1. The benefit to man results from thence, on account of scriptural
statement; thus Bâdarâyana thinks.
We have concluded the investigation into the oneness or diverseness of
meditations--the result of which is to indicate in which cases the
special points mentioned in several meditations have to be combined, and
in which not. A further point now to be investigated is whether that
advantage to the meditating devotee, which is held to accrue to him from
the meditation, results from the meditation directly, or from works of
which the meditations are subordinate members.--The Reverend Bâdarâyana
holds the former view. The benefit to man results from thence, i.e. from
the meditation, because Scripture declares this to be so. 'He who knows
Brahman reaches the Highest' (Taitt. Up. II, 1, 1); 'I know that great
Person of sun-like lustre beyond the darkness. A man who knows him truly
passes over death; there is no other path to go' (Svet. Up. III, 8); 'As
the flowing rivers disappear in the sea, losing their name and their
form, thus a man who possesses knowledge, freed from name and form, goes
to the divine Person who is greater than the great' (Mu. Up. III, 2, 8).--
Against this view the Pûrvapakshin raises an objection.
2. On account of (the Self) standing in a complementary relation, they
are arthavâdas, as in other cases; thus Jaimini opines.
What has been said as to Scripture intimating that a beneficial result
is realised through the meditations by themselves is untenable. For
texts such as 'he who knows Brahman reaches the Highest' do not teach
that the highest aim of man is attained through knowledge; their purport
rather is to inculcate knowledge of Truth on the part of a Self which is
the agent in works prescribed. Knowledge, therefore, stands in a
complementary relation to sacrificial works, in so far as it imparts to
the acting Self a certain mystic purification; and the texts which
declare special results of knowledge, therefore, must be taken as mere
arthavâdas. 'As in the case of other things; so Jaimini thinks,' i.e. as
Jaimini holds that in the case of substances, qualities, and so on, the
scriptural declaration of results is of the nature of arthavâda.--But it
has been shown before that the Vedânta-texts represent as the object to
be attained, by those desirous of Release, on the basis of the knowledge
imparted by them, something different from the individual Self engaged
in action; cp. on this point Sû. I, 1, 15; I, 3, 5; I, 2, 3; I, 3, 18.
And Sû. II, 1, 22 and others have refuted the view that Brahman is to be
considered as non-different from the personal soul, because in texts
such as 'thou art that' it is exhibited in co-ordination with the latter.
And other Sûtras have proved that Brahman must, on the basis of numerous
scriptural texts, be recognised as the inner Self of all things material
and immaterial. How then can it be said that the Vedânta-texts merely
mean to give instruction as to the true nature of the active individual
soul, and that hence all meditation is merely subservient to sacrificial
works?--On the strength of numerous inferential marks, the Pûrvapakshin
replies, which prove that in the Vedânta-texts all meditation is really
viewed as subordinate to knowledge, and of the declarations of co-
ordination of Brahman and the individual soul (which must be taken to
imply that the two are essentially of the same nature), we cannot help
forming the conclusion that the real purport of the Vedânta-texts is to
tell us of the true nature of the individual soul in so far as different
from its body.--But, again it is objected, the agent is connected no
less with ordinary worldly works than with works enjoined by the Veda,
and hence is not invariably connected with sacrifices (i.e. works of the
latter type); it cannot, therefore, be maintained that meditations on
the part of the agent necessarily connect themselves with sacrifices in
so far as they effect a purification of the sacrificer's mind!--There is
a difference, the Pûrvapakshin rejoins. Worldly works can proceed also
if the agent is non-different from the body; while an agent is qualified
for sacred works only in so far as he is different from the body, and of
an eternal non-changing nature. Meditations, therefore, properly connect
themselves with sacrifices, in so far as they teach that the agent
really is of that latter nature. We thus adhere to the conclusion that
meditations are constituents of sacrificial actions, and hence are of no
advantage by themselves.--But what then are those inferential marks
which, as you say, fully prove that the Vedânta-texts aim at setting
forth the nature of the individual soul?--To this the next Sûtra replies.