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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[SEPTEMBER, 1893.
agentől (95). Wherever He is, and in whatever form He dwelleth, there He is ever the same." No past hath He and no future hath He, the Pure, the Incomparable (98). He cannot be recognized. The grace of the Lord is the only means of showing Him (and teaching the nature of the Higher Self), just as a pure mirror maketh visible the (hitherto unseen water) in the breath-wind of the body" (97). But why make these comparisons? His immutable conditions are incomprehensible, and only they can understand the way who have gained the true knowledge (98). According to the time, from the agent and the material cause come actions (karma); know this as my decision. Again, according to the time, the agent goeth far off, and the cause remaineth as a proof of his existence (99),55
54
(To be continued.)
A PRELIMINARY STUDY OF THE KALYANI INSCRIPTIONS. DHAMMACHETI, 1476 A. D.
BY TAW SEIN-KO.
(Continued from p. 213.)
Atha rājā paṇḍitajanē pēsētvā parivimaṁsāpēsi. Tato parivimamsanakale therass' ēkassa catunnañ ca daharabhikkūnaṁ Sihal' upasampadagahaṇato pubbē mahantaravajjâbhāvē pi tucchassa garahaparūpavadamattassa sambhavam ñatva, rañño tath' ärōcēsum, Tato Rāmā. dhipatirājā sasanassa accantaparisuddhâkankh'ajjhasayataya parisuddh' upasampadabhāvē ca upasam padagahaṇato pubbē mahantaravajjâbhāvē ca sante pi rittakagarahaparupavādamattasahitam tam theram sasissaṁ parivajjētva, tath' aññe pi cattarō daharabhikkhu parivajjesi. Tad avasēsā pana dasathēra ca cha daharabhikkhu c' accantaparisuddh' upasampada
51 The earth, the material cause, has nothing whatever to do with the shape of the resultant effect. Cause and effect are essentially the same, and in all the vessels the same canse, the earth, exists unchanged. Any difference in form is due therefore to the volition of the agent, whom I interpret as the Lord, and Baij'nåth and other commentatora as the soul, acting on Máyd as the material cause, and producing different forms in different births.
62 Every soul is of the Lord, and a portion of him. He therefore is in every thing, unchanged and unchangeable, without beginning (past) or end (future).
63 This is the plain meaning of the words Sudsa-samira pratyaksha apa wachchha darasa lakhata. The commentators, however, give an altogether different mystical interpretation. The body is composed of five elements, ether, air, fire, water and earth. Here air, includes ether and fire, and water includes earth. Therefore air and water are the essentials of the body. Therefore the line means this; self, composed of breath and water, when visible, is pure like a mirror, but it is only visible by the Lord's grace.
Read, Tulasi tuli rahi játa hai juguti na achala upadhi. Papḍit Sudhakar Dvivêdî gives me the following explanation of this verse, which has completely baffled the commentators. Tulasi tuli (tuland kar) rahi jata hai (chup hi jata hai). Achala upadhi men juguti (yukti) nahin hai, arthat yukti nahin milti.
65 Here again, with fear and trembling, I differ from the commentators. The verse is as follows, and I have given above a literal translation:
karta karana kala k yoga karma mati jana
punaḥ kála karta durata karana rahata pramâna II
I interpret this as referring to the two states of the Lord. In the karyavastha, the condition of effect, he creates and actions are produced. Again, in course of time, in the praliya-kala, matter becomes unevolved, and individual souls are in a state of non-manifestation (samk6cha). The Lord himself is quiescent, and as it were, far off. He is then in his káranavastha. Hence the poet says 'at one time, during the period of creation, the Lord is an active agent; by his volition all actions (karma) take place. At another time, during the (pralaya) period, he withdraws himself, and becomes a mere unevolved cause (kirana) which is all that remains to prove bis existence.'
The commentators treating the agent as meaning the individual soul, say that kala yiga means according to age periods, such as the satya yuga, the dvápara yuga and so on: or, in other words, according to associations. According to good or evil company, the agent (the soul) and the cause (the associations or maya) produce different fruits (karma), some good, some evil. Then durata 'becomes distant,' is interpreted to mean 'changes,' and the second line is translated as times change, the soul (the agent) changes its nature as a goldsmith manufactures his ornaments as the fashions change) (karta, jo jeva, soa durat, bhav, svabhav badlat, arthât samay anukúl jiva bhi huai jât; yatha svarṇakár jaisa samay dekhat tais! bhashan rachat. Ta-te kal-kê darê-té karta bhi durat.), while the cause (just as the gold and the clay of the potter are always the same) i.e., mayd, that is to say, ignorance, evil companionship, wickedness, and on the other hand, knowledge, good companionship, honesty, remains always exactly the same.' I cannot admit this interpretation to be correct. It is in the first place forced, and in the second place is opposed to Râmânuja's doctrine.
