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III ADHYAYA, 3 PÂDA, 52.
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remark that the fire-altars made of mind and so on cannot be assumed to supplement a sacrificial action although they may resemble the mânasa cup, since on the ground of direct enunciation &c. they are seen to subserve the purpose of man only (not the purpose of some sacrificial action). Anything indeed may resemble anything in some point or other; but in spite of that there remains the individual dissimilarity of each thing from all other things. The case is analogous to that of death. In the passages, 'The man in that orb is death indeed' (Sat. Brâ. X, 5, 2, 3), and 'Agni indeed is death' (Taitt. Samh. V, 1, 10, 3), the term death' is applied equally to Agni and the man in the sun; all the same the two are by no means absolutely equal. And if the text says in another place, 'This world is a fire indeed, O Gotama; the sun is its fuel,' &c. (Kh. Up. V, 4, I), it does not follow from the similarity of fuel and so on that the world really is a fire. Thus also in our case.
52. And from the subsequent (Brâhmana) it follows that being of that kind (i.e. injunction of a mere vidya) (is the aim) of the text. The connexion (of the fanciful agnis with the real one) is due to the plurality (of details of the real agni which are imaginatively connected with the vidya).
With regard to a subsequent Brahmana also, viz. the one beginning, “That piled agni is this world indeed,' we apprehend that what is the purpose of the text is being of that kind,' i.e. injunction of a mere vidyà, not injunction of the member of a mere action. For we meet there with the following sloka, ‘By knowledge they ascend there where all wishes are attained. Those skilled in works do not go there, nor those who destitute of knowledge do penance. This verse blames mere works and praises knowledge. A former Brahmana also, viz. the one beginning, What that orb leads' (Sat. Brå. X, 5, 2, 23), concludes with a statement of the fruit of knowledge ('Immortal becomes he whose Self is death '), and thereby indicates that works are not the chief thing.–The text connects the vidyå (of the agnis built of
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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 |