Or else the highest Lord may be called 'measured by a span' because he
is remembered by means of the mind which is seated in the heart which is
measured by a span. Similarly, barley-corns which are measured by means
of prasthas are themselves called prasthas. It must be admitted that
barley-grains themselves have a certain size which is merely rendered
manifest through their being connected with a prastha measure; while the
highest Lord himself does not possess a size to be rendered manifest by
his connexion with the heart. Still the remembrance (of the Lord by
means of the mind) may be accepted as offering a certain foundation for
the /S/ruti passage concerning him who is measured by a span.--Or
else[161] the Sûtra may be interpreted to mean that the Lord, although
not really measured by a span, is to be remembered (meditated upon) as
being of the measure of a span; whereby the passage is furnished with an
appropriate sense.--Thus the passage about him who is measured by a span
may, according to the opinion of the teacher Bâdari, be referred to the
highest Lord, on account of remembrance.
31. On the ground of imaginative identification (the highest Lord may be
called prâde/s/amâtra), Jaimini thinks; for thus (Scripture) declares.
Or else the passage about him who is measured by a span may be
considered to rest on imaginative combination.--Why?--Because the
passage of the Vâjasaneyibrâhma/n/a which treats of the same topic
identifies heaven, earth, and so on--which are the members of
Vai/s/vânara viewed as the Self of the threefold world--with certain
parts of the human frame, viz. the parts comprised between the upper
part of the head and the chin, and thus declares the imaginative
identity of Vai/s/vânara with something whose measure is a span. There
we read, 'The Gods indeed reached him, knowing him as measured by a span
as it were. Now I will declare them (his members) to you so as to
identify him (the Vai/s/vânara) with that whose measure is a span; thus
he said. Pointing to the upper part of the head he said: This is what
stands above (i.e. the heavenly world) as Vai/s/vânara (i.e. the head of
Vai/s/vânara[162]). Pointing to the eyes he said: This is he with good
light (i.e. the sun) as Vai/s/vânara (i.e. the eye of V.). Pointing to
the nose he said: This is he who moves on manifold paths (i.e. the air)
as Vai/s/vânara (i.e. the breath of V.). Pointing to the space (ether)
within his mouth he said: This is the full one (i.e. the ether) as
Vai/s/vânara. Pointing to the saliva within his mouth he said: This is
wealth as Vai/s/vânara (i.e. the water in the bladder of V.). Pointing
to the chin he said: This is the base as Vai/s/vânara (i.e. the feet of
V.).'--Although in the Vâjasaneyi-brâhma/n/a the heaven is denoted as
that which has the attribute of standing above and the sun as that which
has the attribute of good light, while in the Chândogya the heaven is
spoken of as having good light and the sun as being multiform; still
this difference does not interfere (with the unity of the vidyâ)[163],
because both texts equally use the term 'measured by a span,' and
because all /s/âkhâs intimate the same.--The above explanation of the
term 'measured by a span,' which rests on imaginative identification,
the teacher Jaimini considers the most appropriate one.
32. Moreover they (the Jâbâlas) speak of him (the highest Lord) in that
(i.e. the interstice between the top of the head and the chin which is
measured by a span).
Moreover the Jâbâlas speak in their text of the highest Lord as being in
the interstice between the top of the head and the chin. 'The unevolved
infinite Self abides in the avimukta (i.e. the non-released soul). Where
does that avimukta abide? It abides in the Vara/n/â and the Nâsî, in the
middle. What is that Vara/n/â, what is that Nâsî?' The text thereupon
etymologises the term Vara/n/â as that which wards off (vârayati) all
evil done by the senses, and the term Nâsî as that which destroys
(nâ/s/ayati) all evil done by the senses; and then continues, 'And what
is its place?--The place where the eyebrows and the nose join. That is
the joining place of the heavenly world (represented by the upper part
of the head) and of the other (i.e. the earthly world represented by the
chin).' (Jâbâla Up. I.)--Thus it appears that the scriptural statement
which ascribes to the highest Lord the measure of a span is appropriate.
That the highest Lord is called abhivimâna refers to his being the
inward Self of all. As such he is directly measured, i.e. known by all
animate beings. Or else the word may be explained as 'he who is near
everywhere--as the inward Self--and who at the same time is measureless'
(as being infinite). Or else it may denote the highest Lord as him who,
as the cause of the world, measures it out, i.e. creates it. By all this
it is proved that Vai/s/vânara is the highest Lord.
Notes:
[Footnote 136: The clause 'he is to meditate with a calm mind' if taken
as a gu/n/avidhi, i.e. as enjoining some secondary matter, viz. calmness
of mind of the meditating person, cannot at the same time enjoin
meditation; for that would involve a so-called split of the sentence
(vâkyabheda).]
[Footnote 137: Jîvezpi dehâdib/rim/hanâj jyâstvanyâyâd vâ brahmatety
artha/h/. Ân. Gi.]
[Footnote 138: The discussion is brought on by the term 'vivakshita' in
the Sûtra whose meaning is 'expressed, aimed at,' but more literally
'desired to be expressed.']
[Footnote 139: Because he is vyâpin.]
[Footnote 140: Another interpretation of the later part of Sûtra.]
