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

body. — How do we know this? — 'From the question and the explanation,' The question is, ' Do you know why in the fifth Hbation water is called man ? ' (V, 3, 3.) The explanation, i.e. answer, is given in the entire passage which, after having explained how the five libations in the form of .yraddha. Soma, rain, food, seed are offered in the five fires, viz. the heavenly world, Par^anya, the earth, man and woman, concludes, ' For this reason is water in the fifth oblation called man.' Hence we understand that the soul goes enveloped by water. — But — an objection will be raised — another scriptural passage declares that like a caterpillar the soul does not abandon the old body before it makes an approach to another body^. (Br/. Up. IV, 4, 3, 'And as a caterpillar.') — We reply that what there is compared to the (action of the) caterpillar is (not the non-abandonment of the old body but) merely the lengthening out of the creative effort whose object is the new body to be obtained, which (new body) is presented by the karman of the soul"^. Hence there is no contradiction. — As the mode of obtaining a new body is thus declared by 5ruti, all hypotheses which owe their origin to the mind of man only are to be set aside because they are contradicted by scripture. So e.g. the opinion (of the Sahkhyas) that the Self and the organs are both all-pervading -^ and when obtaining a new body only begin to function in it in consequence of the karman ; or the opinion (of the Bauddhas) that the Self alone

^ 'Evam hi sukshmadehaparishvakto ra7;/het yady asya sthula»z jarira7« ra;;zhato na bhavet, asti tv asya vartamanasthulaj-arirayoga-^ adehantarapraptes tr/«a^alayukanidarjanena, tasman nidarsa^ajrutivirodhan na sukshmadehaparishvakto rawhatiti. Bha.

^ Pratipattavya>^ praptavyo yo dehas tadvishayaya bhavanaya utpadanaya dirghibhavamatra?« ^alukayopamiyate. Bha. — An. Gi. explains: praptavyo yo dehas tadvishayabhavanaya devo:sham ityadikaya dirghibhavo vyavahitarthalambanatva;/z tavanmatram ityadi.

' Karawanam aha»/karikatvat tasya vyapitvat tesham api tadatmakanaw vyapitvam. Go. An. — The organs are, according to the Sahkhya, the immediate effects of the ahawkara, but why allpervading on that account?

I04 VEDANTA-StjTRAS.

(without the organs) begins to function in a new body, and that as the body itself, so new sense-organs also are produced in the new abode of fruition ^ ; or the opinion (of the Vaij-eshikas) that the mind only proceeds to the new abode of fruition ^ ; or the opinion (of the Digambara 6"ainas) that the individual soul only flying away from the old body alights in the new one as a parrot flies from one tree to another. — But — an objection will be raised — from the quoted question and answer it follows that the soul goes enveloped by water only, according to the meaning of the word made use of by scripture, viz. water. How then can the general statement be maintained that the soul goes enveloped by subtle parts of all elements ? — To this doubt the next Sutra replies.

2. But on account of (v^^ater) consisting of three (elements) (the soul is enveloped not by water merely; the latter alone is, however, mentioned) on account of preponderance.