________________
530
VEDÂNTA-SOTRAS.
of human origin set forth doctrines mutually contradictory, and, moreover, teach what is in conflict with the matter known from the Veda-which, on account of its non-human character, is raised above all suspicion of error and other imperfections they cannot be accepted as authoritative with regard to anything not depending on human action and choice. Now the matter to be known from the Veda is Narayana, who is none other than the highest Brahman. It hence follows that the entities set forth in those different systems—the pradhana, the soul (purusha), Pasupati, and so on-have to be viewed as real only in so far as Närayana, i.e. the highest Brahman, as known from the Vedantatexts, constitutes their Self. This the text directly declares in the passage, In all those doctrines it is seen, in accordance with tradition and reasoning, that the lord Narayana is the only basis.' This means— To him who considers the entities set forth in those systems with the help of argumentation, it is evident that Nåråyana alone is the basis of all those entities.' In other words, as the entities set forth in those systems are not Brahman, any one who remembers the teaching of texts such as 'all this indeed is Brahman,''Narayana is all,' which declare Brahman to be the Self of all, comes to the conclusion that Narayana alone is the basis of those entities. As thus it is settled that the highest Brahman, as known from the Vedantatexts, or Narayana, himself is the promulgator of the entire Pañkarátra, and that this system teaches the nature of Narayana and the proper way of worshipping him, none can disestablish the view that in the Pankarátra all the other doctrines are comprised. For this reason the Mahabharata says, 'Thus the Sankhya-yoga and the Veda and the Aranyaka, being members of one another, are called the Pañkaratra,' i.e. the Sankhya, the Yoga, the Vedas, and the Aranyakas, which are members of one another because they are one in so far as aiming at setting forth one Truth, together are called the Pañkaratra.--The Sankhya explains the twenty-five principles, the Yoga teaches certain practices and means of mental concentration, and the Aranyakas teach that all the subordinate
Digitized by Google
Digitized by
