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BOOK I: THE PRINCIPLE OF KNOWLEDGE
241
there is one time), an unlimited number of soul-substances, and material substances in an unlimitedly more unlimited number. The modifications of these substances, considered one by one, are unlimited, whirling round in a series of existences without limitation, divided into the kinds past, future and present. The knowable, then, is all this collected; and confronting it there is only some single soulsubstance as knower. Then, as a fire, burning all fuel, evolves into a self which has the appearance of one total fire that evolves through all the modifications of the appearances of the fuel, appearances due to all these fuels, so the knower, knowing all knowables, evolves into a self which has the appearance of one total knowledge that evolves through all the modifications of the appearances of the knowables, appearances due to all these knowables; into a self which is perceptible for self-experience (svanubhava), because it is a spiritual-being (chetana). Thus indeed is the innate nature of the substances.
But he who does not know every knowable is like a fire that does not burn every fuel and so does not evolve (read atmanam aparinaman dahana iva) into a self which has the appearance of one total fire that evolves through all the modifications of the appearances of fuel, appearances due to all these fuels; similarly (he who does not know everything) does not evolve into a self which has the appearance of one total knowledge that evolves through all the modifications of the appearances of the knowables, appearances due to all these knowables; and this holds true, although the self, as a spiritual being, remains perceptible for self-experience. Thus it appears that he who does not know everything does not know the self.
Now he certifies that one who does not know one thing does not know all things:
49. If one does not know one substance with its unlimited modifications, or the unlimited number of kinds of substances how should he know everything simultaneously?
The self is merely knowledge, since only as consisting of knowledge is it a knower. Knowledge, on the other hand, is a great generality (chaitanya-samanya-mahiman), consisting of illumination (pratibhasamaya) and occurring in the individual souls. And this (great-generality) penetrates infinite species (visheshas) (species of consciousness=forms of knowledge=notions concerning objects) in phenomenal form; and these again find their basis in the modifications of all substances.
