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A. Wezler
« thirst >> is explained to be the longing for rebirth 136. The reason for dharma and adharma being mentioned separately is that nescience is the main cause of suffering (pradhānam duḥkhanimittam) 137, and merit and demerit are, properly speaking, specific causes of pleasure and pain, respectively, and that both of them are equally to be regarded as duhkhakārana because it is a matter of experience that one is given pain by cold wind, etc., even when nescience and thirst do not persist any longer 138. Hānam is then defined to be the cessation of suffering (duḥkhaviccheda), and the addition of «absolute » (ātyantika) is vindicated by referring to the fact that a temporal elimination of personal (ādhyātmika) pain and suffering can be achieved also by applying the means taught in the Dharma-, Artha-, Kāma- and Vaidya-Sāstras 139; that is to say, the attribute is meant to make clear that the liberated ātman does not ever again and in no manner come in contact with duhkha.
Finally, the fourth element, i.e. the means for attaining complete avoidance (tasyopāyah), is determined to consist in true knowledge of the ātman. That out of the twelve « objects of valid cognition » ātman alone is mentioned is justified by the wish to stress its outstanding importance (prādhānya) which, according to Bhāsarvajña, has also led to its being enumerated first in NS 1.1.9 140. The ātman is said to be of two kinds, viz. para and apara, of which two the former is none else but the Maheśvara 141 and the latter is « he who experiences the result of Samsāra » (samsāraphalopabhoktr), i.e. the individual permanent and omnipresent soul 142.
Regarding the rôle these two « objects of valid cognition » play in attaining the final goal, it is stated that the true knowledge of the aparātman represents a means to it (nihśreyasānga) because it leads to activity aimed at « the other world > in that it helps to realize that the paraloka really exists and because it causes the elimination of demerit 143; the true knowledge of the parātman, on the other hand, is ascribed a similar function, only that it works by being a constitutive element of the upāsanā of the Maheśvara 144. That both these tattvajñānas are not of exactly the same rank is finally stated by emphatically proclaiming that liberation is attained only because of perceiving God Siva (tasmāc
132. See above p. 295. 137. Cf. NBhūş 445.20-21. 138. Cf. NBhūs 445.22 ff.
139. The text as read in the edition of the NBhūş, viz. 446.7 dharmādharmarthakāmavaidyaśāstrair..., is corrupt and has to be emended to dharmärtha.
140. Cf. NBhūş 446.13-16. 141. Hence the subsequent long isvaravāda section NBhûş 447 ff. 142. Cf. NBhūş 487.19 ff. 143. Cf. NBhūş 548.1-2 and 19 ff. 144. Cf. NBhūş 574.1 and 12 ff.
