The Vedânta-Sûtras, Part II, with the Commentary by Sankarâkârya — SBE Vol. 38

In the Mah^bharata also it is said that those who know do not go or depart, ' He who has become the Self of all beings and has a complete intuition of all, at his way the gods themselves are perplexed, seeking for the path of him who has no path.'— But, an objection is raised, other passages speak of men knowing Brahman as going, so e.g. ' 6"uka the son of Vyasa being desirous of release travelled to the sphere of the sun ; being called by his father who had followed him, he gave an answering shout.' — That passage, we reply, describes (not the effects of the highest knowledge but only) how an embodied person, through the power of Yoga (which is of the nature of the lower knowledge), reached some special place and freed himself from the body. This appears from it being mentioned that he was seen by all beings ; for the beings could not see a person moving without a body. The conclusion of the story makes all this clear, ' ^uka having moved through the air more rapidly than wind, and having shown his power, was known by all beings.' — It thus follows that he who knows Brahman neither moves nor departs. To what sphere the scriptural texts about going and so on refer we shall explain later on.

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15. Those (elements, &c.) (are merged) in the highest Brahman ; for thus (scripture) says.

Those, i. e. the sense organs — denoted by the term ' pra;za' — and the elements of him who knows the highest Brahman, are merged in that same highest Brahman. — Why ? — Because scripture declares that ' Thus these sixteen parts of the spectator that go towards the person, when they have reached the person, sink into him ' (Pr. Up. VI, 5). — But another text which refers to him who knows teaches that the parts also are merged in something different from the highest Self, ' The fifteen parts enter into their elements' (Mu. Up. Ill, 2, 7).— No, we reply. This latter passage is concerned with the ordinary view of the matter, according to which the parts of the body which consist of earth and so on are merged in their causal substances, earth and so on. The former passage, on the other hand, expresses the view of him who knows ; according to which the whole aggregate of the parts of him who knows the highest Brahman is merged in Brahman only. — There is thus no contradiction.

16. (There is absolute) non-division (from Brahman, of the parts merged in it) ; according to scriptural declaration.

When the parts of him who knows are merged in Brahman, is there a remainder (which is not so merged), as in the case of other men ; or is there no such remainder? As the merging of him also who knows falls under the general heading of merging, it might be assumed that of him also there remains a potential body, and the Sutrakara therefore teaches expressly that the elements, &c., of him who knows enter into the relation of (absolute) nondivision from Brahman. — On what ground? — Because scripture declares this. For after having taught the dissolution of the parts, the text continues, ' Their name and form are broken, and people speak of the person only ; and he becomes without parts and immortal' (Pr. Up. VI, 5). And when parts that are due to nescience are dissolvedp. 377 through knowledge it is not possible that a remainder should be left. The parts therefore enter into absolute non-division from Brahman.

1 7. (There takes place) a lighting up of the point of its (the soul's) abode (viz. the heart) ; the door (of its egress) being illuminated thereby ; owing to the power of knowledge and the application of meditation to the way which is part of that (knowledge) ; (the soul) favoured by him in the heart (viz. Brahman) (passes upwards) by the one that exceeds a hundred (i. e. by the hundred and first vein).