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II ADHYAYA, 3 PÂDA, 29.
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26. Or on account of its quality as light.
The or' is meant to set aside the view previously stated. The Self extends through the whole body by means of its quality, viz. knowledge or consciousness. “As light.' As the light of things abiding in one place—such as gems, the sun, and so on-is seen to extend to many places, so the consciousness of the Self dwelling in the heart pervades the entire body. That the knowledge of the knowing subject may extend beyond its substrate, as the light of a luminous body does, we have already explained under the first Satra.—But it has been said that the Self is mere knowledge; how then can knowledge be said to be a quality—which is something different from the essential nature of a thing ?—This the next Sátra explains.
27. There is distinction as in the case of smell ; and thus Scripture declares.
Just as smell, which is perceived as a quality of earth, is distinct from earth; thus knowledge of which we are conscious as the quality of a knowing subject—which relation expresses itself in judgments such as 'I know'is different from the knowing subject. Scriptural texts also prove this relation, as e.g. 'This Person knows.'
28. On account of the separate statement.
Scripture even states quite directly that knowledge is something distinct from the knowing subject, viz.. in the passage. For there is not known any intermission of the knowing of the knower' (Bri. Up. IV, 3, 30).-It has been said that in passages such as he who abiding in knowledge' (Bri. Up. III, 7, 22); Knowledge performs the sacrifice' (Taitt. Up. II, 5, 1); 'having knowledge for its nature, absolutely free from stain,' Scripture speaks of the Self as being mere knowledge (not a knower). This point the next Satra elucidates.
29. But(the Self) is designated as that because it has that quality (viz. knowledge) for its essential quality; as in the case of the intelligent (prâgña) Self.
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