What the text says about the soul accomplishing itself in its own form
refers to the released soul which, freed from its connexion with works
and what depends thereon, i.e. the body and the rest, abides in its true
essential nature.--That essential nature no doubt is something eternally
accomplished, but as in the Samsâra state it is obscured by Nescience in
the form of Karman; the text refers to the cessation of such obscuration
as 'accomplishment.'--How is this known?--'From the promise,'i.e. from
the fact that the text promises to set forth such cessation. For
Prajâpati when saying again and again, 'I will explain that further to
you,' does so with a view to throw light on the individual soul--first
introduced in the clause 'that Self which is free from sin, &c.' (VIII,
7, 1)--in so far as freed from all connexion with the three empirical
conditions of waking, dreaming and dreamless sleep, and released from
the body which is due to Karman and the cause of joy and sorrow. When,
therefore, he concludes 'that serene being, i.e. the soul, having risen
from this body and having approached the highest light accomplishes
itself in its true form,' we understand that such 'accomplishment' means
the final release, i.e. the cessation of all bondage, which is gained by
the soul, previously connected with Karman, as soon as it approaches the
highest light.--The Pûrvapakshin had said that as in the state of deep
sleep the manifestation of the true nature of the soul is seen in no way
to benefit man, Scripture, if declaring that Release consists in a
manifestation of the true nature of the soul, would clearly teach
something likewise not beneficial to man; and that hence the
'accomplishment in its own form' must mean the soul's entering on such a
new condition of existence as would be a cause of pleasure, viz. the
condition of a deva or the like. To this the next Sûtra replies.