Questions of King Milinda Part 01

SR No.: 007681
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

Page 474

II ADHYAYA, 3 PÂDA, 10.
21
thing being produced from Brahman; and because the scriptural statement as to the ‘Taggalan? (Kh. Up. III, 14, 1) specifies no difference?; and because another scriptural passage (Mu. Up. II, 1, 3) teaches that everything without exception is born from Brahman. The Taittirîyaka also makes a statement about the entire world without any exception, 'after having brooded he sent forth all whatever there is' (Taitt. Up. II, 6). Hence the statement that 'fire was produced from air' (Taitt. Up. II, 1) must be considered to teach the order of succession only fire was produced subsequently to air.
To this the Satra replies that fire was produced thence, i.e. from air, because the text declares it to be som from air sprang fire.' For if fire had sprung directly from Brahman and not from air, the scriptural statement that 'fire sprang from air' would be contradicted thereby. That that statement should intimate the order of succession merely, as maintained by the pûrvapakshin, we cannot admit. For as in the preceding sentence ('from that Self sprang ether ') the fifth case (åtmanah) denotes the Self as that from which the origination proceeds, and as the same verb (“sprang ') governs our sentence also, and as in the following sentences also—such as 'from earth the herbs'-the fifth case (prithivyâh) denotes that from which something proceeds, we understand that in our sentence also the fifth case (vâyoh) denotes that from which fire proceeds. Moreover, if we should explain our sentence to mean after air fire was produced,' we should have to supply some preposition (or adverb as 'after,' 'subsequently'), while that construction which rests on the proper sense of the fifth case-affix is ready made at hand and does not require anything to be supplied. The passage therefore intimates that fire springs from air.—But, it may be said, the other scriptural passage ('it sent forth fire') intimates that fire springs from Brahman. -Not so, we reply; for this latter passage remains uncontradicted, even if we assume that fire sprang from Brahman only through intermediate links (not directly).
But implies the whole world to have sprung from Brahman.
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