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VEDÂNTA-SOTRAS.
character of its own and a result of its own ('he conquers these worlds'). Nor can it be said that the declaration of a fruit in 'he destroys evil and leaves it' refers merely to the fruit (not of the entire meditation but) of a subordinate part of the meditation; for there is nothing to prove this. The proof certainly cannot be said to lic in the fact of the vidyas being one; for this would imply reasoning in a circle, viz. as follows-it being settled that the vidyas are one, it follows that the fruit of the former meditation only is the main one, while the fruits of the two later meditations are subordinate ones ; and—it being settled that those two later fruits are subordinate ones, it follows that, as thus there is no difference depending on connexion with fruits, the two later meditations are one with the preceding one. All this proves that the two Satras can be interpreted only in the way maintained by us.- Here terminates the adhikarana of being within.'
38. Wishes and the rest, here and there; (as is known from the abode, and so on).
We read in the Khandogya (VIII, 1, 1), “There is that city of Brahman, and in it the palace, the small lotus, and in it that small ether,' &c.; and in the Vagasaneyaka, He is that great unborn Self who consists of knowledge,' and so on. A doubt here arises whether the two texts constitute one meditation or not.—The two meditations are separate, the Purvapakshin maintains; for they have different characters. The Khåndogya represents as the object of meditation the ether as distinguished by eight different attributes, viz. freedom from all evil and the rest; while, according to the Vågasaneyaka, the being to be meditated on is he who dwells within that ether, and is distinguished by attributes such as lordship, and so on.To this we reply that the meditations are not distinct, since there is no difference of character. For desires and so on constitute that character 'here and there,' i.e. in both texts nothing else but Brahman distinguished by attributes, such as having true wishes, and so on, forms the subject of meditation. This is known from the abode and so on,'
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