The question now arises whether the meditation described which is the
means of final Release is to be accomplished within one day, or to be
continued day after day, until death.--The view that it is accomplished
within one day, as this will satisfy the scriptural injunction, is
disposed of by the Sûtra. Meditation is to be continued until death. For
Scripture declares that meditation has to take place 'there,' i.e. in
the whole period from the first effort after meditation up to death,
'Acting thus as long as life lasts he reaches the world of Brahman.'--
Here terminates the adhikarana of 'up to death.'
13. On the attainment of this, there result the non-clinging and the
destruction of later and earlier sins; this being declared.
Having, so far, elucidated the nature of meditation, the Sûtras now
begin to consider the result of meditation. Scripture declares that on
the knowledge of Brahman being attained a man's later and earlier sins
do not cling to him but pass away. 'As water does not cling to a lotus
leaf, so no evil deed clings to him who knows this' (Ch. Up. IV, 14, 3);
'Having known that he is not sullied by any evil deed' (Bri. Up. IV, 4,
23); 'As the fibres of the Ishîkâ reed when thrown into the fire are
burnt, thus all his sins are burnt' (Ch. Up. V, 24, 3); 'All his works
perish when He has been beheld who is high and low' (Mu. Up. II, 2, 8).--
The doubt here arises whether this non-clinging and destruction of all
sins is possible as the result of mere meditation, or not.--It is not
possible, the Pûrvapakshin maintains; for Scripture declares, 'no work
the fruits of which have not been completely enjoyed perishes even in
millions of aeons.' What the texts, quoted above, say as to the non-
clinging and destruction of works occurs in sections complementary to
passages inculcating knowledge as the means of final Release, and may
therefore be understood as somehow meant to eulogize knowledge. Nor can
it be said that knowledge is enjoined as an expiation of sins, so that
the destruction of sins could be conceived as resulting from such
expiation; for knowledge--as we see from texts such as 'He who knows
Brahman reaches the Highest,' 'He knows Brahman and he becomes Brahman'--
is enjoined as a means to reach Brahman. The texts as to the non-
clinging and destruction of sins therefore can only be viewed as
arthavâda passages supplementary to the texts enjoining knowledge of
Brahman.--This view the Sûtra sets aside. When a man reaches knowledge,
the non-clinging and destruction of all sins may be effected through the
power of knowledge. For Scripture declares the power of knowledge to be
such that 'to him who knows this, no evil deed clings,' and so on. Nor
is this in conflict with the text stating that no work not fully enjoyed
perishes; for this latter text aims at confirming the power of works to
produce their results; while the texts under discussion have for their
aim to declare that knowledge when once sprung up possesses the power of
destroying the capability of previously committed sins to produce their
own evil results and the power of obstructing that capability on the
part of future evil actions. The two sets of texts thus refer to
different matters, and hence are not mutually contradictory. There is in
fact no more contradiction between them than there is between the power
of fire to produce heat and the power of water to subdue such heat. By
knowledge effecting the non-clinging of sin we have to understand its
obstructing the origination of the power, on the part of sin, to cause
that disastrous disposition on the part of man which consists in
unfitness for religious works; for sins committed tend to render man
unfit for religious works and inclined to commit further sinful actions
of the same kind. By knowledge effecting the destruction of sin, on the
other hand, we understand its destroying that power of sin after it has
once originated. That power consists, fundamentally, in displeasure on
the part of the Lord. Knowledge of the Lord, which, owing to the supreme
dearness of its object is itself supremely dear, possesses the
characteristic power of propitiating the Lord--the object of knowledge--
and thus destroys the displeasure of the Lord due to the previous
commission of sins on the part of the knowing Devotee; and at the same
time obstructs the origination of further displeasure on the Lord's part,
which otherwise would be caused by sins committed subsequently to the
origination of such knowledge. What Scripture says about sin not
clinging to him who knows can however be understood only with regard to
such sins as spring from thoughtlessness; for texts such as 'he who has
not turned away from evil conduct' (Ka. Up. I, 2, 24) teach that
meditation, becoming more perfect day after day, cannot be accomplished
without the Devotee having previously broken himself off from all evil
conduct.--Here terminates the adhikarana of 'the reaching of that.'