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 713

260
VEDÂNTA-SÚTRAS.
mark) is stronger (than the general subject-matter); this also (has been explained in the Pa. Mi. Sūtras).
In the Agnirahasya of the Vågasaneyins, in the Brahmana beginning for in the beginning indeed this was not existent,' we read with reference to mind (manas), 'It saw thirtysix thousand shining fire-altars, belonging to itself, made of mind, built of mind.' And, further on, the text makes similar statements about other fanciful fire-altars built of speech, built of breath, built of sight, built of hearing, built of work, built of fire.—A doubt here arises whether these fire-altars built of mind and so on are connected with the act (i.e. the construction of the fire-altar made of bricks), and supplementary to it, or whether they are independent, constituting a mere vidya.
Against the prima facie view that those agnis are connected with the sacrificial act under whose heading the text records them, the Satra maintains their independence, 'on account of the majority of indicatory marks. For we meet in that Brâhmana with a number of indicatory marks confirming that those agnis constitute a mere vidyâ; cp. e.g. the following passages : Whatever these beings conceive in their minds, that is a means for those fire-altars, and 'All beings always pile up those fire-altars for him who thus knows, even when he sleeps,' and so on!:-And that indicatory marks (linga) are of greater force than the leading subject matter (prakarana) has been explained in the Pûrva Mimâmsâ (III, 3, 14).
45. (The agni built of mind, &c.) is a particular form of the preceding one (i.e. the agni built of bricks), on account of the leading subject-matter; it is (part of the act; as in the case of the mânasa cup.
Your supposition, the pūrvapakshin objects, as to those fire-altars being not supplementary to the sacrificial act,
* For something which forms part of an act cannot be brought about by something so indefinite as 'whatever these beings conceive in their minds,' nor can it be accomplished indifferently at any time by any beings.
Digitized by
Digilzed by Google