Both, i.e. the Mâdhyandinas as well as the Kânvas, distinguish in their
texts the embodied soul, together with speech and other non-intelligent
things, from the Ruler within, representing it as an object of his rule.
The Mâdhyandinas read, 'He who dwells in the Self, whom the Self does
not know,' &c.; the Kânvas, 'He who dwells within understanding', &c.
The declaration of the individual Self being ruled by the Ruler within
implies of course the declaration of the former being different from the
latter.
The conclusion from all this is that the Ruler within is a being
different from the individual soul, viz. the highest Self free from all
evil, Nârâyana.--Here terminates the adhikarana of 'the internal Ruler'.
22. That which possesses the qualities of invisibility, &c., on account
of the declaration of attributes.
The Âtharvanikas read in their text, 'The higher knowledge is that by
which that Indestructible is apprehended. That which is invisible,
unseizable, without origin and qualities, &c., that it is which the wise
regard as the source of all beings'; and further on, 'That which is
higher than the high Imperishable' (Mu. Up. I, 1, 5, 6; II, 1, 2). The
doubt here arises whether the Indestructible, possessing the qualities
of imperceptibility, &c., and that which is higher than the
Indestructible, should be taken to denote the Pradhâna and the soul of
the Sânkhyas, or whether both denote the highest Self.--The Pûrvapakshin
maintains the former alternative. For, he says, while in the text last
discussed there is mentioned a special attribute of an intelligent being,
viz. in the clause 'unseen but a seer', no similar attribute is stated
in the former of the two texts under discussion, and the latter text
clearly describes the collective individual soul, which is higher than
the imperishable Pradhâna, which itself is higher than all its effects.
The reasons for this decision are as follows:--Colour and so on reside
in the gross forms of non-intelligent matter, viz. the elements, earth,
and so on. When, therefore, visibility and so on are expressly negatived,
such negation suggests a non-sentient thing cognate to earth, &c., but
of a subtle kind, and such a thing is no other than the Pradhâna. And as
something higher than this Pradhâna there are known the collective souls
only, under whose guidance the Pradhâna gives birth to all its effects,
from the so-called Mahat downwards to individual things. This
interpretation is confirmed by the comparisons set forth in the next
sloka, 'As the spider sends forth and draws in its threads, as plants
spring from the earth, as hair grows on the head and body of the living
man, thus does everything arise here from the Indestructible.' The
section therefore is concerned only with the Pradhâna and the individual
soul.
This primâ facie view is set aside by the Sûtra. That which possesses
invisibility and the other qualities stated in the text, and that which
is higher than the high Indestructible, is no other than the highest
Self. For the text declares attributes which belong to the highest Self
only, viz. in I, 1, 9, 'He who knows all, cognises all,' &c. Let us
shortly consider the connexion of the text. The passage beginning 'the
higher knowledge is that by which the Indestructible is apprehended'
declares an indestructible being possessing the attributes of
invisibility and so on. The clause 'everything arises here from the
Indestructible' next declares that from that being all things originate.
Next the sloka, 'He who knows all and cognises all,' predicates of that
Indestructible which is the source of all beings, omniscience, and
similar qualities. And finally the text, 'That which is higher than the
high Indestructible,' characterises that same being--which previously
had been called invisible, the source of beings, indestructible, all-
knowing, &c.--as the highest of all. Hence it is evident that in the
text 'higher than the high Indestructible' the term 'Indestructible'
does not denote the invisible, &c. Indestructible, which is the chief
topic of the entire section; for there can of course be nothing higher
than that which, as being all-knowing, the source of all, &c., is itself
higher than anything else. The 'Indestructible' in that text therefore
denotes the elements in their subtle condition.
23. Not the two others, on account of distinction and statement of
difference.
The section distinguishes the indestructible being, which is the source
of all, &c., from the Pradhâna as well as the individual soul, in so far,
namely, as it undertakes to prove that by the cognition of one thing
everything is known; and it moreover, in passages such as 'higher than
the high Indestructible,' explicitly states the difference of the
indestructible being from those other two.--The text first relates that
Brahmâ told the knowledge of Brahman, which is the foundation of the
knowledge of all, to his eldest son Atharvan: this introduces the
knowledge of Brahman as the topic of the section. Then, the text
proceeds, in order to obtain this knowledge of Brahman, which had been
handed down through a succession of teachers to Angiras, Saunaka
approached Angiras respectfully and asked him: 'What is that through
which, if known, all this is known?' i.e. since all knowledge is founded
on the knowledge of Brahman, he enquires after the nature of Brahman.
Angiras replies that he who wishes to attain Brahman must acquire two
kinds of knowledge, both of them having Brahman for their object: an
indirect one which springs from the study of the sâstras, viz. the Veda,
Sikshâ, Kalpa, and so on, and a direct one which springs from
concentrated meditation (yoga). The latter kind of knowledge is the
means of obtaining Brahman, and it is of the nature of devout meditation
(bhakti), as characterised in the text 'He whom the Self chooses, by him
the Self can be gained' (III, 2, 3). The means again towards this kind
of knowledge is such knowledge as is gained from sacred tradition,
assisted by abstention and the other six auxiliary means (sec above, p.
