1. The abode of heaven, earth, &c. (is the highest Self), on account of
terms which are its own.
The followers of the Atharva-veda have the following text, 'He in whom
the heaven, the earth and the sky are woven, the mind also, with all the
vital airs, know him alone as the Self, and leave off other words; he is
the bank (setu) of the Immortal' (Mu. Up. II, 2, 5). The doubt here
arises whether the being spoken of as the abode of heaven, earth, and so
on, is the individual soul or the highest Self.
The Pûrvapakshin maintains the former alternative. For, he remarks, in
the next sloka, 'where like spokes in the nave of a wheel the arteries
meet, he moves about within, becoming manifold,' the word 'where' refers
back to the being which in the preceding sloka had been called the abode
of heaven, earth, and so on, the clause beginning with 'where' thus
declaring that that being is the basis of the arteries; and the next
clause declares that same being to become manifold or to be born in many
ways. Now, connexion with the arteries is clearly characteristic of the
individual soul; and so is being born in many forms, divine and so on.
Moreover, in the very sloka under discussion it is said that that being
is the abode of the mind and the five vital airs, and this also is a
characteristic attribute of the individual soul. It being, on these
grounds, ascertained that the text refers to the individual soul we must
attempt to reconcile therewith, as well as we can, what is said about
its being the abode of heaven, earth, &c.
This primâ facie view is set aside by the Sûtra. That which is described
as the abode of heaven, earth, &c. is none other than the highest
Brahman, on account of a term which is 'its own,' i.e. which specially
belongs to it. The clause we have in view is 'he is the bank of the
Immortal.' This description applies to the highest Brahman only, which
alone is, in all Upanishads, termed the cause of the attainment of
Immortality; cp. e.g. 'Knowing him thus a man becomes immortal; there is
no other path to go' (Sve. Up. III, 8). The term 'setu' is derived from
_si_, which means to bind, and therefore means that which binds, i.e.
makes one to attain immortality; or else it may be understood to mean
that which leads towards immortality that lies beyond the ocean of
samsâra, in the same way as a bank or bridge (setu) leads to the further
side of a river.--Moreover the word 'Self (âtman) (which, in the text
under discussion, is also applied to that which is the abode of heaven,
earth, &c.), without any further qualification, primarily denotes
Brahman only; for 'âtman' comes from _âp_, to reach, and means that
which 'reaches' all other things in so far as it rules them. And further
on (II, 2, 7) there are other terms, 'all knowing,' 'all cognising,'
which also specially belong to the highest Brahman only. This Brahman
may also be represented as the abode of the arteries; as proved e.g. by
Mahânâr. Up. (XI, 8-12), 'Surrounded by the arteries he hangs ... in the
middle of this pointed flame there dwells the highest Self.' Of that
Self it may also be said that it is born in many ways; in accordance
with texts such as 'not born, he is born in many ways; the wise know the
place of his birth.' For in order to fit himself to be a refuge for
gods, men, &c. the supreme Person, without however putting aside his
true nature, associates himself with the shape, make, qualities and
works of the different classes of beings, and thus is born in many ways.
Smriti says the same: 'Though being unborn, of non-perishable nature,
the Lord of all beings, yet presiding over my Prakriti I am born by my
own mysterious power' (Bha. Gî. IV, 6). Of the mind also and the other
organs of the individual soul the highest Self is strictly the abode;
for it is the abode of everything.--The next Sûtra supplies a further
reason.
2. And on account of its being declared that to which the released have
to resort.
The Person who is the abode of heaven, earth, and so on, is also
declared by the text to be what is to be reached by those who are
released from the bondage of Samsâra existence. 'When the seer sees the
brilliant maker and Lord as the Person who has his source in Brahman,
then possessing true knowledge he shakes off good and evil, and, free
from passion, reaches the highest oneness' (Mu. Up. III, 1, 3). 'As the
flowing rivers disappear in the sea, losing their name and form, thus a
wise man freed from name and form goes to the divine Person who is
higher than the high' (III, 2, 8). For it is only those freed from the
bondage of Samsâra who shake off good and evil, are free from passion,
and freed from name and form.
For the Samsâra state consists in the possession of name and form, which
is due to connexion with non-sentient matter, such connexion springing
from good and evil works. The Person therefore who is the abode of
heaven, earth, &c., and whom the text declares to be the aim to be
reached by those who, having freed themselves from good and evil, and
hence from all contact with matter, attain supreme oneness with the
highest Brahman, can be none other than this highest Brahman itself.
This conclusion, based on terms exclusively applicable to the highest
Brahman, is now confirmed by reference to the absence of terms specially
applicable to the individual soul.
3. Not that which is inferred, on account of the absence of terms
denoting it, and (so also not) the bearer of the Prânas (i. e. the
individual soul).
As the section under discussion does not treat of the Pradhâna, there
being no terms referring to that, so it is with regard to the individual
soul also. In the text of the Sûtra we have to read either anumânam, i.
e. 'inference,' in the sense of 'object of inference,' or else ânumânam,
'object of inference'; what is meant being in both cases the Pradhana
inferred to exist by the Sânkhyas.