Moreover, the followers of one sâkhâ explicitly teach that the connexion
with one and the same body is for the individual soul a source of
disadvantage, while for the highest Brahman it is nothing of the kind,
but constitutes an accession of glory in so far as it manifests him as a
Lord and Ruler, 'Two birds, inseparable friends, cling to the same tree.
One of them eats the sweet fruit, the other looks on without eating' (Mu.
Up. III, 1, 1).--But the text, 'Having entered by means of that jîva-
self I will differentiate names and forms,' teaches that the
differentiation of names and forms depends on the entering into the
elements of the jîva-soul whose Self is Brahman, and this implies that
Brahman also, as the Self of the individual soul, possesses definite
shapes, divine, human, and so on, and is to be denominated by the
corresponding names. Brahman thus falls within the sphere of beings to
which injunctions and prohibitions are addressed--such as 'a Brâhmana is
to sacrifice'--and hence necessarily is under the power of karman.--To
this the next Sûtra replies.
14. For (Brahman is) without form merely, since it is the principal
agent with regard to that.
Brahman, although by entering into bodies, human, divine, and so on, it
becomes connected with various forms, yet is in itself altogether devoid
of form, and therefore does not share that subjection to karman which in
the case of the soul is due to its embodiedness.--Why?--Because as it is
that which brings about names and forms it stands to them in the
relation of a superior (pradhâna). For the text, 'The Ether (Brahman)
indeed is the accomplisher of names and forms; that which is without
these two is Brahman,' teaches that Brahman, although entering into all
beings, is not touched by name and form, but is that which brings about
name and form.--But, an objection is raised, if Brahman is the inner
ruler of beings in so far as he has them for its body, how can it be
said that it is altogether destitute of form?--There is a difference, we
reply. The individual soul is connected with the shape of the body in
which it dwells because it participates in the pleasures and pains to
which the body gives rise; but as Brahman does not share those pleasures
and pains, it has no shape or form. And the scriptural injunctions and
prohibitions apply to those only who are under the power of karman. The
highest Brahman therefore is like a being without form, and hence,
although abiding within all things, free from all imperfection and
endowed with all blessed qualities.
But, an objection is raised, texts such as 'the True, knowledge,
infinite is Brahman' suggest a Brahman whose nature is constituted
exclusively by non-differentiated light; while at the same time a
Brahman endowed with qualities--such as omniscience, being the cause of
the world, being the inner Self of all, having the power of immediately
realising its wishes and purposes--is expressly negatived by texts such
as 'not so, not so' (Bri. Up. II, 3, 6), and therefore must be held to
be false. How then can it be maintained that Brahman possesses the
'twofold characteristics' mentioned under Sûtra 11?--To this the next
Sûtra replies.
15. And in the same way as (a Brahman) consisting of light; (the texts
thus) not being devoid of meaning.
In order that texts such as 'the True, knowledge, infinite is Brahman'
may not be devoid of meaning, we have to admit that light (intelligence)
constitutes the essential nature of Brahman. But analogously we have
also to admit that Brahman possesses the 'twofold characteristics'; for
otherwise the texts declaring it to be free from all imperfections, all-
knowing, the cause of the world, and so on, would in their turn be
devoid of meaning.