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nyena yajate sa gartam abhyapatat' – Tándya-mahābrāhmaṇa 16. 1. 2. — Agniștoma is the first sacrifice; he who without performing this sacrifice performs another, falls into a pit -- This statement is meant to show that it is not proper to perform the animal sacrifice, etc. before performing Agnistoma and this it does by arthavāda of the type of censure. Dvādaśa māsāḥ samvatsaraḥ (Twelve months are a year — Taitt. Br. 1. 1. 4), Agnir uşnaḥ (fire is bot - Taitt. Br. 1. 1. 4), Agnir himasya bhesajam (fire is the antidote for cold or frost — Taitt. Br. 1. 1. 4)—such sentences merely repeat what is already well known. Hence all the Vedic statements should not be interpreted in the same way. Thus 'Purușa evedam sarvam' is by way of praise. Similarly 'Vijñā naghana evaitebhyah...' means that the puruşa, the mass of consciousness is different from the elements. And it has already been proved that this puruşa. (soul) is the creator and body, etc. are the effects. Now where there is the relation of creator, created, the instrument or the means must be present; e. g. blacksmith is the agent or creator, ball of iron is the thing created and pincers (saidamsa) are the instrument. In the creation of the body, etc., by the ātman, there must be an instrument and karma is that instrument. Moreover there are Vedic statements which directly establish the existence of karma, viz. Punyaḥ punyena karmaņā, pāpaḥ pāpena karmaņā (see Gathā 1611). Thus karma is established by the testimony of the scriptures also (1643).
Mahāvīra thus dispelled the doubt of Agnibhūti regarding karma, and the latter became a Jaina monk along with his five hundred followers (1644).
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