It has been proved that the meditation on that which truly is, the
meditation on the small ether within the heart, and so on--all of which
have for their result the attainment to Brahman--are separate
meditations. The question now arises whether all these meditations
should be combined by each meditating devotee, on account of such
combination being useful to him; or whether, in the absence of any use
of such combination, they should be undertaken optionally.--They may be
combined, the Pûrvapakshin holds; since it is observed that different
scriptural matters are combined even when having one and the same result.
The Agnihotra, the Daisapûrnamâsa oblation, and other sacrifices, all of
them have one and the same result, viz. the possession of the heavenly
world; nevertheless, one and the same agent performs them all, with a
view to the greater fulness of the heavenly bliss aimed at. So the
different meditations on Brahman also may be cumulated with a view to
greater fulness of intuition of Brahman.--This view the Sûtra rejects.
Option only between the several meditations is possible, on account of
the non-difference of result. For to all meditations on Brahman alike
Scripture assigns one and the same result, viz. intuitive knowledge of
Brahman, which is of the nature of supreme, unsurpassable bliss. 'He who
knows Brahman attains the Highest' (Taitt. Up. II, 1, 1), &c. The
intuitive knowledge of Brahman constitutes supreme, unsurpassable bliss;
and if such intuition may be reached through one meditation, of what use
could other meditations be? The heavenly world is something limited in
respect of place, time, and essential nature, and hence a person
desirous of attaining to it may cumulate works in order to take
possession of it to a greater extent, and so on. But an analogous
proceeding cannot be resorted to with regard to Brahman, which is
unlimited in every sense. All meditations on Brahman tend to dispel
Nescience, which stands in the way of the intuition of Brahman, and thus
equally have for their result the attaining to Brahman; and hence there
is option between them. In the case, on the other hand, of those
meditations which aim at other results than Brahman, there may either be
choice between the several meditations, or they may be cumulated--as one
may also do in the case of sacrifices aiming at the attainment of the
heavenly world;--for as those results are not of an infinite nature one
may aim at realising them in a higher degree. This the next Sûtra
declares.
58. But meditations aiming at objects of desire may, according to one's
liking, be cumulated or not; on account of the absence of the former
reason.
The last clause means--on account of their results not being of an
infinite nature.--Here terminates the adhikarana of 'option.'