Book Title: Satapatha Bramhana Part 05
Author(s): Julius Eggeling
Publisher: Oxford

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Page 1933
________________ IV ADHYÂYA, I PÂDA, 16. 725 of knowledge to be the same in all cases; and the fact of the body continuing to exist subsequently to the rise of knowledge may be accounted for by the force of an impulse once imparted, just as in the case of the revolution of a potter's wheel. This view the Satra sets aside. Only those previous works perish the effects of which have not yet begun to operate ; for the text 'For him there is delay as long as he is not delivered from the body' (Kh. Up. VI, 14, 2) expressly states when the delay of the body's death will come to an end the body meanwhile continuing to exist through the influence of the anarabdhakarya works). There is no proof for the existence of an impetus accounting for the continuance of the body's life, other than the Lord's pleasure or displeasure caused by good or evil deeds.—Here terminates the adhikarana of the works the operation of which has not yet begun.' 16. But the Agnihotra and the rest, (because they tend) to that effect only; this being seen. It might here be said that special works incumbent on the several asramas, as e.g. the Agnihotra, need not be undertaken by those who are not desirous of their results, since these works also fall under the category of good works the result of which does not cling.'--This view the Satra sets aside. Such works as the Agnihotra must be performed, since there is no possibility of their results not clinging; for him who knows, those works have knowledge for their exclusive effect. This we learn from Scripture itself: • Him Brahmanas seek to know by the study of the Veda, by sacrifices, gifts, austerities, and fasting. This passage shows that works such as the Agnihotra give rise to knowledge, and as knowledge in order to grow and become more perfect has to be practised day after day until death, the special duties of the asrama also, which assist the rise of knowledge, have daily to be performed. Otherwise, those duties being omitted, the mind would lose its clearness and knowledge would not arise.—But if good works such as the Agnihotra only serve the purpose of giving rise to knowledge, and if good works previous to the rise of know Digitized by Digitized by Google

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