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अष्टमोऽध्यायः
CHAPTER VIII. [The explanation of the Jñāna and Vijñāna included in the Karma-Yoga is continued in this chapter, and after first explaining the meaning of the various forms of the Parameśvara, such as, Brahman, adhyātma, karma, adhibhūta, adhıdaiva, and adhiyaiña, mentioned at the end of the last chapter, the inner import thereof is explained. But, as this explanation has been given merely by defining those several worlds, that is to say, in an extremely concise way, it is necessary to give a somewhat exhaustive explanation of this subject in this annotation. Different people form different ideas in different ways about the creator of the universe, on looking at the external universe. Some say that all things, which exist in the world, are only evolutes of the five primordial Elements (mahābhūta), and that there is no other Original Principle, except these five primordial Elements. There are others, who maintain that all this world has been created from a Yajña as stated in the fourth chapter of the Gītā; and that, therefore, the Parameśvara is of the form of a yajña-nārāyana ; and that He can be worshipped only by a Yajña. A third class say that the various activities of the world are not carried out by the material objects by themselves; but that, in each of them, there is some active (sacetana) deity (or purusa), and that these deities carry on all these activities; and that, therefore, we must worship these deities. For example, the act of giving light is performed by the purusa' called Sun, embodied in the globe, made up of the five primordial Elements, which is known as 'the Sun'; and this puruşa is the subject-matter of worship. A fourth class says, that it is not proper to imagine that there exists in everything, some deity, other than the thing itself. Just as the Atman exists in the body of a man, so does there also exist in everything, some subtle form of that very thing, that is to say, some subtle force, like the Atman; and that thing is the original and true form of it. For instance, they say that the five gross primordial Elements have, at their core,
