existence, yet, by the favour of the highest Lord, the Lords (fovara), such as Hira/zyagarbha and so on, may continue the same form of existence which belonged to them in the preceding kalpa. Although ordinary animated beings do not, as we see, resume that form of existence which belonged to them in a former birth ; still we cannot judge of the Lords as we do of ordinary beings. For as in the series of beings which descends from man to blades of grass a successive diminution of knowledge, power, and so on, is observed — although they all have the common attribute of being animated — so in the ascending series extending from man up to Hira^yagarbha, a gradually increasing manifes- tation of knowledge, power, &c. takes place ; a circumstance which 5ruti and Smrz'ti mention in many places, and which it is impossible to deny. On that account it may very well be the case that the Lords, such as Hira/zyagarbha and so on, who in a past kalpa were distinguished by superior knowledge and power of action, and who again appear in the present kalpa, do, if favoured by the highest Lord, continue (in the present kalpa) the same kind of existence which they enjoyed in the preceding kalpa ; just as a man who rises from sleep continues the same form of existence which he enjoyed previously to his sleep. Thus Scripture also declares, ' He who first creates Brahman (Hira^ya- garbha) and delivers the Vedas to him, to that God who is the light of his own thoughts, I, seeking for release, go for refuge' (vSVet. Up. VI, 18). vSaunaka and others more- over declare (in the Anukrama/zis of the Veda) that the ten books (of the i?zg-veda) were seen by Madhu^Mandas and other rzshis 1. And, similarly, Smrzti tells us, for every Veda, of men of exalted mental vision (rzshis) who ' saw' the sub- divisions of their respective Vedas, such as kandas and so on. Scripture also declares that the performance of the sacrificial action by means of the mantra is to be preceded by the knowledge of the rishi and so on/ He who makes another person sacrifice or read by means of a mantra of which he
1 Which circumstance proves that exalted knowledge appertains not only to Hira^yagarbha, but to many beings.
2 1 4 VEDANTA-stiTRAS.
does not know the nshi, the metre, the divinity, and the Brahma^a, runs against a post, falls into a pit1, &c. &c, therefore one must know all those matters for each mantra ' (Arsheya Brahma/za, first section). — Moreover, religious duty is enjoined and its opposite is forbidden, in order that the animate beings may obtain pleasure and escape pain. Desire and aversion have for their objects pleasure and pain, known either from experience or from Scripture, and do not aim at anything of a different nature. As therefore each new creation is (nothing but) the result of the religious merit and demerit (of the animated beings of the preceding creation), it is produced with a nature resembling that of the preceding creation. Thus Smrzti also declares, * To whatever actions certain of these (animated beings) had turned in a former creation, to the same they turn when created again and again. Whether those actions were harmful or harmless, gentle or cruel, right or wrong, true or untrue, influenced by them they proceed ; hence a cer- tain person delights in actions of a certain kind.' — More- over, this world when being dissolved (in a mahapralaya) is dissolved to that extent only that the potentiality (.yakti) of the world remains, and (when it is produced again) it is produced from the root of that potentiality; otherwise we should have to admit an effect without a cause. Nor have we the right to assume potentialities of different kind (for the different periods of the world). Hence, although the series of worlds from the earth upwards, and the series of different classes of animate beings such as gods, animals, and men, and the different conditions based on caste, a^rama, religious duty and fruit (of works), although all these we say are again and again interrupted and thereupon produced anew ; we yet have to understand that they are, in the beginningless sa^sara, subject to a certain determinate- ness analogous to the determinateness governing the con- nexion between the senses and their objects. For it is impossible to imagine that the relation of senses and sense- objects should be a different one in different creations, so
1 Viz. naraka, the commentaries say.
I Adhyaya, 3 Pada, 30. 2 I 5
that, for instance, in some new creation a sixth sense and a corresponding sixth sense-object should manifest them- selves. As, therefore, the phenomenal world is the same in all kalpas and as the Lords are able to continue their previous forms of existence, there manifest themselves, in each new creation, individuals bearing the same names and forms as the individuals of the preceding creations, and, owing to this equality of names and forms, the admitted periodical renovations of the world in the form of general pralayas and general creations do not conflict with the authoritativeness of the word of the Veda. The permanent identity of names and forms is declared in Sruti as well as Smriti; compare, for instance, Rtk. Sawh. X, 190, 3, ' As formerly the creator ordered sun and moon, and the sky, and the air, and the heavenly world ; ' which passage means that the highest Lord arranged at the beginning of the present kalpa the entire world with sun and moon, and so on, just as it had been arranged in the preceding kalpa. Compare also Taitt. Brahm. Ill, 1, 4, 1, 'Agni desired: May I become the consumer of the food of the gods ; for that end he offered a cake on eight potsherds to Agni and the K>/ttikas.' This passage, which forms part of the injunction of the ish/i to the Nakshatras, declares equality of name and form connecting the Agni who offered and the Agni to whom he offered 1.
