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VEDANTA-SUTRAS.
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highest light within effected things is a well-known circumstance.
21. And on account of the indications of equality of enjoyment only.
C
The lordly power of those who take their stand on the effected Brahman is not absolute, for that reason also that scripture teaches that their enjoyment only is equal to that of the eternally perfect Lord. For scripture contains statements and indications of the difference (of the Lord and the released soul); compare 'To him he says, Water indeed is enjoyed1 (by me); that world (is to be enjoyed by thee also)' (Kau. Up. I, 7); As all beings honour that deity, so do all beings honour him who knows that' (Bri. Up. I, 5, 20); 'He obtains through it equality (in body) and sameness of abode with that deity' (Bri. Up. I, 5, 23). But from the circumstance of the lordly power of the released souls not being absolute it follows that it comes to an end, and then they will have to return from the world of Brahman-To this objection the reverend Bâdarayana replies in the following Satra.
22. (Of them) there is non-return, according to scripture; non-return, according to scripture.
Those who, in following the road of the gods, to which the vein and the ray are leading, and on which light is the first stage, reach the world of Brahman as described by scripture-where 'there are the two lakes Ara and Nya in the world of Brahman, in the third heaven from hence,' and where there is the lake Airammadîya and the Asvattha tree showering down Soma, and the city of Brahman Aparâgitâ and the golden hall built by Prabhu' (Kh. Up. VIII, 5, 3)-and set forth at length in mantras,
1 All the commentators explain the reading 'mîyante.'-Ân. Gi. says-tam brahmalokagatam upâsakam hiranyagarbhah svasamîpam upâgatam sânunayam âha mayâ khalv âpa evâmritamayyo mîyante drisyante bhugyante tavâpy asâv amritarûpodakalakshano loko bhogyo yathâsukham bhugyatâm.
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