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VEDÂNTA-SOTRAS..
something which, as being more beneficial to man, sur. passes other objects of devotion. The text at first declares that he who knows Prâna, i.e. the individual soul, is an ativadin, in so far as the object of his devout meditation surpasses the objects from name.up to hope; and then goes on to say that, as that object also is not of supreme benefit to man, an ativadin in the full sense of the term is he only who proclaims as the object of his devotion the highest Brahman, which alone is of supreme unsurpassable benefit to man. He who is an ativadin by the True,' i.e. he who is an ativadin characterised by the highest Brahman as the object of his meditation. For the same reason the pupil entreats, "Sir, may I be an ativadin with the True!' and the teacher replies, But we must desire to know the True !'-Moreover, the text, VII, 26, 1, 'Prâna springs from the Self,' declares the origination from the Self of the being called Prana; and from this we infer that the Self which is introduced as the general subject matter of the section, in the clause' He who knows the Self passes beyond death,' is different from the being called Prana.—The contention that, because there is no question and answer as to something greater than Prana, the instruction about the Self must be supposed to come to an end with the instruction about Prâna, is by no means legitimate. For that a new subject is introduced is proved, not only by those questions and answers; it may be proved by other means also, and we have already explained such means. The following is the reason why the pupil does not ask the question whether there is anything greater than Prana. With regard to the non-sentient objects extending from name to hope-each of which surpasses the preceding one in so far as it is more beneficial to man-the teacher does not declare that he who knows them is an ativadin ; when, however, he comes to the individual soul, there called Prana, the knowledge of whose true nature he considers highly beneficial, he expressly says that he who sees this, notes this, understands this is an ativadin' (VII, 15, 4). The pupil therefore imagines that the instruction about the Self is now. completed, and hence asks no further question. The
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