Fetching
One moment.
Fetching
One moment.
Romanised transliteration as printed by the translator, not the original script. This is what we hold.
127. And thus (scripture also) declares. Scripture also, after having signified the soul's abiding in the heart and its atomic size, declares by means of such ^ Single atoms could not produce any sensations; trasarewus, i.e. combinations of three atoms even could not produce lively sensations. ^ Viz. that smell cannot exist apart from the odorous substance, because it is a quality like colour. 42 vedanta-sOtras. passages as ' Up to the hairs, up to the tips of the nails ' (Kau. Up. IV, 20 ; Br/. Up. I. 4, 7), that the soul pervades the entire body by means of intelligence which is its quality. 28. On account of the separate statement (of soul and intelligence). From the passage ' Having by knowledge taken possession of the body ' which represents the soul and intelligence as separate, viz. as respectively the agent and the instrument of action, we understand that the soul pervades the body only by means of intelligence, its quality. Again the passage 'Then (the intelligent person) having through the intelligence of the senses absorbed within himself all intelligence' (Bri. Up. II, i, 17) shows intelligence to be different from the agent, i. e. the embodied soul, and so likewise confirms our view. — The reply to all this is as follows. 29. But it is designated thus (i.e. as atomic), on account of its having for its essence the qualities of that (i.e. the buddhi); as in the case of the intelligent Self (i.e. Brahman).
2The word ' but ' is meant to set aside the opinion maintained hitherto. — The soul is not of atomic size, since scripture does not declare it to have had an origin. On the contrary, as scripture speaks of the highest Brahman entering into the elements and teaches that it is their Self, the soul is nothing else but the highest Brahman. And if the soul is the highest Brahman, it must be of the same extent as Brahman. Now scripture states Brahman to be all-pervading. Therefore the soul also is all-pervading. — On that view all the statements about the all-pervadingness of the soul made in 5ruti and Smrz'ti are justified, so, for instance, the passage, • He is that great unborn Self who consists of knowledge, is surrounded by the prawas &c.' (Br/. Up. IV, 4, 22). Nor again could the soul, if it were of atomic size, experience sensations extending over the whole body. If it be said that that is possible owing to the soul's connexion II ADHYAYA, 3 PADA, 29. 43
3with the sense of touch (the skin), we deny that assertion. For from that it would follow that, when we tread on a thorn, the sensation extends over the whole body, since the connexion of the thorn and the skin abides in the entire skin, and the skin extends over the whole body. While as a matter of fact, when treading on a thorn we experience a sensation in the sole of the foot only. — Nor again is it possible that a quality of an atom should diffuse itself beyond the atom. For qualities occupy the same place with the substances of which they are qualities, and a quality not abiding in its substance would no longer be a quality. Concerning the light emitted from a lamp we have already shown that it is, not a quality, but rather a different kind of substance. Hence odour also, being avowedly a quality, can exist in so far only as it inheres in its substance ; otherwise it would cease to be odour. Thus the reverend Dvaipayana also says, ' Having perceived odour in water some unthinking people ascribe it to the latter ; but know that it is in the earth only, and (merely) passes over into air and water.' If the intelligence of the soul pervades the whole body, the soul cannot be atomic ; for intelligence constitutes the soul's proper nature, just as heat and light constitute that of fire. A separation of the two as quality and that which is qualified does not exist. Now it has already been shown (H, 2, 34) that the soul is not of the same size as the body ; the only remaining alternative therefore is that it is all-pervading (infinite). But why then, our opponent asks, is the soul designated (in some scriptural passages) as being of atomic size, &c. ? — It is designated as such ' on account of being of the nature of the essence of that (i. e. the buddhi).' — The Self is here said to be of the nature of the essence of the mind's (buddhi) qualities, because those qualities, such as desire, aversion, pleasure, pain and so on, constitute the essence, i.e. the principal characteristics of the Self as long as it is implicated in transmigratory existence. Apart from the qualities of the mind the mere Self does not exist in the saw/sara state ; for the latter, owing to which the Self appears as an agent and enjoyer, is altogether due to the circumstance of
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.
