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I ADHYAYA, I PÂDA, 1.
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down by Devadatta with one stroke'-meaning thereby that Devadatta himself and the action of cutting down are comprised among the things cut down. The second alternative, on the other hand-according to which the knowing subject is not Brahman itself, but a knower superimposed upon it-would imply that that subject is the agent in an act of knowledge resulting in his own destruction; and this is impossible since no person aims at destroying himself. And should it be said that the de struction of the knowing agent belongs to the very nature of Brahman itself', it would follow that we can assume neither plurality nor the erroneous view of plurality, nor avidya as the root of that erroneous view.-All this confirms our theory, viz. that since bondage springs from agñana in the form of an eternal stream of karman, it can be destroyed only through knowledge of the kind main. tained by us. Such knowledge is to be attained only through the due daily performance of religious duties as prescribed for a man's caste and asrama, such performance being sanctified by the accompanying thought of the true nature of the Self, and having the character of propitiation of the highest Person. Now, that mere works produce limited and non-permanent results only, and that on the other hand works not aiming at an immediate result but meant to please the highest Person, bring about knowledge of the character of devout meditation, and thereby the unlimited and permanent result of the intuition of Brahman being the Self of all these are points not to be known without an insight into the nature of works, and hence, without this, the attitude described—which is preceded by the abandonment of mere works--cannot be reached. For these reasons the enquiry into Brahman has to be entered upon after the enquiry into the nature of works.
1 And, on that account, belongs to what constitutes man's highest aim.
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