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10
VEDÂNTA-SOTRAS.
alternative which, as invalidating the authoritativeness of the Veda, is of course altogether unacceptable. Similarly in all the Vedanta-texts certain passages are to be found which, by means of various instances, make the same affirmation, so e. g. 'This everything, all is that Self' (Bri. Up. II, 4, 6); Brahman alone is that Immortal before' (Mu. Up. II, 2, 11).-Hence, like fire and the other substances, the ether also is a product.—The averment made by the půrvapakshin that on account of the absence of scriptural statements the ether is not a product is unfounded, since a scriptural passage referring to the origin of ether has already been pointed out, viz. from that Self sprang ether.'-True,--the pūrvapakshin may reply,—such a statement has indeed been pointed out, but it is contradicted by another statement, viz. It sent forth fire,' &c. Should it be alleged that there can be no contradiction, because all scriptural passages form one whole, the reply is that all non-contradictory passages form a whole; in the present case, however, a contradiction has been shown to exist, because the creator, who is mentioned only once, cannot be connected with two things created ; because two things cannot both be created first; and because an option is, in that case, inadmissible ?,- This reply, we rejoin, is without force. It is indeed true that it is impossible to explain the passage of the Taittiriyaka in any modified sense; for it distinctly declares that fire was produced in the third place, 'From that Self sprang the ether, from ether air, from air fire.' But, on the other hand, it is possible to give a different turn to the passage from the Khandogya, which may be explained to mean that. Brahman, after having created ether and air, created fire.' For as the purport of this passage is to relate the origin of fire, it cannot at the same time impugn the account of the origin of ether given in another passage; according to the principle that to one and the same sentence a double purport must not be ascribed. As, on the
1 For we cannot maintain that optionally either the one or the other was created first,
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| SR No. | 007681 |
| Book Title | Questions of King Milinda Part 01 |
| Original Sutra Author | N/A |
| Author | T W Rhys Davids |
| Publisher | Oxford |
| Publication Year | 1890 |
| Total Pages | 2695 |
| Language | English |
| Classification | Book_English |
| File Size | 47 MB |