17); in agreement with the text, 'Him the Brahmattas seek to know by the
study of the Veda, by sacrifice, by gifts, by penance, by fasting' (Bri.
Up. IV, 4, 22).--Thus the Reverend Parâsara also says, 'The cause of
attaining him is knowledge and work, and knowledge is twofold, according
as it is based on sacred tradition or springs from discrimination.' The
Mundaka-text refers to the inferior kind of knowledge in the passage
'the lower knowledge is the Rig-veda,' &c., up to 'and the dharma-
sâstras'; this knowledge is the means towards the intuition of Brahman;
while the higher kind of knowledge, which is called 'upâsanâ,' has the
character of devout meditation (bhakti), and consists in direct
intuition of Brahman, is referred to in the clause 'the higher knowledge
is that by which the Indestructible is apprehended.' The text next
following, 'That which is invisible, &c., then sets forth the nature of
the highest Brahman, which is the object of the two kinds of knowledge
previously described. After this the passage 'As the spider sends forth
and draws in its thread' declares that from that indestructible highest
Brahman, as characterised before, there originates the whole universe of
things, sentient and non-sentient. The next soka (tapasâ kîyate, &c.)
states particulars about this origination of the universe from Brahman.
'Brahman swells through brooding'; through brooding, i.e. thought--in
agreement with a later text, 'brooding consists of thought'--Brahman
swells, i.e. through thought in the form of an intention, viz. 'may I
become many,' Brahman becomes ready for creation. From it there springs
first 'anna,' i.e. that which is the object of fruition on the part of
all enjoying agents, viz. the non-evolved subtle principles of all
elements. From this 'anna' there spring successively breath, mind, and
all other effected things up to work, which is the means of producing
reward in the form of the heavenly world, and Release. The last sloka of
the first chapter thereupon first states the qualities, such as
omniscience and so on, which capacitate the highest Brahman for creation,
and then declares that from the indestructible highest Brahman there
springs the effected (kârya) Brahman, distinguished by name and form,
and comprising all enjoying subjects and objects of enjoyment.--The
first sloka of the second chapter declares first that the highest
Brahman is absolutely real ('That is true'), and then admonishes those
who desire to reach the indestructible highest Self, which possesses all
the blessed qualities stated before and exists through itself, to turn
away from other rewards and to perform all those sacrificial works
depending on the three sacred fires which were seen and revealed by
poets in the four Vedas and are incumbent on men according to caste and
âsrama. The section 'this is your path' (I, 2, 1) up to 'this is the
holy Brahma-world gained by your good works' (I, 2, 6) next states the
particular mode of performing those works, and declares that an omission
of one of the successive works enjoined in Druti and Smriti involves
fruitlessness of the works actually performed, and that something not
performed in the proper way is as good as not performed at all. Stanzas
7 and ff. ('But frail in truth are those boats') declare that those who
perform this lower class of works have to return again and again into
the Samsâra, because they aim at worldly results and are deficient in
true knowledge. Stanza 8 ('but those who practise penance and faith')
then proclaims that works performed by a man possessing true knowledge,
and hence not aiming at worldly rewards, result in the attainment of
Brahman; and stanzas 12 a, 13 ('having examined all these worlds')
enjoin knowledge, strengthened by due works, on the part of a man who
has turned away from _mere_ works, as the means of reaching Brahman; and
due recourse to a teacher on the part of him who is desirous of such
knowledge.--The first chapter of the second section of the Upanishad (II,
1)then clearly teaches how the imperishable highest Brahman, i.e. the
highest Self--as constituting the Self of all things and having all
things for its body--has all things for its outward form and emits all
things from itself. The remainder of the Upanishad ('Manifest, near,' &c.
) teaches how this highest Brahman, which is imperishable and higher
than the soul, which itself is higher than the Unevolved; which dwells
in the highest Heaven; and which is of the nature of supreme bliss, is
to be meditated upon as within the hollow of the heart; how this
meditation has the character of devout faith (bhakti); and how the
devotee, freeing himself from Nescience, obtains for his reward
intuition of Brahman, which renders him like Brahman.
It thus clearly appears that 'on account of distinction and statement of
difference' the Upanishad does not treat of the Pradhâna and the soul.
For that the highest Brahman is different from those two is declared in
passages such as 'That heavenly Person is without body; he is both
without and within, not produced, without breath and without mind, pure,
higher than what is higher than the Imperishable' (II, 1, 2); for the
last words mean 'that imperishable highest Self possessing invisibility
and similar qualities, which is higher than the aggregate of individual
souls, which itself is higher than the non-evolved subtle elements.' The
term 'akshara' (imperishable) is to be etymologically explained either
as that which pervades (asnute) or that which does not pass away (a-
ksharati), and is on either of these explanations applicable to the
highest Self, either because that Self pervades all its effects or
because it is like the so-called Mahat (which is also called akshara),
free from all passing away or decaying.--Here terminates the adhikarana
of 'invisibility and so on.'