Book Title: Satapatha Bramhana Part 05
Author(s): Julius Eggeling
Publisher: Oxford


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Page 1224
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VEDÂNTA-SOTRAS.
it may be gained.' Now a chosen one means a most beloved person; the relation being that he by whom that Self is held most dear is most dear to the Self. That the Lord (bhagavån) himself endeavours that this most beloved person should gain the Self, he himself declares in the following words, ‘To those who are constantly devoted and worship with love I give that knowledge by which they reach me' (Bha. GỦ. X, 10), and To him who has knowledge I am dear above all things, and he is dear to me' (VII, 17). Hence, he who possesses remembrance, marked by the character of immediate presentation (såkshatkâra), and which itself is dear above all things since the object remembered is such; he, we say, is chosen by the highest Self, and by him the highest Self is gained. Steady remembrance of this kind is designated by the word
devotion' (bhakti); for this term has the same meaning as upasana (meditation). For this reason scripture and smriti agree in making the following declarations, 'A man knowing him passes over death' (Svet. Up. III, 8); “Knowing him thus he here becomes immortal' (Taitt. År. III, 12,7); 'Neither by the Vedas, nor by austerities, nor by gifts, nor by sacrifice can I be so seen as thou hast seen me. But by devotion exclusive I may in this form be known and seen in truth, O Arguna, and also be entered into' (Bha. Gi. XI, 53, 54); “That highest Person, O Pártha, may be obtained by exclusive devotion' (VIII, 22).
That of such steady remembrance sacrifices and so on are means will be declared later on (Ve. SQ. III, 4, 26). Although sacrifices and the like are enjoined with a view to the origination of knowledge (in accordance with the passage *They desire to know,' Bri. Up. IV, 4, 22), it is only knowledge in the form of meditation which-being daily practised, constantly improved by repetition, and continued up to death-is the means of reaching Brahman, and hence all the works connected with the different · conditions of life are to be performed throughout life only for the purpose of originating such knowledge. This the Satrakara declares in Ve. Sa. IV, 1, 12; 16; III, 4, 33, and other places. The Vakyakâra also declares that
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