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II ADHYAYA, I PÂDA, 4.
413
the existence of a Lord ; secondly, because the Vedantatexts mention Yoga as a means to bring about final Release; and thirdly, because Hiranyagarbha, who proclaimed the Yoga-smriti, is qualified for the promulgation of all Vedantatexts.—But these arguments refute themselves as follows. In the first place the Yoga holds the Pradhana, which is independent of Brahman, to be the general material cause, and hence the Lord acknowledged by it is a mere operative cause. In the second place the nature of meditation, in which Yoga consists, is determined by the nature of the object of meditation, and as of its two objects, viz. the soul and the Lord, the former does not have its Self in Brahman, and the latter is neither the cause of the world nor endowed with the other auspicious qualities (which belong to Brahman), the Yoga is not of Vedic character. And as to the third point, Hiranyagarbha himself is only an indi. vidual soul, and hence liable to be overpowered by the inferior gunas, i.e. passion and darkness; and hence the Yoga-smriti is founded on error, no less than the Puranas, promulgated by him, which are founded on ragas and tamas. The Yoga cannot, therefore, be used for the support of the Vedanta.—Here finishes the adhikarana of the refutation of the Yoga.'
4. Not, on account of the difference of character of that; and its being such (appears) from Scripture.
The same opponent who laid stress on the conflict between Scripture and Smriti now again comes forward, relying this time (not on Smriti but) on simple reasoning. Your doctrine, he says, as to the world being an effect of Brahman which you attempted to prove by a refutation of the Sankhya Smriti shows itself to be irrational for the following reason. Perception and the other means of knowledge show this world with all its sentient and nonsentient beings to be of a non-intelligent and impure nature, to possess none of the qualities of the Lord, and to have pain for its very essence; and such a world totally differs in nature from the Brahman, postulated by you, which is said to be all-knowing, of supreme lordly power,
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