127. And thus (scripture also) declares. Scripture also, after having signified the soul's abiding in the heart and its atomic size, declares by means of such ^ Single atoms could not produce any sensations; trasarewus, i.e. combinations of three atoms even could not produce lively sensations. ^ Viz. that smell cannot exist apart from the odorous substance, because it is a quality like colour. 42 vedanta-sOtras. passages as ' Up to the hairs, up to the tips of the nails ' (Kau. Up. IV, 20 ; Br/. Up. I. 4, 7), that the soul pervades the entire body by means of intelligence which is its quality. 28. On account of the separate statement (of soul and intelligence). From the passage ' Having by knowledge taken possession of the body ' which represents the soul and intelligence as separate, viz. as respectively the agent and the instrument of action, we understand that the soul pervades the body only by means of intelligence, its quality. Again the passage 'Then (the intelligent person) having through the intelligence of the senses absorbed within himself all intelligence' (Bri. Up. II, i, 17) shows intelligence to be different from the agent, i. e. the embodied soul, and so likewise confirms our view. — The reply to all this is as follows. 29. But it is designated thus (i.e. as atomic), on account of its having for its essence the qualities of that (i.e. the buddhi); as in the case of the intelligent Self (i.e. Brahman).
2The word ' but ' is meant to set aside the opinion maintained hitherto. — The soul is not of atomic size, since scripture does not declare it to have had an origin. On the contrary, as scripture speaks of the highest Brahman entering into the elements and teaches that it is their Self, the soul is nothing else but the highest Brahman. And if the soul is the highest Brahman, it must be of the same extent as Brahman. Now scripture states Brahman to be all-pervading. Therefore the soul also is all-pervading. — On that view all the statements about the all-pervadingness of the soul made in 5ruti and Smrz'ti are justified, so, for instance, the passage, • He is that great unborn Self who consists of knowledge, is surrounded by the prawas &c.' (Br/. Up. IV, 4, 22). Nor again could the soul, if it were of atomic size, experience sensations extending over the whole body. If it be said that that is possible owing to the soul's connexion II ADHYAYA, 3 PADA, 29. 43
3with the sense of touch (the skin), we deny that assertion. For from that it would follow that, when we tread on a thorn, the sensation extends over the whole body, since the connexion of the thorn and the skin abides in the entire skin, and the skin extends over the whole body. While as a matter of fact, when treading on a thorn we experience a sensation in the sole of the foot only. — Nor again is it possible that a quality of an atom should diffuse itself beyond the atom. For qualities occupy the same place with the substances of which they are qualities, and a quality not abiding in its substance would no longer be a quality. Concerning the light emitted from a lamp we have already shown that it is, not a quality, but rather a different kind of substance. Hence odour also, being avowedly a quality, can exist in so far only as it inheres in its substance ; otherwise it would cease to be odour. Thus the reverend Dvaipayana also says, ' Having perceived odour in water some unthinking people ascribe it to the latter ; but know that it is in the earth only, and (merely) passes over into air and water.' If the intelligence of the soul pervades the whole body, the soul cannot be atomic ; for intelligence constitutes the soul's proper nature, just as heat and light constitute that of fire. A separation of the two as quality and that which is qualified does not exist. Now it has already been shown (H, 2, 34) that the soul is not of the same size as the body ; the only remaining alternative therefore is that it is all-pervading (infinite). But why then, our opponent asks, is the soul designated (in some scriptural passages) as being of atomic size, &c. ? — It is designated as such ' on account of being of the nature of the essence of that (i. e. the buddhi).' — The Self is here said to be of the nature of the essence of the mind's (buddhi) qualities, because those qualities, such as desire, aversion, pleasure, pain and so on, constitute the essence, i.e. the principal characteristics of the Self as long as it is implicated in transmigratory existence. Apart from the qualities of the mind the mere Self does not exist in the saw/sara state ; for the latter, owing to which the Self appears as an agent and enjoyer, is altogether due to the circumstance of
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.