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326
VEDẦNTA-SOTRAS.
'the ruler of the vital airs moves through his own works, of the size of a thumb, brilliant like the sun, endowed with purposes and egoity' (Svet. Up. V, 11, 7; 8). Moreover, the highest Self is not anywhere else, not even for the purpose of meditation, represented as having the size of a thumb. It thus being determined that the being of the length of a thumb is the individual Self, we understand the term 'Lord,' which is applied to it, as meaning that it is the Lord of the body, the sense-organs, the objects and the instruments of fruition.—of this view the Satra disposes, maintaining that the being a thumb long can be none but the highest Self, just on account of that term. For lordship over all things past and future cannot possibly belong to the individual Self, which is under the power of karman.—But how can the highest Self be said to have the measure of a thumb ?-On this point the next Sutra satisfies us.
24. But with reference to the heart, men being qualified.
In so far as the highest Self abides, for the purpose of devout meditation, in the heart of the devotee-which heart is of the measure of a thumb--it may itself be viewed as having the measure of a thumb. The individual soul also can be said to have the measure of a thumb only in so far as dwelling within the heart; for scripture directly states that its real size is that of the point of a goad, i.e. minute. And as men only are capable of devout meditation, and hence alone have a claim on scripture, the fact that the hearts of other living creatures also, such as donkeys, horses, snakes, &c., have the same size, cannot give rise to any objection.—The discussion of this matter will be completed later on.
25. Also beings above them (i.e. men), Bâdarayana thinks, on account of possibility.
In order to prove that the highest Brahman may be
1 The 'pramitâdhikarana' is resumed in Sätra 41.
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