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The Jaina Philosophy
without having communicated with each other, holding full in their hands as is the custom with pupils approaching their master. They dwelt there as pupils for thirty two years and served Prajapati. At the end of 32 years Prajapati turns his face to them and asks :"For what purpose have you been both dwelling here?" They replied that they had heard the saying of Prajapati and that they had both dwelt near him because they wished to know the Self." Prajapati like many of the ancient sages does not show himself inclined to part with his knowledge at once. He gives them several answers which though not exactly wrong are equivocal and open to a wrong interpretation. He says first: "The person that is seen in the eye, that is the Self. This is what I have said; this is the immortal, the fearless, this is Brahman."
If the pupils had understood this as meant for the person that sees through the eye, or out of the eye, they would have received a right though indirect idea of the Self. But when they thought that the reflection of man in the eye of another person was meant, they were wrong. And they evidently took it on the latter sense, for they asked "Sir, he who is perceived in the water and he who is perceived in "a mirror, who is he?" Prajapati replied: "He the Self himself indeed is seen in all these. Look at your self in a pan of water, and whatever you do not understand of yourself, come and tell me." They looked in the water pan. Then Prajapati said: "What do you see?" They said: "We both see the Self thus altogether, a picture even to the very hairs and nails." Prajapati then said: "After you have adorned yourselves, have put on your best clothes and cleanced yourselves, look again into the water pan." They did so and looked into the water pan; Prajapati says: "What do you see?" They said: "Just as we are, well-adorned, with our best clothes and clean, thus we are both there, Sir, well adorned with our best clothes and clean." Prajapati said: "That is the Self that-is the immortal, the fearless, this is Brahman." They both went away satisfied in their hearts.
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