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

^ We have the sacred texts only to teach us what the effects of particular good or evil actions may be.

' The kariresh/i is a sacrifice offered by those who are desirous of rain,

* I.e. by our having shown that death does not equally manifest all works, but that, after death has taken place, the stronger works bring about their requital while the operation of the weaker ones is retarded thereby.

Ill ADHYAYA, I PADA, Q. 1 19

and not the latter, so death provokes the operation of the stronger works only, not of the weaker ones, although an equal opportunity presents itself for both sets of works as hitherto unrequited. — Hence the doctrine that all works are manifested by death cannot be maintained, as it is contradicted by 6"ruti, Smriii, and reason alike. That the existence of a remainder of works should stand in the way of final release is a misplaced fear, as we know from 5ruti that all works whatever are destroyed by perfect knowledge. It therefore is a settled conclusion that the souls re-descend with a remainder of works. They descend ' as they came ' (mounted up); 'not thus/ i.e. in inverted order. We conclude that they descend ' as they came ' from the fact of ether and smoke, which the text includes in the road of the fathers, being mentioned in the description of the descent also, and from the expression ' as they came.' That they follow the inverted order we conclude from night, &c., not being mentioned, and from the cloud, &c., being added.

9. Should it be objected that on account of conduct (the assumption of a remainder is not needed), we deny this because (the scriptural expression ' conduct ') is meant to connote (the remainder) ; so Karsh?/a^ini thinks.

But — an objection may be raised — the scriptural passage, which has been quoted for the purpose of proving that the existence of a remainder of works {' those whose conduct has been good,' &c.), declares that the quality of the new birth depends on Tarawa, not on anuj-aya. Now /^ara;^a and anujaya are different things ; for karans. is the same as ksLvitra., a^ara, ^ila, all of which mean conduct \ while anuj-aya denotes work remaining from requited work. Scripture also speaks of actions and conduct as different things, 'According as he acts and according as he conducts himself so will he be' {Bri. Up. IV, 4, 5); and 'Whatever

' .Sila also means here ' conduct ' only, as we see from its being co-ordinated with -Tarawa, ^aritra, &c. ; not character.

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works are blameless those should be regarded, not others ; whatever our good conduct was that should be observed by thee' (Taitt. Up. I, ii^ 2). From the passage which proclaims the dependence of the quality of birth on conduct the existence of an unrequited remainder of works cannot therefore be proved. — This objection is without force, we reply, because the scriptural term ' conduct ' is meant to connote the remainder of the works. This is the opinion of the teacher Karsh«a^ini.

10. If it be said that piirposelessness (of conduct would result therefrom), we deny this on account of the dependence (of work) on that (conduct).