they see strong fierce-looking fellows drawing near with shouts and brandishing swords; while they confidently approach persons of contrary appearance and behaviour. We thus see that men and animals follow the same course of procedure with reference to the means and objects of knowledge. Now it is well-known that the procedure of animals bases on the non-distinction (of Self and Non- Self) ; we therefore conclude that, as they present the same appearances, men also — although distinguished by superior intelligence — proceed with regard to perception and so on, in the same way as animals do ; as long, that is to say, as the mutual superimposition of Self and Non- Self lasts. With reference again to that kind of activity which is founded on the Veda (sacrifices and the like), it is true indeed that the reflecting man who is qualified to enter on it, does so not without knowing that the Self has a relation to another world ; yet that qualification does not depend on the knowledge, derivable from the Veddnta- texts, of the true nature of the Self as free from all wants, raised above the distinctions of the Br&hma^a and Kshat- triya-classes and so on, transcending transmigratory exis- tence. For such knowledge is useless and even contra- dictory to the claim (on the part of sacrificers, &c. to perform certain actions and enjoy their fruits). And before such knowledge of the Self has arisen, the Vedic texts continue in their operation, to have for their object that which is dependent on Nescience. For such texts as the following, ' A Brahma^a is to sacrifice,' are operative only on the supposition that on the Self are superimposed particular conditions such as caste, stage of life, age, out- ward circumstances, and so on. That by superimposition we have to understand the notion of something in some other thing we have already explained. (The superimpo- sition of the Non-Self will be understood more definitely from the following examples.) Extra-personal attributes are superimposed on the Self, if a man considers himself sound and entire, or the contrary, as long as his wife, children, and so on are sound and entire or not. Attri- butes of the body are superimposed on the Self, if a man
I ADHYAYA, I PADA, I.
thinks of himself (his Self) as stout, lean, fair, as standing, walking, or jumping. Attributes of the sense-organs, if he thinks 'I am mute, or deaf, or one-eyed, or blind.' Attributes of the internal organ when he considers himself subject to desire, intention, doubt, determination, and so on. Thus the producer of the notion of the Ego (i. e. the internal organ) is superimposed on the interior Self, which, in reality, is the witness of all the modifications of the internal organ, and vice versa the interior Self, which is the witness of everything, is superimposed on the internal organ, the senses, and so on. In this way there goes on this natural beginning — and endless superimposition, which appears in the form of wrong conception, is the cause of individual souls appearing as agents and enjoyers (of the results of their actions), and is observed by every one.
With a view to freeing one's self from that wrong notion
which is the cause of all evil and attaining thereby the
knowledge of the absolute unity of the Self the study of
the Vedanta-texts is begun. That all the Vedanta-texts
have the mentioned purport we shall show in this so-called
S&riraka-mim&Ms& 1.
Of this Ved&nta-mim&#zs& about to be explained by us the first Sutra is as follows.
i. Then therefore the enquiry into Brahman.
The word c then ' is here to be taken as denoting imme- diate consecution ; not as indicating the introduction of a new subject to be entered upon ; for the enquiry into Brahman (more literally, the desire of knowing Brahman) is not of that nature 2. Nor has the word ' then ' the sense
1 The Mima/rasd, i. e. the enquiry whose aim it is to show that the embodied Self, i. e. the individual or personal soul is one with Brahman. This Mima^sd being an enquiry into the meaning of the Vedanta-portions of the Veda, it is also called Vedanta-mimawsa\
2 Nadhik&r&rtha iti. Tatra hetur brahmeti. Asyartha^, kim ayam atha^abdo brahma£-#ane^Mya^ kim v&ntarmtavi^arasya athave^Mvijesha^a^MnasyarambMrtha^. N&dya^ tasya mima/#- sapravartikay&s tadapravartyatvad an&rabhyatvat tasysta /fottaratra
IO vedanta-s6tras.
of auspiciousness (or blessing) ; for a word of that meaning could not be properly construed as a part of the sentence. The word 'then' rather acts as an auspicious term by- being pronounced and heard merely, while it denotes at the same time something else, viz. immediate consecution as said above. That the latter is its meaning follows more- over from the circumstance that the relation in which the result stands to the previous topic (viewed as the cause of the result) is non-separate from the relation of immediate consecution x.