Smritl also contains similar statements to be quoted
here; so, for instance, 'Whatever were the names of the
rz'shis and their powers to see the Vedas, the same the
Unborn one again gives to them when they are produced
afresh at the end of the night (the mahapralaya). As the
various signs of the seasons return in succession in their due
time, thus the same beings again appear in the different
yugas. And of whatever individuality the gods of the
1 Asmin kalpe sarvesh&m pramnam dahapakapraka\raMri yo *yam agnir drwyate so*yam agni/£ purvasmin kalpe manushya^ san devatvapadaprapakaw karmanush/Myasmin kalpa eta^ ^anma labdhavan ata^ purvasmin kalpe sa manushyo bhavini^ samgr&m. aw'tyagnir iti vyapadiryate. — Sayarca on the quoted passage.
2 1 6 VEDANTA-sftTRAS.
past ages were, equal to them are the present gods in name and form.'
3 1 . On account of the impossibility of (the gods
being qualified) for the madhu-vidyi, &c. Gaimini
(maintains) the non-qualification (of the gods for
the Brahma-vidya).
A new objection is raised against the averment that the gods, &c. also are entitled to the knowledge of Brahman. The teacher, Caimini, considers the gods and similar beings not to have any claim. — Why? — On account of the impos- sibility, in the case of the so-called Madhu-vidya, &c. If their claim to the knowledge of Brahman were admitted, we should have to admit their claim to the madhu-vidya ('the knowledge of the honey ') also, because that also is a kind of knowledge not different (from the knowledge of Brahman). But to admit this latter claim is not possible ; for, according to the passage, ' The Sun is indeed the honey of the devas ' (K/i. Up. Ill, i,i), men are to meditate on the sun (the god Aditya) under the form of honey/ and how, if the gods themselves are admitted as meditating worshippers, can Aditya meditate upon another Aditya ? — Again, the text, after having enumerated five kinds of nectar, the red one, &c. residing in the sun, and after having stated that the five classes of gods, viz. the Vasus, Rudras, Adityas, Maruts, and S&dhyas, live on one of these nectars each, declares that ' he who thus knows this nectar becomes one of the Vasus, with Agni at their head, he sees the nectar and rejoices,' &c, and indicates thereby that those who know the nectars enjoyed by the Vasus, &c, attain the greatness of the Vasus, &c. But how should the Vasus themselves know other Vasus enjoying the nectar, and what other Vasu-greatness should they desire to attain ? — We have also to compare the pas- sages ' Agni is one foot, Aditya is one foot, the quarters are one foot ' (Kh. Up. Ill, 18, o) ; ' Air is indeed the absorber ' (Kh. Up. IV, 3, i) ; ' Aditya is Brahman, this is the doctrine.' All these passages treat of the meditation on the Self of certain divinities, for which meditation these divinities them-
I Adhyaya, 3 Pada, 32. 2\*]
selves are not qualified. — So it is likewise impossible that the rzshis themselves should be qualified for meditations con- nected with rzshis, such as expressed in passages like Bri. Up. II, 2, 4, ' These two are the rzshis Gautama and Bharad- va^a ; the right Gautama, the left Bharadva^a.5 — Another reason for the non-qualification of the gods is stated in the following Sutra.
32. And (the devas, &c. are not qualified) on
account of (the words denoting the devas, &c.) being
(used) in the sense of (sphere of) light.
To that sphere of light, the purvapakshin resumes, which is stationed in the sky, and during its diurnal revolutions illumines the world, terms such as Aditya, i. e. the names of devas, are applied, as we know from the use of ordinary language, and from Vedic complementary passages1. But of a mere sphere of light we cannot understand how it should be endowed with either a bodily form, consisting of the heart and the like, or intelligence, or the capability of forming wishes 2. For mere light we know to be, like earth, entirely devoid of intelligence. The same observation applies to Agni (fire), and so on. It will perhaps be said that our objection is not valid, because the personality of the devas is known from the mantras, arthavadas, itihasas, pura^as, and from the conceptions of ordinary life3; but we contest the relevancy of this remark. For the conceptions of ordi- nary life do not constitute an independent means of know- ledge ; we rather say that a thing is known from ordinary life if it is known by the (acknowledged) means of know- ledge, perception, &c. But none of the recognised means of knowledge, such as perception and the like, apply to the
1 As, for instance, ' So long as Aditya rises in the east and sets in the west ' (Kh. Up. Ill, 6, 4).
2 Whence it follows that the devas are not personal beings, and therefore not qualified for the knowledge of Brahman.
3 Yama, for instance, being ordinarily represented as a person with a staff in his hand, Varurca with a noose, Indra with a thunder- bolt, &c. &c.
2 1 8 vedAnta-sutras.
matter under discussion. Itihasas and pura^as again being of human origin, stand themselves in need of other means of knowledge on which to base. The arthavada passages also, which, as forming syntactical wholes with the injunctory passages, have merely the purpose of glorifying (what is enjoined in the latter), cannot be considered to constitute by themselves reasons for the existence of the personality, &c. of the devas. The mantras again, which, on the ground of direct enunciation, &c, are to be employed (at the dif- ferent stages of the sacrificial action), have merely the purpose of denoting things connected with the sacrificial performance, and do not constitute an independent means of authoritative knowledge for anything1. — For these reasons the devas, and similar beings, are not qualified for the knowledge of Brahman.
33. B&daraya/za, on the other hand, (maintains)
the existence (of qualification for Brahma-vidyS, on
the part of the gods) ; for there are (passages
indicatory of that).