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Romanised transliteration as printed by the translator, not the original script. This is what we hold.
1Having absolved the inquiry into a point of the higher knowledge into which we were led by a special occasion, we now continue the discussion connected with the lower knowledge. — It has been stated that up to the beginning of the way the departure of him who knows and him who does not know is the same. The present Sutra now describes the soul's entering on the way. The abode of the soul, when — having taken within itself speech and the other powers — it is about to depart, is the heart, according to the text, ' He taking with him those elements of light descends into the heart' (Brz. Up. IV, 4, 1). Of the heart the point becomes lighted up, 'and subsequent to that is the departure of the soul, starting from the eye or some other place, according to the passage, ' The point of his heart becomes lighted up, and by that light the Self departs, either through the eye or through the skull or through other places of the body' (Br/. Up. IV, 4, 2). The question here arises whether that departure is the same for him who knows and him who does not know, or if there is a special limitation in the case of the former ; and the prima facie view might be upheld that there is no such limitation since scripture records no difference. Against this the teacher states that although, equally for him who does know and him who does not know, the point of the heart becomes shining and the door of egress thereby 378 VEDAXTA-SUTRAS.
2is lighted up, yet he who knows departs through the skull only, while the others depart from other places. — Why so? — ' On account of the power of knowledge.' If also he who knows departed, like all others, from any place of the body, he would be unable to reach an exalted sphere ; and then all knowledge would be purportless. 'And on account of the application of meditation on the way forming a part of that.' That means : in different vidyas there is enjoined meditation on the soul's travelling on the way connected with the vein that passes through the skull ; — which way forms a part of those vid}-as. Now it is proper to conclude that he who meditates on that way should after death proceed on it^. Hence he who knows, being favoured by Brahman abiding in the heart on which he had meditated, and thus becoming like it in nature departs by the vein which passes through the skull and ' exceeds the hundred,' i. e. is the hundred and first. The souls of other men pass out by other veins. For thus scripture says, in a chapter treating of the knowledge of Brahman dwelling in the heart, ' There are a hundred and one veins of the heart ; one of them penetrates the crown of the head ; by that moving upwards a riian reaches immortality ; the others serve for departing in different directions ' (A"//. Up. VIII, 6,5)- 18. (The soul after having passed forth from the body) follows the rays.
3There is the vidya of him within the heart, which begins, ' There is this city of Brahman and in it the palace, the small lotus, and in it that small ether'' {Kh. Up. VIII, 1, 1). A subsequent section of that chapter — beginning with the words, ' Now these veins of the heart ' — describes at length the connexion of the veins and the rays, and the text then continues, ' When he departs from this body, he departs upwards by those very rays,' and further on, ' By that ^ For otherwise the meditation enjoined would be ' adnsh/artha ' only ; an alternative not to be admitted anywhere as long as a ' seen ' purpose can be demonstrated. IV ADHYAYA, 2 PADA, I Q. 379 moving upwards he reaches immortality.' From this we understand that the soul passing out by the hundred and first vein follows the rays. — A doubt here arises as to whether the soul of him who dies by night as well as of him who dies by day follows the rays, or the soul of the latter only. — Since scripture mentions no difference, the Sutra teaches that the souls follow the rays in both cases. 19. (Should it be said that the soul does) not (follow, the rays) by night ; (we reply) not so, because the connexion (of veins and rays) exists as long as the body ; and (scripture) also declares this.
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.
1Having absolved the inquiry into a point of the higher knowledge into which we were led by a special occasion, we now continue the discussion connected with the lower knowledge. — It has been stated that up to the beginning of the way the departure of him who knows and him who does not know is the same. The present Sutra now describes the soul's entering on the way. The abode of the soul, when — having taken within itself speech and the other powers — it is about to depart, is the heart, according to the text, ' He taking with him those elements of light descends into the heart' (Brz. Up. IV, 4, 1). Of the heart the point becomes lighted up, 'and subsequent to that is the departure of the soul, starting from the eye or some other place, according to the passage, ' The point of his heart becomes lighted up, and by that light the Self departs, either through the eye or through the skull or through other places of the body' (Br/. Up. IV, 4, 2). The question here arises whether that departure is the same for him who knows and him who does not know, or if there is a special limitation in the case of the former ; and the prima facie view might be upheld that there is no such limitation since scripture records no difference. Against this the teacher states that although, equally for him who does know and him who does not know, the point of the heart becomes shining and the door of egress thereby 378 VEDAXTA-SUTRAS.
2is lighted up, yet he who knows departs through the skull only, while the others depart from other places. — Why so? — ' On account of the power of knowledge.' If also he who knows departed, like all others, from any place of the body, he would be unable to reach an exalted sphere ; and then all knowledge would be purportless. 'And on account of the application of meditation on the way forming a part of that.' That means : in different vidyas there is enjoined meditation on the soul's travelling on the way connected with the vein that passes through the skull ; — which way forms a part of those vid}-as. Now it is proper to conclude that he who meditates on that way should after death proceed on it^. Hence he who knows, being favoured by Brahman abiding in the heart on which he had meditated, and thus becoming like it in nature departs by the vein which passes through the skull and ' exceeds the hundred,' i. e. is the hundred and first. The souls of other men pass out by other veins. For thus scripture says, in a chapter treating of the knowledge of Brahman dwelling in the heart, ' There are a hundred and one veins of the heart ; one of them penetrates the crown of the head ; by that moving upwards a riian reaches immortality ; the others serve for departing in different directions ' (A"//. Up. VIII, 6,5)- 18. (The soul after having passed forth from the body) follows the rays.
3There is the vidya of him within the heart, which begins, ' There is this city of Brahman and in it the palace, the small lotus, and in it that small ether'' {Kh. Up. VIII, 1, 1). A subsequent section of that chapter — beginning with the words, ' Now these veins of the heart ' — describes at length the connexion of the veins and the rays, and the text then continues, ' When he departs from this body, he departs upwards by those very rays,' and further on, ' By that ^ For otherwise the meditation enjoined would be ' adnsh/artha ' only ; an alternative not to be admitted anywhere as long as a ' seen ' purpose can be demonstrated. IV ADHYAYA, 2 PADA, I Q. 379 moving upwards he reaches immortality.' From this we understand that the soul passing out by the hundred and first vein follows the rays. — A doubt here arises as to whether the soul of him who dies by night as well as of him who dies by day follows the rays, or the soul of the latter only. — Since scripture mentions no difference, the Sutra teaches that the souls follow the rays in both cases. 19. (Should it be said that the soul does) not (follow, the rays) by night ; (we reply) not so, because the connexion (of veins and rays) exists as long as the body ; and (scripture) also declares this.
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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