If, then, the word ' then ' intimates immediate consecution it must be explained on what antecedent the enquiry into Brahman specially depends ; just as the enquiry into active religious duty (which forms the subject of the Purva. Mima^sa) specially depends on the antecedent reading of the Veda. The reading of the Veda indeed is the common antecedent (for those who wish to enter on an enquiry into religious duty as well as for those desirous of knowing Brahman). The special question with regard to the enquiry into Brahman is whether it presupposes as its antecedent the understanding of the acts of religious duty (which is acquired by means of the Purva Mima^sa). To this question we reply in the negative, because for a man who has read the Vedanta-parts of the Veda it is possible to enter on the enquiry into Brahman even before engaging in the enquiry into religious duty. Nor is it the purport of the word ' then ' to indicate order of succession ; a purport which it serves in other passages, as, for instance, in the one enjoining the cutting off of pieces from the heart and other
pratyadhikara/zam apratipadanat. Na dvitiyo*tha.rabdenanantar- yoktidvara vmsh/adhiMryasamarparae s&dhana£atush/ayasampan- nana/ra brahmadhitadvi^arayor anarthitvad vi^aranarambhan na £a viHravidhiva^ad adhikari kalpya^ prarambhasyapi tulyatvad adhi- kariwa^ fa vidhyapekshitopadhitvan na trz'tiya^ brahma^Mnasya- nandasakshatkaratvenadhik^ryatvexpyapradhanyad atha^abdasam- bandhat tasman narambharthateti. Ananda Giri.
1 Any relation in which the result, i. e. here the enquiry into Brahman may stand to some antecedent of which it is the effect may be comprised under the relation of anantarya.
I Adhyaya, I Pada, I. Ii
parts of the sacrificial animal1. (For the intimation of order of succession could be intended only if the agent in both cases were the same ; but this is not the case), because there is no proof for assuming the enquiry into religious duty and the enquiry into Brahman to stand in the rela- tion of principal and subordinate matter or the relation of qualification (for a certain act) on the part of the person qualified2; and because the result as well as the object of the enquiry differs in the two cases. The knowledge of active religious duty has for its fruit transitory felicity, and that again depends on the performance of religious acts. The enquiry into Brahman, on the other hand, has for its 1 fruit eternal bliss, and does not depend on the performance J of any acts. Acts of religious duty do not yet exist at the time when they are enquired into, but are something to be accomplished (in the future) ; for they depend on the activity of man. In the Brahma-mima^sa, on the other hand, the object of enquiry, i. e. Brahman, is something already accomplished (existent), — for it is eternal, — and does not depend on human energy. The two enquiries differ moreover in so far as the operation of their respective fundamental texts is concerned. For the fundamental texts on which active religious duty depends convey information to man in so far only as they enjoin on him their own particular subjects (sacrifices, &c.) ; while the fundamental texts about Brahman merely instruct man, without lay- ing on him the injunction of being instructed, instruction being their immediate result. The case is analogous to that of the information regarding objects of sense which ensues as soon as the objects are approximated to the senses. It therefore is requisite that something should be
1 He cuts off from the heart, then from the tongue, then from the breast.
2 Where one action is subordinate to another as, for instance, the offering of the praya^as is to the darjapurwamasa-sacrifice, or where one action qualifies a person for another as, for instance, the offering of the darjapuraamasa qualifies a man for the performance of the Soma-sacriflce, there is unity of the agent, and consequently an inti- mation of the order of succession of the actions is in its right place.
1 2 vedanta-s6tras.
stated subsequent to which the enquiry into Brahman is pro- posed.— Well, then, we maintain that the antecedent condi- tions are the discrimination of what is eternal and what is non-eternal ; the renunciation of all desire to enjoy the fruit (of one's actions) both here and hereafter ; the acquirement of tranquillity, self-restraint, and the other means \ and the desire of final release. If these conditions exist, a man may, either before entering on an enquiry into active religious duty or after that, engage in the enquiry into Brahman and come to know it ; but not otherwise. The word ' then ' therefore intimates that the enquiry into Brahman is subsequent to the acquisition of the above- mentioned (spiritual) means.
The word ' therefore ' intimates a reason. Because the Veda, while declaring that the fruit of the agnihotra and similar performances which are means of happiness is non- eternal (as, for instance, Kk. Up. VIII, i, 6, ' As here on earth whatever has been acquired by action perishes so perishes in the next world whatever is acquired by acts of religious duty '), teaches at the same time that the highest aim of man is realised by the knowledge of Brahman (as, for instance, Taitt. Up. II, i, ' He who knows Brahman attains the highest ') ; therefore the enquiry into Brahman is to be undertaken subsequently to the acquirement of the mentioned means.
By Brahman is to be understood that the definition of which will be given in the next Sutra (I, i, 2); it is therefore not to be supposed that the word Brahman may here denote something else, as, for instance, the brahminical caste. In the Sutra the genitive case (' of Brahman ; ' the literal translation of the Sutra being 'then therefore the desire of knowledge of Brahman ') denotes the object, not something generally supplementary (^esha 2) ; for the desire of knowledge
1 The ' means ' in addition to jama and dama are discontinuance of religious . ceremonies (uparati), patience in- suffering (titiksha), attention and concentration of the mind (samadhana), and faith (jraddha).
2 According to Pacini II, 3, 50 the sixth (genitive) case ex- presses the relation of one thing being generally supplementary to, or connected with, some other thing.