When, on the other hand, the released person has a body, then the objects of his wishes—fathers and so on—may have real existence, as in the waking state.
15. The entering (of one soul into several bodies) is like (the multiplication of) the flame of a lamp; for thus scripture declares.
Under Sutra 11 it has been shown that the released person is embodied. The question now arises whether the bodies which the released create for themselves when rendering themselves threefold and so on are soulless like wooden figures, or animated by souls like the bodies of us men.— The purvapakshin maintains that as neither the soul nor the manas can be divided they are joined with one body only, while the other bodies are soulless.—To this the Sutrakara replies,‘Like the flame of a lamp is their entering, 5 i. e. just as the one flame of a lamp can pass over into several flames (lighted at the original flame), because it possesses See Purva Mima^sa-suiras II, 3, 5th adhikarawa.
vedanta-sOtras.
the power of modifying itself, thus the soul of him who know T s, although one only, multiplying itself through its lordly power, enters into all those bodies. For scripture declares that in this way one may become many, 4 He is onefold, he is threefold, fivefold, sevenfold’ (Kh. Up. VII, 26, 2). And this is not possible, if we should accept the simile of the wooden puppets, or the entering of other souls into those additional bodies 1. Nor again can there be any motion on the part of bodies destitute of souls.— Nor is there any force in the objection that, because the Self and the Manas cannot be divided, they cannot be in connexion with more than one body. For the Self, because possessing the quality of having true wishes (i. e. wishes which become real), may be supposed to create other bodies with internal organs, conformable to the original one organ; and, the Self dividing itself through the division of its limiting adjuncts, it may be possible to give a soul to each created body. This is the topic which the books on Yoga treat, in the chapters explaining the connexion of one soul with several bodies.—But how can lordly power, enabling the released soul to enter into several bodies, be admitted, if we consider that different scriptural texts declare that the soul in that state has not any specific cognition? so e.g.
4 Whereby should he know another? 5 4 For there is then no second, nothing else different from him that he could know; 5 4 An ocean is that one seer, without any duality ’ (B ri. Up. II, 4, 14; IV, 3, 30; 32).
To this objection the next Sutra replies.
16. (What scripture says about absence of all specific cognition) refers either to deep sleep or union (release); for this is manifested (by the texts).
By 4 entering into one’s own Self’ is meant dreamless 1 I. e. the scriptural statement about one Self rendering itself manifold can neither be reconciled with the hypothesis of the other bodies being moved by the one soul as puppets are moved by one person through strings, nor with the hypothesis of a new separate soul entering each new body.
IV ADHYAYA, 4 PADA, I 7. sleep; according to the text, c He is gone to his own Self, he sleeps they say’ (Kh. Up. VI, 8, 1). 'Union 5 means blissful isolation (final release), according to the text, 'Being Brahman he goes to Brahman ’ (B ri. Up. IV, 4, 6). What the texts say about absence of specific cognition is said with reference to either of those two states, dreamless sleep or final release.—How do we know this?—Because this is 4 manifest/ owing to the fact that those two states form the topic there (where absence of all cognition is mentioned). Compare the passages/Having risen from out of these ele¬ ments it perishes again after them. Having departed there is no more knowledge / ‘ But where the Self only is all this; ’ 4 Where when asleep he desires no more desires, and dreams no more dreams’ (B ri. Up. II, 4, 12; IV, 5, 15; IV, 3, 19). —Those passages, on the other hand, which describe lordly power refer to an altogether different condition, which— like the heavenly world and so on—is an abode where qualified knowledge produces its results.—Thus there is no contradiction.
17. With the exception of world-business (the released possess all lordly power), (the Lord) being the topic (where world-business is referred to), and (the souls) not being near (to such business). The following doubt here presents itself. Do those who through meditations on the qualified Brahman enter, together with their manas, into a condition of equality with the Lord, possess unlimited lordly power, or power limited to some extent?—The purvapakshin maintains that their power must be unlimited, because we meet with texts such as 'He obtains Self-lordship’ (Taitt. Sa/;zh. I, 6, 2); ‘All the gods bring an offering for him ’ (Taitt. Sa^h. I, 5, 3); 4 For them there is freedom in all worlds ’ ( Kh. Up. VIII, 1, 6).—To this the Sutra replies, 'Excepting the worldbusiness.’ With the exception of the origination and so on of the world all other lordly powers, as e. g. rendering one’s self of atomic size, must belong to the released. The worldbusiness, on the other hand, can belong to the everlastingly perfect Lord only. —Why so?—Because there (where the origination and so on of the world are referred to) the Lord forms the general topic, and because the other (souls) do not stand near (to the world-business). The highest Lord only is appointed to do all work referring to the entire world; for the world’s origination and so on are taught only where he constitutes the general subject-matter, and moreover he (only) is eternal; and described in scripture (as the creator; &c. of the world) 1. The lordly power of the other souls, on the contrary, scripture shows to have a beginning, because it depends on their searching for and striving to know the Lord. They are therefore remote from all world-business. And just because they have minds, they might be of different minds, and one might have the intention of preserving the world while another might wish to destroy it. Such conflicts can only be avoided by assuming that the wishes of one should conform to those of another, and from this it follows that all other souls (but the Lord) depend on the highest Lord.
