Fetching
One moment.
Fetching
One moment.
Romanised transliteration as printed by the translator, not the original script. This is what we hold.
1mothers. In the case of Dro«a and others there was absent the oblation which is made into the woman ; while in the case of Dhr/sh^adyumna and others, even two of the oblations, viz. the one offered into woman and the one offered into man, were absent. Hence in other cases also birth may be supposed to take place independently of the number of oblations. — It is, moreover, commonly known that the female crane conceives without a male. 20, And on account of observation. It is, moreover, obsei'ved that out of the four classes of organic beings — viviparous animals, oviparous animals, animals springing from heat, and beings springing from germs (plants) — the two latter classes are produced without sexual intercourse, so that in their case no regard is had to the number of oblations. The same may therefore take place in other cases also. — But, an objection may here be raised, scripture speaks of those beings as belonging to three classes only, because there are three modes of origin only ; ' That which springs from an egg, that which springs from a living being, that which springs from a germ ' {K/i. Up. VI, 3, 1). How then can it be maintained that there are four classes ? — To this objection the next Sutra replies. 21, The third term comprises that which springs from heat.
2The third term in the scriptural passage quoted, i.e. ' that which springs from a germ,' must be understood as implying those beings also which spring from heat ; the two classes having in common that they spring from earth or water, i.e. from something stable. Different from their origin is the origin of those beings which spring from moving things (viz. animals). — In other places the beings springing from heat and those springing from germs are spoken of as constituting separate classes. — Hence there is no contradiction. 22, (On the part of the soul's descending from the Ill ADHVAYA, I PADA, 2 2. 1 27 moon) there is entering into similarity of being (with ether and so on); as this (only) is possible.
3It has been explained that the souls of those who perform sacrifices, &c., after having reached the moon dwell there as long as their works last and then re-descend with a remainder of their works. We now have to inquire into the mode of that descent. On this point scripture makes the following statement : 'They return again the way they came, to the ether, from the ether to the air. Then the sacrificer having become air becomes smoke, having become smoke he becomes mist, having become mist he becomes a cloud, having become a cloud he rains down.' — Here a doubt arises whether the descending souls pass over into a state of identity with ether, &c., or into a state of similarity. — The purvapakshin maintains that the state is one of identity, because this is directly stated by the text. Otherwise there would take place so-called indication (lakshawi). Now whenever the doubt lies between a directly expressed and a merely indicated meaning the former is to be preferred. Thus the following words also, ' Having become air he becomes smoke,' &c., are appropriate only if the soul be understood to identify itself with them. — Hence it follows that the souls become identical with ether, &c. — To this we reply that they only pass into a state of similarity to ether, &c. When the body, consisting of water which the soul had assumed in the sphere of the moon for the purpose of enjoyment, dissolves at the time when that enjoyment comes to an end, then it becomes subtle like ether, passes thereupon into the power of the air, and then gets mixed with smoke, &c. This is the meaning of the clauses, * They return as they came to the ether, from the ether to the air, &c.' — How is this known to be the meaning? — Because thus only it is possible. For it is not possible that one thing should become another in the literal sense of the word. If, moreover, the souls became identified with ether they could no longer descend through air, &c. And as connexion with the ether is, on account of its all-pervadingness, eternal, no other connexion (of the souls) with it can here be meant
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.
1mothers. In the case of Dro«a and others there was absent the oblation which is made into the woman ; while in the case of Dhr/sh^adyumna and others, even two of the oblations, viz. the one offered into woman and the one offered into man, were absent. Hence in other cases also birth may be supposed to take place independently of the number of oblations. — It is, moreover, commonly known that the female crane conceives without a male. 20, And on account of observation. It is, moreover, obsei'ved that out of the four classes of organic beings — viviparous animals, oviparous animals, animals springing from heat, and beings springing from germs (plants) — the two latter classes are produced without sexual intercourse, so that in their case no regard is had to the number of oblations. The same may therefore take place in other cases also. — But, an objection may here be raised, scripture speaks of those beings as belonging to three classes only, because there are three modes of origin only ; ' That which springs from an egg, that which springs from a living being, that which springs from a germ ' {K/i. Up. VI, 3, 1). How then can it be maintained that there are four classes ? — To this objection the next Sutra replies. 21, The third term comprises that which springs from heat.
2The third term in the scriptural passage quoted, i.e. ' that which springs from a germ,' must be understood as implying those beings also which spring from heat ; the two classes having in common that they spring from earth or water, i.e. from something stable. Different from their origin is the origin of those beings which spring from moving things (viz. animals). — In other places the beings springing from heat and those springing from germs are spoken of as constituting separate classes. — Hence there is no contradiction. 22, (On the part of the soul's descending from the Ill ADHVAYA, I PADA, 2 2. 1 27 moon) there is entering into similarity of being (with ether and so on); as this (only) is possible.
3It has been explained that the souls of those who perform sacrifices, &c., after having reached the moon dwell there as long as their works last and then re-descend with a remainder of their works. We now have to inquire into the mode of that descent. On this point scripture makes the following statement : 'They return again the way they came, to the ether, from the ether to the air. Then the sacrificer having become air becomes smoke, having become smoke he becomes mist, having become mist he becomes a cloud, having become a cloud he rains down.' — Here a doubt arises whether the descending souls pass over into a state of identity with ether, &c., or into a state of similarity. — The purvapakshin maintains that the state is one of identity, because this is directly stated by the text. Otherwise there would take place so-called indication (lakshawi). Now whenever the doubt lies between a directly expressed and a merely indicated meaning the former is to be preferred. Thus the following words also, ' Having become air he becomes smoke,' &c., are appropriate only if the soul be understood to identify itself with them. — Hence it follows that the souls become identical with ether, &c. — To this we reply that they only pass into a state of similarity to ether, &c. When the body, consisting of water which the soul had assumed in the sphere of the moon for the purpose of enjoyment, dissolves at the time when that enjoyment comes to an end, then it becomes subtle like ether, passes thereupon into the power of the air, and then gets mixed with smoke, &c. This is the meaning of the clauses, * They return as they came to the ether, from the ether to the air, &c.' — How is this known to be the meaning? — Because thus only it is possible. For it is not possible that one thing should become another in the literal sense of the word. If, moreover, the souls became identified with ether they could no longer descend through air, &c. And as connexion with the ether is, on account of its all-pervadingness, eternal, no other connexion (of the souls) with it can here be meant
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.