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I ADHYAYA, 2 PÂDA, 15.
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i.e. his pupils, and their pupils, as well as his sons, grandsons, &c., do not perish; i.e. they are all knowers of Brahman, in agreement with what another text declares to be the reward of knowledge of Brahman— In his family no one is born ignorant of Brahman' (Mu. Up. III, 2, 9). We guard him in this world and the other,' i.e. we Fires guard him from all troubles until he reaches Brahman-The Agnividyà thus being a member of the Brahmavidya, there is no reason why the Brahman introduced in the earlier part of the Brahmavidya should not be connected with the latter part-the function of this latter part being to enjoin a place of meditation (Brahman being meditated on as the Person within the eye), and some special qualities of Brahman to be included in the meditation. But (an objection is raised) as the Fires tell Upakosala 'the teacher will tell you the way,' we conclude that the teacher has to give information as to the way to Brahman only; how then can his teaching refer to the place of meditation and the special qualities of Brahman? We have to consider, we reply, in what connexion the Fires address those words to Upakosala. His teacher having gone on a journey without having imparted to him the knowledge of Brahman, and Upakosala being dejected on that account, the sacred fires of his teacher, well pleased with the way in which Upakosala had tended them, and wishing to cheer him up, impart to him the general knowledge of the nature of Brahman and the subsidiary knowledge of the Fires. But remembering that, as scripture says, 'the knowledge acquired from a teacher is best,' and hence considering it advisable that the teacher himself should instruct Upakosala as to the attributes of the highest Brahman, the place with which it is to be connected in meditation and the way leading to it, they tell him the teacher will tell you the way,' the
way 'connoting everything that remains to be taught by the teacher. In agreement herewith the teacher-having first said, 'I will tell you this; and as water does not cling to a lotus leaf, so no evil clings to one who knows it' - instructs him about Brahman as possessing certain
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