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VEDÂNTA-SOTRAS.
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four stages of life, are intent on the different cads of life, viz. religious observances, wealth, pleasure, and final release; and recognising that the Vedas—which teach the truth about his own nature, his glorious manifestations, the means of rendering him propitious and the fruits of such endeavour
-are difficult to fathom by all beings other than himself, whether gods or men, since those Vedas are divided into Rik, Yagus, Saman, and Atharvan; and being animated by infinite pity, tenderness, and magnanimity; with a view to enable his devotees to grasp the true meaning of the Vedas, himself composed the Pañkaråtra-såstra. The author of the Satras (Vyása) -- who first composed the Satras, the purport of which it is to set forth the arguments establishing the Vedanta doctrine, and then the Bharata-samhita (i.e, the Mahabharata) in a hundred thousand slokas in order to support thereby the teaching of the Veda-himself says in the chapter called Mokshadharma, which treats of knowledge, If a householder, or a Brahmakarin, or a hermit, or a mendicant wishes to achieve success, what deity should he worship?' and so on; explains then at great length the Pankarâtra system, and then says, 'From the lengthy Bharata story, comprising one hundred thousand slokas, this body of doctrine has been extracted, with the churning-staff of mind, as butter is churned from curdsas butter from milk, as the Bråhmana from men, as the Aranyaka from the Vedas, as Amrita from medicinal herbs.This great Upanishad, consistent with the four Vedas, in harmony with Sankhya and Yoga, was called by him by the name of Pankaratra. This is excellent, this is Brahman, this is supremely beneficial. Fully agreeing with the Rik, the Yagus, the Såman, and the Atharvargiras, this doctrine will be truly authoritative.' The terms Sankhya and Yoga here denote the concentrated application of knowledge and of works. As has been said, ' By the application of knowledge on the part of the Sankhya, and of works on the part of the Yogins.' And in the Bhishmaparvan we read, By Brahmanas, Kshattriyas, Vaisyas and Sudras, Madhava is to be honoured, served and worshipped—he who was proclaimed by Sarkarshana
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