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III ADHYÂYA, 3 PÂDA, 32.
651
31. Of those who have a certain office there is subsistence (of their works) as long as the office lasts.
We do not maintain that all those who have reached true knowledge divest themselves at the time of death of all their good and evil works; we limit our view to those who immediately after death attair the first stage of which is light. Persons like Vasishtha, on the other hand, who are entrusted with certain offices, do not immediately after death attain to moving on the path beginning with light, since the duties undertaken by them are not completely accomplished. In the case of beings of this kind, who owing to particular deeds have been appointed to particular offices, the effect of the works which gave rise to the office does not pass away before those offices are completely accomplished; for the effect of a work is exhausted only through the complete enjoyment of its result. In the case of those persons, therefore, the effects of the works which gave rise to their office continue to exist as long as the office itself, and hence they do not after death enter on the path beginning with light.-Here terminates the adhikarana of passing away.'
32. There is no restriction (since) all (have to go on that path). (Thus) there is non-contradiction of sacred text and Smriti.
The question here is whether Brahman is to be reached on the path of the gods by those only who take their stand on those meditations which, like the Upakosala-vidya, describe that path, or by all who practise any of the meditations on Brahman. The Parvapakshin holds the former view, since there is no proof to show that in other vidyas the going on that path is not mentioned, and since those other vidyas—such as the texts 'and those who in the forest meditate on faith and austerities,' and 'those who in the forest worship faith, the True' (Kh. Up. V, 10, 1; Bri. Up. VI, 2, 15)-suggest to the mind the idea of the knowledge of Brahman. This the Satra negatives.
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