That mind, i.e. mind united with all the organs unites itself with
breath; not merely the function of mind. This appears from the clause
following upon the text quoted above, 'mind (unites itself) with breath.'
Here, however, a further doubt suggests itself. The text 'Mind is made
of earth' declares earth to be the causal substance of mind, and the
text 'that (viz. water) sent forth earth' declares water to be the
causal substance of earth; while the further text 'breath is made of
water' shows water to be the causal substance of breath. Considering
therefore that in the text 'mind becomes united with breath' the term
_breath_ is naturally understood to denote the causal substance of
breath, i.e. water, the appropriate sense to be given to the statement
that mind is united with water is that mind is completely refunded into
its own causal substance--so that the 'being united' would throughout be
understood 'as being completely merged.'--The reply to this, however,
is, that the clauses 'Mind is made of food, breath is made of water,'
only mean that mind and breath are nourished and sustained by food and
water, not that food and water are the causal substances of mind and
breath. The latter indeed is impossible; for mind consists of ahamkâra,
and as breath is a modification of ether and other elements, the word
_breath_ may suggest water.--Here terminates the adhikarana of 'mind.'
4. That (is united) with the ruler, on account of the going to it, and
so on.
As from the statements that speech becomes united with mind and mind
with breath it follows that speech and mind are united with mind and
breath only; so we conclude from the subsequent clause 'breath with
fire' that breath becomes united with fire only.--Against this primâ
facie view the Sûtra declares 'that breath becomes united with the ruler
of the organs, i.e. the individual soul, on account of the going to it,
and so on.' That breath goes to the individual soul, the following text
declares, 'At the time of death all the prânas go to the Self of a man
about to expire' (Bri. Up. IV, 3, 38), Similarly Scripture mentions the
departure of prâna together with the soul, 'after him thus departing the
prawa departs'; and again its staying together with the soul, 'What is
that by whose departure I shall depart, and by whose staying I shall
stay?' (Pr. Up. VI, 3). We therefore conclude that the text 'breath with
fire' means that breath joined with the individual soul becomes united
with fire. Analogously we may say in ordinary life that the Yamuna is
flowing towards the sea, while in reality it is the Yamuna joined with
the Gangâ which flows on.--Here terminates the adhikarana of 'the ruler.'