________________
BOOK II: THE PRINCIPLE OF KNOWLEDGE
297
the effects of karman? It is because the action takes place with domination of the own-nature of the soul by the own-nature of the karman; as in the case of the lamp-light.
As, namely, the lamp-light is the effect of the light-substance (jyotis) because it is effected by the own nature of the light-substance, dominating the own nature of the oil, so the modifications, such as man, etc., are the effect of karman, because they are effected by the own nature of karmun, dominating the own nature of the soul.
Now he answers the question how in the modifications, man, etc., the own nature of soul yields to this domination:
II.26. The jivas (living beings), viz. men, hell-inhabitants, animals or gods (celestial beings) are originated from nama-karman; for, while evolving through their karman (deeds, or conjunctions with matter, or consequences of deeds), these souls do not realize their own nature. (118)
In the first place, these modifications, such as man, are originated from the karmic matter called nama-karman. But it is not simply by this that the own nature of soul becomes subdued, just as little as does the ruby in bracelets with rubies set in gold. But that which hinders the soul from maintaining even then its own nature is its evolution into its karma; as in the case of water. As, namely, water does not maintain its own nature of (independent) substantiality and sweetness, whilst evolving, with its infinitesimal-spacial-constituents and its taste, into trees such as the picumanda or the sandal-tree, so neither does the soul maintain its own nature, that is to say, its immateriality, and its possession of unstained pureness, whilst evolving, with its infinitesimal-spacial-constituents and its mental-state (bhava), into karman.
Now he explains how the soul, although permanent in its substantiality, is non-permanent in regard to its modifications:
II.27. In the midst of the universe-of-souls, subject every moment to annihilation and origination, no one is born, or dies. For origination of one modification is destruction of another. Yet the origination and destruction are different. (119)
Here indeed no one is born or dies. Yet, on the other hand, the world of souls, men, gods, animals and hell-inhabitants, annihilation and origination carries with it every moment annihilation and origination, because they evolve with the moment. And this is not
