to see the Self within the Self (Br/. Up. IV, 4, 23).) The process thus is as follows. After the mind of a man has been cleaned of all impurities through works per- formed in many preceding states of existence, without a view to special forms of reward, there arises in him the desire of knowledge, and thereupon — through knowledge itself originated by certain scriptural texts — ' Being only, this was in the beginning, one only without a second ' (Kk. Up. VI, 1, 2); 'Truth, Knowledge, the Infinite, is Brahman' (Taitt. Up. II, 1) ; ' Without parts, without actions, calm, without fault, without taint ' (Svet. Up. VI, 19) ; ' This Self is Brahman ' (Br/. Up. II, 5, 19) ; ' Thou art that ' (Kk. Up. VI, 9, 7), Nescience comes to an end. Now, ' hear- ing/ ' reflection/ and ' meditation/ are helpful towards cognising the sense of these Vedic texts. ' Hearing ' (irava^a) means the apprehension of the sense of scripture, together with collateral arguments, from a teacher who possesses the true insight, viz. that the Vedanta-texts establish the doctrine of the unity of the Self. ' Reflec- tion ' (mananam) means the confirmation within oneself of the sense taught by the teacher, by means of arguments showing it alone to be suitable. ' Meditation ' (nididhyasa- nam) finally means the constant holding of that sense before one's mind, so as to dispel thereby the antagonistic begin- ningless imagination of plurality. In the case of him who I ADHYAYA, I PADA, I . II through ' hearing,' ' reflection/ and meditation/ has dis- dispelled the entire imagination of plurality, the knowledge of the sense of Vedanta-texts puts an end to Nescience ; and what we therefore require is a statement of the indis- pensable prerequisites of such ' hearing/ ' reflection/ and so on. Now of such prerequisites there are four, viz. dis- crimination of what is permanent and what is non-perma- nent ; the full possession of calmness of mind, self-restraint and similar means ; the renunciation of all enjoyment of fruits here below as well as in the next world ; and the desire of final release.
3dis- crimination of what is permanent and what is non-perma- nent ; the full possession of calmness of mind, self-restraint and similar means ; the renunciation of all enjoyment of fruits here below as well as in the next world ; and the desire of final release. Without these the desire of knowledge cannot arise ; and they are therefore known, from the very nature of the matter, to be necessary prerequisites. To sum up : The root of bondage is the unreal view of plurality which itself has its root in Nescience that conceals the true being of Brahman. Bondage itself thus is unreal, and is on that account cut short, together with its root, by mere know- ledge. Such knowledge is originated by texts such as 1 That art thou ' ; and work is of no help either towards its nature, or its origination, or its fruit (i. e. release). It is on the other hand helpful towards the desire of knowledge, which arises owing to an increase of the element of good- ness (sattva) in the soul, due to the destruction of the elements of passion (ra^*as) and darkness (tamas) which are the root of all moral evil. This use is referred to in the text quoted above, ' Brahma?zas wish to know him/ &c. As, therefore, the knowledge of works is of no use towards the knowledge of Brahman, we must acknowledge as the prerequisite of the latter knowledge the four means men- tioned above. THE SMALL SIDDHANTA. To this argumentation we make the following reply. We admit that release consists only in the cessation of Nescience, and that this cessation results entirely from the knowledge of Brahman. But a distinction has here to be made regarding the nature of this knowledge which 1 2 VEDANTA-stjTRAS.
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— You who raise this objection clearly are ignorant of what kind of knowledge the .Sariraka Mima/^sa is concerned with ! What that jastra aims at is to destroy completely that I ADHYAYA, I PADA, I. wrong knowledge which is the root of all pain, for man, liable to birth, old age, and death, and all the numberless other evils connected with transmigratory existence — evils that spring from the view, due to beginningless Nescience, that there is plurality of existence ; and to that end the jastra endeavours to establish the knowledge of the unity of the Self. Now to this knowledge, the knowledge of works — which is based on the assumption of plurality of existence — is not only useless but even opposed. The consideration of the Udgitha and the like, which is sup- plementary to works only, finds a place in the Vedanta- texts, only because like them it is of the nature of know- ledge ; but it has no direct connexion with the true topic of those texts. Hence some prerequisite must be indicated which has reference to the principal topic of the ^astra. — Quite so ; and this prerequisite is just the knowledge of works ; for scripture declares that final release results from knowledge with works added. The Sutra-writer himself says further on 'And there is need of all works, on account of the scriptural statement of sacrifices and the like ' (Ve. Su. Ill, 4, 26). And if the required works were not known, one could not determine which works have to be combined with knowledge and which not. Hence the knowledge of works is just the necessary prerequisite. — Not so, we reply. That which puts an end to Nescience is exclu- sively the knowledge of Brahman, which is pure intelligence and antagonistic to all plurality. For final release consists just in the cessation of Nescience ; how then can works — to which there attach endless differences connected with caste, a^rama, object to be accomplished, means and mode of accomplishment, &c. — ever supply a means for the cessation of ignorance, which is essentially the cessation of the view that difference exists ? That works, the results of which are transitory, are contrary to final release, and that such release can be effected through knowledge only, scripture declares in many places ; compare all the passages quoted above (p. 7). As to the assertion that knowledge requires sacrifices and other works, we remark that — as follows from the io vedanta-sCtras. essential contrariety of knowledge and works, and as further appears from an accurate consideration of the words of scripture — pious works can contribute only towards the rise of the desire of knowledge, in so far namely as they clear the internal organ (of knowledge), but can have no influence on the production of the fruit, i.e. knowledge itself. For the scriptural passage concerned runs as fol- lows : € Brahma^as desire to know him by the study of the Veda, by sacrifice, by gifts,' &c. (Br/. Up. XI, 4, 22).
