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


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Page 1521
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I ADHYÂYA, 3 PÂDA, 12.
313
which refers to that object of seeing, declares that 'by means of the Omkâra he who knows reaches that which is tranquil, free from decay, immortal, fearless, the highest' -all which attributes properly belong to the highest Self only, as we know from texts such as that is the Immortal, that is the fearless, that is Brahman' (Kh. Up. IV, 15, 1). The qualification expressed in the clause "etasmag givaghanat,' &c. may also refer to the highest Self only, not to Brahma Katurmukha ; for the latter is himself comprehended by the term "givaghana.' For that term denotes all souls which are embodied owing to karman; and that Katurmukha is one of those we know from texts such as 'He who first creates Brahma' (Svet. Up. VI, 18). Nor is there any strength in the argument that, since the Brahmaworld mentioned in the text is known to be the world of Katurmukha, as it follows next on the world of the atmosphere, the being abiding there must needs be Katurmukha. We rather argue as follows-as from the concluding clause 'that which is tranquil, free from decay,'&c., we ascertain that the object of intuition is the highest Brahman, the Brahmaworld spoken of as the abode of the seeing devotee cannot be the perishable world of Brahmå Katurmukha. A further reason for this conclusion is supplied by what the text says about him who is freed from all evil being led up by the Sâman verses to the world of Brahman'; for the place reached by him who is freed from all evil cannot be the mere abode of Katurmukha. Hence also the concluding sloka says with reference to that Brahma-world that which the wise teach': what the wise see and teach is the abode of the highest, of Vishnu; cp. the text 'the wise ever see that highest abode of Vishnu.' Nor is it even strictly true that the world of Brahmå follows on the atmosphere, for the svarga-world and several others lie between the two.
We therefore shortly explain the drift of the whole chapter as follows. At the outset of the reply given to Satyakama there is mentioned, in addition to the highest (para) Brahman, a lower (apara) Brahman. This lower or effected (karya) Brahman is distinguished as twofold, being connected either with this terrestrial world or yonder, non
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