[Footnote 141: Cp. Ka/th/a Up, I, 1, 13; 20; I, 2, 14.]
[Footnote 142: Freedom from impurity can result only from the knowledge
that the individual soul is in reality Brahman. The commentators explain
rajas by avidyâ.]
[Footnote 143: Tadartham iti, jîvasya brahmasiddhyartham iti yâvat,
/k/aitanya/kh/âyâpannâ dhî/h/sukhâdinâ pari/n/amata iti, tatra
purushozpi bhakt/ri/tvam ivânubhavati na tattvata iti vaktum
adhyâropayati. Ânanda Giri.]
[Footnote 144: Who, somebody might say, is to be understood here,
because immortality and similar qualities belong to him not somehow
only, but in their true sense.]
[Footnote 145: The /t/îkâs say that the contents of this last sentence
are hinted at by the word 'and' in the Sûtra.]
[Footnote 146: I.e. at the beginning of the instruction which the sacred
fires give to Upako/s/ala, Ch. Up. IV, 10 ff.]
[Footnote 147: Which words conclude the instruction given by the fires,
and introduce the instruction given by the teacher, of which the passage
'the person that is seen in the eye,' &c. forms a part.]
[Footnote 148: Â/s/rayântarapratyayasyâ/s/rayântare kshepa/h/
pratîka/h/, yathâ brahma/s/abda/h/ paramâtmavishayo nâmâdishu kshipyate.
Bhâ.]
[Footnote 149: The following sentences give the reason why, although
there is only one Brahman, the word Brahman is repeated.]
[Footnote 150: According to Scripture, Nira@nku/s/a/m/
sarvaniyantritva/m/ /s/rauta/m/ na /k/a tâdri/s/e sarvaniyantari bhedo
na /k/ânumâna/m/ /s/rutibhâditam uttish/th/ati. Ânanda Giri. Or else, as
Go. Ân. remarks, we may explain: as the highest Self is not really
different from the individual soul. So also Bhâmatî: Na /h/ânavasthâ, na
hi niyantrantara/m/ tena niyamyate ki/m/ tu yo jîvo niyantâ
lokasiddha/h/ sa paramâtmevopâdhyava/kkh/edakalpitabheda/h/.]
[Footnote 151: V/ri/ttik/ri/dvyâkhyâm dûshayati, Go. Ân.; ekade/s/ina/m/
dûshayati, Ânanda Giri; tad etat paramatenâkshepasamâdhânâbhyâ/m/
vyâkhyâya svamatena vyâ/k/ash/t/e, puna/h/ /s/abdozpi pûrvasmâd
vi/s/esha/m/ dyotayann asyesh/t/atâ/m/ sû/k/ayati, Bhâmatî.--The
statement of the two former commentators must be understood to mean--in
agreement with the Bhâmatî--that /S/a@nkara is now going to refute the
preceding explanation by the statement of his own view. Thus Go. Ân.
later on explains 'asmin pakshe' by 'svapakshe.']
[Footnote 152: The question is to what passage the 'rûpopanyâsât' of the
Sûtra refers.--According to the opinion set forth first it refers to Mu.
Up. II, 1, 4 ff.--But, according to the second view, II, 1, 4 to II, 1,
9, cannot refer to the source of all beings, i.e. the highest Self,
because that entire passage describes the creation, the inner Self of
which is not the highest Self but Prajâpati, i.e. the Hira/n/yagarbha or
Sûtrâtman of the later Vedânta, who is himself an 'effect,' and who is
called the inner Self, because he is the breath of life (prâ/n/a) in
everything.--Hence the Sûtra must be connected with another passage, and
that passage is found in II, 1, 10, where it is said that the Person
(i.e. the highest Self) is all this, &c.]
[Footnote 153: About which term see later on.]
[Footnote 154: Sârîre laksha/n/ayâ vai/s/vânara/s/abdopapattim âha
tasyeti. Ân. Gi.]
[Footnote 155: And as such might be said not to require a basis for its
statements.]
[Footnote 156: Na /k/a gârhapatyâdih/ri/dayâditâ brahma/n/a/h/
sambhavinî. Bhâmatî.]
[Footnote 157: Na /k/a prâ/n/âhutyadhikara/n/atâ z nyatra ja/th/arâgner
yujyate. Bhâmatî.]
[Footnote 158: According to the former explanation the gastric fire is
to be looked on as the outward manifestation (pratîka) of the highest
Lord; according to the latter as his limiting condition.]
[Footnote 159: I.e. that he may be fancifully identified with the head
and so on of the devout worshipper.]
[Footnote 160: Whereby we mean not that it is inside the tree, but that
it forms a part of the tree.--The Vai/s/vânara Self is identified with
the different members of the body, and these members abide within, i.e.
form parts of the body.]
[Footnote 161: Parimâ/n/asya h/ri/da/y/advârâropitasya smaryamâ/n/e
katham âropo vishayavishayitvena bhedâd ity â/s/a@nkya vyâkhyântaram âha
prâde/s/eti. Ânanda Giri.]
[Footnote 162: Atra sarvatra vai/s/vânara/s/abdas tada@ngapara/h/. Go.
Ân.]
[Footnote 163: Which unity entitles us to use the passage from the
/S/at. Brâ. for the explanation of the passage from the Ch. Up.]