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V ADHYAYA, 3.
255
FIFTH ADHYAYA.
1. In the imperishable and infinite Highest Brahman1, wherein the two, knowledge and ignorance, are hidden 2, the one, ignorance, perishes3, the other, knowledge, is immortal; but he who controls both, knowledge and ignorance, is another1.
2. It is he who, being one only, rules over every germ (cause), over all forms, and over all germs; it is he who, in the beginning, bears in his thoughts the wise son, the fiery, whom he wishes to look on while he is born".
3. In that field' in which the god, after spreading out one net after another1o in various ways, draws it together again, the Lord, the great Self", having
1 Sankara explains Brahmapare by brahmano hiranyagarbhât pare, or by parasmin brahmani, which comes to the same. Vigñânâtman adds khândasah paranipâtah. As the termination e may belong to the locative singular or to the nom. dual, commentators vary in referring some of the adjectives either to brahman or to vidyâvidye.
2 Gudhe, lokair gñâtum asakye, Sankarânanda.
9 Sankara explains ksharam by samsritikâranam, amritam by mokshahetuh.
* Sankara explains that he is different from them, being only the sâkshin, or witness. Sankarânanda seems to have read Somya, i. e. Somavatpriyadarsana, as if Svetâsvatvara addressed his pupil. Like a mother, see I, 9. 6 Like a father. See on this verse the remarks made in the Introduction. The MSS. read yasmin for asmin, and patayas for yatayas, which the commentator explains by patîn.
The world, or the mûlaprakriti, the net being the samsâra. 10 Sankara explains ekaikam by pratyekam, i. e. for every creature, such as gods, men, beasts, &c.
11 I doubt whether mahâtmâ should be translated by the great
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