Those other qualities which are 'equal to the thing,' i. e. which are
attributes determining the essential character of the thing, and
therefore necessarily entering into the idea of the thing, must be
included in all meditations, no less than the thing itself. To this
class belong qualities such as true being, knowledge, bliss, purity,
infinity, and so on. For of Brahman--which by texts such as 'that from
which all these beings,' &c. had been suggested as the cause of the
world--the essential definition is given in texts such as 'the True,
knowledge, infinite is Brahman'; 'bliss is Brahman,' and others; and
hence, in order that a true notion may be formed of Brahman as the
object of meditation, such qualities as true being, bliss, and so on,
have to be included in all meditations on Brahman. Such additional
qualities, on the other hand, as e.g. compassion, which indeed cannot
exist apart from the subject to which they belong, but are not necessary
elements of the idea of Brahman, are to be included in those meditations
only where they are specially mentioned.
But, an objection is raised, if 'having joy for its head' and the like
are not qualities of Brahman, but merely serve the purpose of a
figurative representation of Brahman, for what purpose then is this
representation introduced? For if something is represented as something
else, there must be some motive for doing so. Where, e.g. the sacred
text compares the meditating devotee to a charioteer, its body and
organs to a chariot, and so on, it does so for the purpose of assisting
the subjection to the Self of the means of meditation, i.e. the body,
the senses, and so on. But in the present case no such purpose is to be
discerned, and hence it must needs be admitted that having joy for its
head, and so on, are real qualities of Brahman.--The next Sûtra disposes
of this difficulty.