________________
232
VEDÂNTA-SOTRAS.
.
-maya cannot denote 'made of. The 'prânamaya' Self can only be called by that name in so far as air with its five modifications has (among others) the modification called prana, i.e. breathing out, or because among the five modifications or functions of air präna is the abounding,' i. e. prevailing one.-Nor can it be truly said that -maya is but rarely used in the sense of abounding in': expres sions such as 'a sacrifice abounding in food' (annamaya),
a procession with many carriages' (sakatamayı), are by no means uncommon.-Nor can we admit that to call something abounding in bliss' implies the presence of some pain. For 'abundance' precludes paucity on the part of that which is said to abound, but does not imply the presence of what is contrary. The presence or absence of what is contrary has to be ascertained by other means of proof; and in our case we do ascertain the absence of what is contrary to bliss by such means, viz. the clause 'free froin evil,' &c. Abundance of bliss on the part of Brahman certainly implies a relation to paucity on the part of some other bliss ; and in accordance with this demand the text says 'That is one measure of human bliss,' &c. (II, 8, 1). The bliss of Brahman is of measureless abundance, compared to the bliss of the individual soul.-Nor can it be maintained that the individual soul may be viewed as being an effect of bliss. For that a soul whose essential nature is knowledge and bliss should in any way be changed into something else, as a lump of clay is made into a pot, is an assumption contradicted by all scripture, sacred tradition, and reasoning. That in the Samsára state the soul's bliss and knowledge are contracted owing to karman will be shown later on.—The Self of bliss therefore is other than the individual soul ; it is Brahman itself.
A further reason for this conclusion is supplied by the next Sutra.
15. And because he is declared to be the cause of that.
*For who could breathe, who could breathe forth, if that bliss existed not in the ether? He alone causes bliss
Digitized by
Digized by Google