________________
The gods and the demons both heard these words and said, "Well, let us search for that Self by which if one has searched it, all worlds and all desires are obtained.” Thus saying Indra went from the Devas, Virocana from the Asuras and both without having communicated with each other, holding fuel in their hands as is the custom with pupils approaching their master. They dwelt there as pupils for thirty-two years and served Prajāpati. At the end of thirty-two years Prajāpati turns his face to them and asks, "For what purpose have you been both dwelling here ?" They replied that they had heard the saying of Prajāpati and that they had both dwelt near him because they wished to know the Self. Prajāpati like many of the ancient sages dses not show himself inclined to part with his knowledge at once. He gives them several answers which though not exactly wrong are equivocal and open to a wrong interpretation. He says first, “The person that is seen in the eye, that is the Self. This is what I have said : this is the immortal, the fearless, this is Brahman." If the pupils had understood this as meant for the person that sees through the eye, or out of the eye, they would have received a right though indirect idea of the Self. But when they thought that the reflection of man in the eye of another person was meant, they were wrong. And they evidently took it in the latter sense, for they asked, “Sir, he who is perceived in the water and he who is perceived in a mirror, who is he?" Prajāpati replied, "He, the Self himself, indeed, is seen in all these. Look at yourself in a pan of
50
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
