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FOURTH ADHYAYA.
FIRST PADA.
1. Repetition, on account of the text teaching (what has to be done more than once).
The third adhyaya was concerned with the consideration of meditation, together with its means. The Sutras now enter on a consideration of the results of meditation, after a further preliminary clearing up of the nature of meditation. The question here arises whether the act of knowledge of Brahman inculcated in Vedanta-texts, such as He who knows Brahman reaches the Highest,' 'Having known him thus he passes beyond death,' 'He knows Brahman, he becomes Brahman,' is, in the view of Scripture, to be performed once only, or to be repeated more than once.-Once suffices, the Purvapakshin maintains; for as the text enjoins nothing more than knowing there is no authority for a repetition of the act. Nor can it be said that the act of knowing, analogous to the act of beating the rice-grains until they are freed from the husks, is a visible means towards effecting the intuition of Brahman, and hence must, like the beating, be repeated until the effect is accomplished; for knowing is not a visible means towards anything. Such acts as the Gyotishtoma sacrifice and the knowledge inculcated in the Vedanta-texts are alike of the nature of conciliation of the Supreme Person; through whom thus conciliated man obtains all that is beneficial to him, viz. religious duty, wealth, pleasure, and final Release. This has been shown under III, 2, 38. The meaning of Scripture therefore is accomplished by performing the act of knowledge once only, as the Gyotishtoma is performed once. This view the Sutra sets aside. The meaning of Scripture is fulfilled only by repeated acts of knowledge 'on account of teaching,' i. e. because the teaching of Scripture is conveyed
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