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I ADHYÂYA, 4 PÂDA, 14.
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passages, is either to be offered or not to be offered at the atirâtra-sacrifice.
We have proved herewith that Scripture offers no basis for the doctrine of the pradhâna. That this doctrine cannot be proved either by Smriti or by ratiocination will be shown later on.
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14. (Although there is a conflict of the Vedantapassages with regard to the things created, such as) ether and so on; (there is no such conflict with regard to the Lord) on account of his being represented in one passage) as described (in other passages), viz. as the cause (of the world).
In the preceding part of the work the right definition of Brahman has been established; it has been shown that all the Vedanta-texts have Brahman for their common topic; and it has been proved that there is no scriptural authority for the doctrine of the pradhana.—But now a new objection presents itself.
It is not possible-our opponent says—to prove either that Brahman is the cause of the origin, &c. of the world, or that all Vedanta-texts refer to Brahman; because we observe that the Vedanta-texts contradict one another. All the Vedanta-passages which treat of the creation enumerate its successive steps in different order, and so in reality speak of different creations. In one place it is said that from the Self there sprang the ether (Taitt. Up. II, 1); in another place that the creation began with fire (Kh. Up: VI, 2, 3); in another place, again, that the Person created breath and from breath faith (Pr. Up.VI, 4); in another place, again, that the Self created these worlds, the water (above the heaven), light, the mortal (earth), and the water (below the earth) (Ait. År. II, 4, 1, 2; 3). There no order is stated at all. Somewhere else it is said that the creation origi. nated from the Non-existent. In the beginning this was non-existent; from it was born what exists' (Taitt. Up. II, 7); and, 'In the beginning this was non-existent; it became existent; it grew' (Kh. Up. III, 19, 1). In another place,
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