Grihya Sutras

SR No.: 007685
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Hermann Oldenberg
Publisher: Oxford
Publication Year: 1886
Total Pages: 2642
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 49 MB

Page 2319

VEDANTA-SUTRAS.
a definite locality, in spite of his omnipresence, subserves the purposes of contemplation, and is therefore not contrary to reason1; no more than to contemplate Vishnu in the sacred sålagrâm.
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15. And on account of the passage referring to that which is distinguished by pleasure (i. e. Brahman).
There is, moreover, really no room for dispute whether Brahman be meant in the passage under discussion or not, because the fact of Brahman being meant is established 'by the reference to that which is distinguished by pleasure.' For the same Brahman which is spoken of as characterised by pleasure in the beginning of the chapter 2, viz. in the clauses, 'Breath is Brahman, Ka is Brahman, Kha is Brahman,' that same Brahman we must suppose to be referred to in the present passage also, it being proper to adhere to the subject-matter under discussion; the clause, 'The teacher will tell you the way, merely announcing that the way will be proclaimed [by the teacher; not that a new subject will be started].-How then, it may be asked, is it known that Brahman, as distinguished by pleasure, is spoken of in the beginning of the passage?-We reply: On hearing the speech of the fires, viz. 'Breath is Brahman, Ka is Brahman, Kha is Brahman,' Upakosala says, 'I understand that breath is Brahman, but I do not understand that Ka or Kha is Brahman.' Thereupon the fires reply, 'What is Ka is Kha, what is Kha is Ka.' Now the word Kha denotes in ordinary language the elemental ether. If therefore the word Ka which means pleasure were not applied to qualify the sense of 'Kha,' we should conclude
1 The fîkâs say that the contents of this last sentence are hinted at by the word 'and' in the Sûtra.
I. e. at the beginning of the instruction which the sacred fires give to Upakosala, Kh. Up. IV, 10 ff.
Which words conclude the instruction given by the fires, and introduce the instruction given by the teacher, of which the passage 'the person that is seen in the eye,' &c. forms a part.
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