________________
I ADHYÂYA, I PÂDA, 1.
II
parts of the sacrificial animal?. (For the intimation of order of succession could be intended only if the agent in both cases were the same; but this is not the case), because there is no proof for assuming the enquiry into religious duty and the enquiry into Bralıman to stand in the relation of principal and subordinate matter or the relation of qualification (for a certain act) on the part of the person qualified ? ; and because the result as well as the object of the enquiry differs in the two cases. The knowledge of active religious duty has for its fruit transitory felicity, and that again depends on the performance of religious acts. The enquiry into Brahman, on the other hand, has for its fruit eternal bliss, and does not depend on the performance of any acts. Acts of religious duty do not yet exist at the time when they are enquired into, but are something to be accomplished in the future); for they depend on the activity of man. In the Brahma-mimâmså, on the other hand, the object of enquiry, i.e. Brahman, is something already accomplished (existent),--for it is eternal,-and does not depend on human energy. The two enquiries differ moreover in so far as the operation of their respective fundamental texts is concerned. For the fundamental texts on which active religious duty depends convey information to man in so far only as they enjoin on him their own particular subjects (sacrifices, &c.); while the fundamental texts about Brahman merely instruct man, without laying on him the injunction of being instructed, instruction being their immediate result. The case is analogous to that of the information regarding objects of sense which ensues as soon as the objects are approximated to the senses. It therefore is requisite that something should be
He cuts off from the heart, then from the tongue, then from the breast.
Where one action is subordinate to another as, for instance, the offering of the prayâgas is to the darsapůrnamâsa-sacrifice, or where onc action qualifies a person for another as, for instance, the offering of the darsapürnamâsa qualifies a man for the performance of the Soma-sacrifice, there is unity of the agent, and consequently an intimation of the order of succession of the actions is in its right place.
Digitized by Google
