As the second part of the text 'Let him approach carrying the firewood
below the ladle; for above he carries it for the gods' (which refers to
a certain form of the Agnihotra), although having the form of an anuvâda,
yet must be interpreted as an injunction, since the carrying of firewood
above is not established by any other injunction; so the text under
discussion also must be taken as an injunction of the different stages
of life (which are not formally enjoined elsewhere). No account being
taken of the text of the Jâbâlas, 'Having completed his studentship he
is to become a householder,' &c., it is thus a settled conclusion that
the texts discussed, although primarily concerned with other topics,
must at the same time be viewed as proving the validity of the several
conditions of life. From this it follows that the text enjoining the
performance of the Agnihotra up to the end of life, and similar texts,
are not universally binding, but concern those only who do not retire
from worldly life.--The final conclusion therefore is that as the
knowledge of Brahman is enjoined on those who lead a life of austerity
(which does not require the performance of sacrifices and the like), it
is not subordinate to works, but is in itself beneficial to man.--Here
terminates the adhikarana of 'benefit to man.'
21. If it be said that they are mere glorification, on account of their
reference; not so, on account of the newness.
The following point is next enquired into. Are texts such as 'That
Udgîtha is the best of all essences, the highest, holding the supreme
place, the eighth' (Ch. Up. I, 1, 3) meant to glorify the Udgîtha as a
constituent element of the sacrifice, or to enjoin a meditation on the
Udgîtha as the best of all essences, and so on? The Pûrvapakshin holds
the former view, on the ground that the text declares the Udgîtha to be
the best of all essences in so far as being a constituent element of the
sacrifice. The case is analogous to that of texts such as 'the ladle is
this earth, the âhavanîya is the heavenly world,' which are merely meant
to glorify the ladle and the rest as constituent members of the
sacrifice.--This view the latter part of the Sûtra sets aside 'on
account of newness.' Texts, as the one referring to the Udgîtha, cannot
be mere glorifications; for the fact of the Udgîtha being the best of
essences is not established by any other means of proof, and the text
under discussion cannot therefore be understood as a mere anuvâda, meant
for glorification. Nor is there, in proximity, any injunction of the
Udgîtha on account of connexion with which the clause declaring the
Udgîtha to be the best of all essences could naturally be taken as an
anuvâda (glorifying the thing previously enjoined in the injunctive
text); while there is such an injunction in connexion with the (anuvâda)
text 'The ladle is this earth,' and so on. We thus cannot but arrive at
the conclusion that the text is meant to enjoin a meditation on the
Udgîtha as being the best of all essences, and so on--the fruit of such
meditation being an increase of vigour and efficacy on the part of the
sacrifice.