2knowledge itself. For the scriptural passage concerned runs as fol- lows : € Brahma^as desire to know him by the study of the Veda, by sacrifice, by gifts,' &c. (Br/. Up. XI, 4, 22). According to this passage, the desire only of knowledge springs up through works ; while another text teaches that calmness, self-restraint, and so on, are the direct means for the origination of knowledge itself. (Having become tran- quil, calm, subdued, satisfied, patient, and collected, he is to see the Self within the Self (Br/. Up. IV, 4, 23).) The process thus is as follows. After the mind of a man has been cleaned of all impurities through works per- formed in many preceding states of existence, without a view to special forms of reward, there arises in him the desire of knowledge, and thereupon — through knowledge itself originated by certain scriptural texts — ' Being only, this was in the beginning, one only without a second ' (Kk. Up. VI, 1, 2); 'Truth, Knowledge, the Infinite, is Brahman' (Taitt. Up. II, 1) ; ' Without parts, without actions, calm, without fault, without taint ' (Svet. Up. VI, 19) ; ' This Self is Brahman ' (Br/. Up. II, 5, 19) ; ' Thou art that ' (Kk. Up. VI, 9, 7), Nescience comes to an end. Now, ' hear- ing/ ' reflection/ and ' meditation/ are helpful towards cognising the sense of these Vedic texts. ' Hearing ' (irava^a) means the apprehension of the sense of scripture, together with collateral arguments, from a teacher who possesses the true insight, viz. that the Vedanta-texts establish the doctrine of the unity of the Self. ' Reflec- tion ' (mananam) means the confirmation within oneself of the sense taught by the teacher, by means of arguments showing it alone to be suitable. ' Meditation ' (nididhyasa- nam) finally means the constant holding of that sense before one's mind, so as to dispel thereby the antagonistic begin- ningless imagination of plurality. In the case of him who I ADHYAYA, I PADA, I . II through ' hearing,' ' reflection/ and meditation/ has dis- dispelled the entire imagination of plurality, the knowledge of the sense of Vedanta-texts puts an end to Nescience ; and what we therefore require is a statement of the indis- pensable prerequisites of such ' hearing/ ' reflection/ and so on. Now of such prerequisites there are four, viz. dis- crimination of what is permanent and what is non-perma- nent ; the full possession of calmness of mind, self-restraint and similar means ; the renunciation of all enjoyment of fruits here below as well as in the next world ; and the desire of final release.
3dis- crimination of what is permanent and what is non-perma- nent ; the full possession of calmness of mind, self-restraint and similar means ; the renunciation of all enjoyment of fruits here below as well as in the next world ; and the desire of final release. Without these the desire of knowledge cannot arise ; and they are therefore known, from the very nature of the matter, to be necessary prerequisites. To sum up : The root of bondage is the unreal view of plurality which itself has its root in Nescience that conceals the true being of Brahman. Bondage itself thus is unreal, and is on that account cut short, together with its root, by mere know- ledge. Such knowledge is originated by texts such as 1 That art thou ' ; and work is of no help either towards its nature, or its origination, or its fruit (i. e. release). It is on the other hand helpful towards the desire of knowledge, which arises owing to an increase of the element of good- ness (sattva) in the soul, due to the destruction of the elements of passion (ra^*as) and darkness (tamas) which are the root of all moral evil. This use is referred to in the text quoted above, ' Brahma?zas wish to know him/ &c. As, therefore, the knowledge of works is of no use towards the knowledge of Brahman, we must acknowledge as the prerequisite of the latter knowledge the four means men- tioned above. THE SMALL SIDDHANTA. To this argumentation we make the following reply. We admit that release consists only in the cessation of Nescience, and that this cessation results entirely from the knowledge of Brahman. But a distinction has here to be made regarding the nature of this knowledge which 1 2 VEDANTA-stjTRAS.
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.
No commentary for this page.