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SEPTEMBER, 1893.)
NOTES ON TUL'SI DAS.
285
(kdrya) (84)." But the agent cannot be known without the help of a spiritual guide, and except in the way of true happiness, how can sorrow be wiped away (85)? The world knoweth that an earthen vessel cannot be made without a potter, so how can any action (karma) be done without an agent (86) ? Learn thou to know that agent (the Lord) from whom cometh the chief action ; for without that knowledge, though thon reason in countless ways, thou wilt not come to see him (87).** Reasoning cannot prove anything without a witness, therefore, if thou depend upon reason, I challenge thee to show me what visible proof thou hast (88). The potter, the agent, with his material cause, the earth, maketh (vessels of) many (varieties as his effects); but the man without discrimination looketh only at the cause (the earth) and considereth not that there must also have been an agent (the potter) (89). The goldsmith, as the agent, maketh manifest the gold which is the material cause; his joy-giving effects are the ornaments which he maketh from it, whose qualities are to enhance the beauty of the wearer** (90). From the gold come ornaments of countless kinds, each depending on the intention of the agent. The soul which devoteth itself to them (instead of to their agent, the Lord), and hath not a spiritual guide is doomed) to woe (91). Owing to the trammels of) its body, the soul imagineth that whatsoever existence it findeth itself in, that is the real one; but when given knowledge it knoweth that this is not so (92). The potter's vessels are of various kinds, each taking its form according to the volition of the agent, and he who hath a spiritual guide and knoweth this (not only) giveth joy (to others but) obtaineth matchless wisdom (93). In the market (every one looketh at and admireth the vessels (for sale), and but few think of the potter, according to whose volition there are many forms, vessels very small aud very great 5 (94). The potter is uniform, and so is the clay. The vessels are of many kinds, small and great, and their form is due to the volition of the
4 In this and the following verses I deliberately throw over all the commentators. First, because my translation is literal, and secondly, because it exactly agrees with Ramanuja, who says expressly that the Lord in the pralaya state is in his causal stato kirandustha. When the pralaya stato comes to an end, creation takes place according to an act of volition on the Lord's part. He is therefore now both a cause, kirana, and an agent kartri. When creation is complete the Lord (together with all created things) is in the condition of an effect, karyavastha. Cause and effect are thus at the bottom the same. It will be seen that this is just what Tul'af DAS says above. The commentators explain the agent to be the soul, and the cause to be means of salvation (converse with the holy and the like) or the reverse. These two are immutable, &c. The effect they explain to be good actions, karma, &e. This is nonsense, as I understand it. How can such a causo be described as immutable and so on P Ramanuja, it is true (I1, 3, 33—40), ascribes kartritra to the jive, but I do not think that this is what Tulisi Das refers to here, though he undoubtedly does so in dohá ól ff.
+ The clay is the material cause, the potter is the agent, making the pot is the sotion or karma (Baij'ngth in his oummentary on Doha 84, distinctly says that karma = karya, and I think that here he is nearly right). So all this will be very familiar to readers of the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, cf. also Vedanta sutras II., 1, 14-20. So also the Lord, acting as above described, creates all things, which effects are karma. By 'chief' action, I understand the creation of all existing things. Not only the Lord, but every individual soul is an agent. The Lord is the chief agent, and his action should also be the chief.
47 Baijnath, still interpreting the soul as the agent, adds, - the effects are joy-giving, because, if the goldsmith is skilful and fears the king, nor covets and steals a portion of the gold, but uses all his industry to make beautiful ornaments, and gives them to the king to wear, the beauty of the king is enhanced. Then the king, being pleased, gives the goldsmith a reward, who thereby is made joyful. But if the goldsmith is foolish and covetous, and puts alloy in the gold, the ornament is spoiled, and the king punishes him. This parable is to be explained as follows: The soul is the agent, the goldsmith. His skill is self-knowledge, and abandonment of worldly desire. Association with the holy, and the like, are the cause, the gold. The nine different categories, prêman, love, &o., are the effecta, the ornaments. The Lord is the king. By causing him to wear the ornaments, the qualities of tenderness to the devotee and the like are made manifest. By the grace of the Lord, the faithfnl being released from fear, are exalted. On the other hand, the soul which is foolish, attached to things of this world, and full of desires, makes alloyed ornaments for its karma or actions, and its punishment is (toil of the world.
*I adopt the reading karataba (karlavya).
karta-mana bhava ripa, its form became existing according to the mind of the agent. The commontators make mana=jiva, the soul, and say, as there are many kinds of vessels, so the soul, as agent, with the material universe (bhava = sansára) as cause, makes many kinds of bodies. I tako bhava in its common meaning of
boonmo,' the past tense of Wind. The application of mukhada is doubtful. Possibly the spiritual guide is joy. giving, and not the enlightened soul.
50 ja ke mana kt rupa bahu. Baijnath explains, the potter as the soul under the influence of whose desires (mana = mansratha), the body takes new forms after death.