18. (Should it be said that the souls must possess unlimited power) on account of manifest teaching; we reply No, because scripture states him who, entrusted with office, abides in the spheres (of the sun and so on), (to be that one on whom the soul’s obtaining lordly power depends). It remains to refute the remark, made by the purvapakshin, that absolute power on the part of those who know must be inferred from texts directly asserting such power, as e. g. ‘ He obtains self-lordship.’ — This refutation the above Sutra undertakes. Scripture declares that the obtainment of rulership on the soul’s part, depends on the 1 Ki/ft ka paraisyaiva nityatvena svahetvanapeksha/zasya k/zptajaktitva^agatsar^anaflz prati kalpyasamarthyai ka. vidusham Lvaravishayaiva ^agatsnsh/ir esh/avya, ki m ka paurvaparyalo/£anayam uvarasyaiva ^agatsarga^ sabdad gamyate ^anm&disutram arabhya £aitad upapaditam. An. Gi. highest Lord who, as entrusted with definite offices, abides in certain definite abodes, such as the sphere of the sun, &c. This is shown by the text going on to say (after the clause quoted above), 4 He obtains the lord of Mind/ For that means that he obtains the lord known to be the lord of all minds. In accordance herewith the text later on says that he becomes lord of speech, lord of the eye, lord of the ear, lord of understanding.—Similarly in other passages also the lordly power of the other souls has to be viewed, according to circumstances, as depending on the eternally perfect Lord.
19. And (there is also a form of the highest Lord) not abiding in effected things; for thus scripture declares his abiding. Moreover, according to scripture, there is also an eternal form of the highest Lord which does not abide in effects; he is not only the ruling soul of the spheres of the sun and so on which lie within the sphere of what is effected. For the text declares his abiding in a twofold form, as follows: ‘ Such is the greatness of it; greater than it is the Person. One foot of him are all beings; three feet of him is what is immortal in heaven 5 ( Kh. Up. Ill, 12, 6 ). And it cannot be maintained that that form of him which is divorced from all effects is reached by those who put their trust on his other form; for their minds are not set on the former. Hence as he who does not reach that form of the doublenatured highest Lord which is divorced from all qualities stops at that form which is distinguished by qualities, so also, unable to reach unlimited power within the latter form, he stops at limited lordly power.
20. And thus perception and inference show.
Scripture and Smrz’ti both declare that the highest light does not abide within effected things, 4 The sun does not shine there, nor the moon and the stars, nor these lightnings, and much less this fire 5 (Mu. Up. II, 2, 10). 4 The sun does not illume it, nor the moon, nor fire 5 (Bha. Gita XV, 6). —The Sutra is meant to show that the non-abiding of the [38] e e 4 i8 highest light within effected things is a well-known cir¬ cumstance.
21. And on account of the indications of equality of enjoyment only.
The lordly power of those who take their stand on the effected Brahman is not absolute, for that reason also that scripture teaches that their enjoyment only is equal to that of the eternally perfect Lord. For scripture contains state¬ ments and indications of the difference (of the Lord and the released soul); compare ‘To him he says, Water indeed is enjoyed 1 (by me); that world (is to be enjoyed by thee also)’ (Kau. Up. I, 7); 4 As all beings honour that deity, so do all beings honour him who knows that ’ (B ri. Up. I, 5, 20); £ He obtains through it equality (in body) and sameness of abode with that deity’ (B ri. Up. I, 5, 23). But from the circumstance of the lordly power of the released souls not being absolute it follows that it comes to an end, and then they will have to return from the world of Brahman!—To this objection the reverend Badaraya;/a replies in the following Sutra.
22. (Of them) there is non-return, according to scripture; non-return, according to scripture. Those who, in following the road of the gods, to which the vein and the ray are leading, and on which light is the first stage, reach the world of Brahman as described by scripture—where ‘ there are the two lakes Ara and Aya in the world of Brahman, in the third heaven from hence,’ and where ‘ there is the lake Airammadiya and the Aivattha tree showering down Soma, and the city of Brahman Apara^ita and the golden hall built by Prabhu ’ ( Kh. Up. VIII, 5, 3) — and set forth at length in mantras, 1 All the commentators explain the reading ‘ nnyante/—An. Gi. says—ta m brahmalokagatam upasaka^z hirawyagarbha^ svasamipam upagatazra sanunayam aha maya khalv apa evamrftamayyo miyante dmyante bhugyante tavapy asav amrftarupodakalaksha/zo loko bhogyo yathasukhaw bhu^yatam.
arthavadas, and so on; those, we say, who reach that world do not return from there after having finished the enjoyment of their deeds; as those do who have gone to the world of the moon and other places.—Why so?—Because scriptural passages teach that they do not so return. Compare c Moving upwards by it he reaches the immortal ’ ( Kh. Up. VIII, 6, 6); 4 For them there is no return’ (Bn. Up. VI, 2, 15); 4 Those who proceed on that path do not return to the life of man’ (.Kh. Up. IV, 15, 6); ‘He reaches the world of Brahman and does not return ’ ( Kh. Up. VIII, 15, 1). That the finality of their lordly power does not imply their return to the life of man, we have shown under IV, 3, 10. It is a settled matter that those who through perfect knowledge have dispelled all mental darkness and are devoted to the eternally perfect Nirvana do not return. And as those also who rely on the knowledge of the qualified Brahman in the end have recourse to that (Nirvana), it follows that they also do not return.—The repetition of the words, ‘Non-return, accord¬ ing to scripture,’ indicates the conclusion of this body of doctrine.
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