________________
54
INDIAN PHILOSOPHY The aišvarya (pre-eminence) of Isvara is supreme and hence matchless. By aišvarya the unfailing will is here meant. The aišvarya of any other being is not superior to his. Nor is the aišvarya of any other being equal to his." Why ? If the two persons' aiśvaryas are equal then when at the same time and with respect to one and the same thing both the persons entertain two contradictory desires - as for example, 'let this be new' and 'let this be old' - one's desire will be fulfilled and the other's desire will remain unfulfilled: As a result of this the latter's aišvarya becomes inferior.20 So, it is impossible for two supreme aišvaryas to be equal. From this it naturally follows that Isvara is one only.
In the world we observe that one person has a certain degree of knowledge, another person has a higher degree of knowledge, the third person has still a higher degree of knowledge, and so on. The progressive development must reach its completion' somewhere, because this is the way of all progression. He in whom knowledge which is subject to progressive development reaches the highest limit is omniscient. Isvara is omniscient.21
Vyāsa maintains that Isvara who is perfect has no motive for doing anything for his own betterment leading to perfection. But he does have motive for undertaking activity for the betterment of living beings, which ultimately leads to perfection. He imparts instruction in knowledge and in right-living to living beings, with the sole intention of freeing them from the transmigratory wanderings and misery.22
According to Vyāsa, išvara is the Teacher of the ancient sages also because he is not limited by time always - even in the past, while those sages were then limited by time.??
Thus Vyāsa made iśvara nityamukta and consequently lokottara. And on the basis of supreme aiśvarya he established that he is one only. It is not necessary to make him nityamukta in order to differentiate him from other ordinary liberated souls (kevalins) because his difference from them is well established on the basis of the well recognised fundamental differentiating characteristic. The other ordinary liberated souls have no citta at all. So, how can they have supremely pure (prakrsta) citta and consequently the supreme aišvarya which necessarily depends on supremely pure citta ? But iśvara does have supremely pure citta and consequently supreme aišvarya. It is accepted in the Patañjala Yoga philosophy that
