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DOCTRIND OF THE PURUŞA'.
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to pain and suffering ; on the contrary, he should totally disregard such Destiny, if he is influenced in his activity) by Mercy and Compassion; merciful persons do not seek for such causes as bring about suffering ; becanse the sole motive behind their actions consists in the desire to remove the sufferings of others.-(160)
TEXT (161).
IT THE FUNCTIONING OF THE SPIRIT BE SAID TO BE FOR PURPOSES OF
* AMUSEMENT', THEN HE WOULD NOT BE HIS OWN MASTER REGARDING THAT AMUSEMENT, AS HE WOULD BE DEPENDENT UPON THE VARIOUS IMPLEMENTS OF THAT AMUSE
MENT, JUST LIKE A CHILD.-(161)
COMMENTARY
If it be lield that He creates the world, not through Compassion, --but for purposes of Amusement”,-that also cannot be right. As, in that case, in the matter of bringing about this Amusement, he would not be
self-sufficient', -being dependent upon such diverse implements of Amuse. ment as creation, sustenance and dissolution (of the world).- (161)
TEXTS (162.163).
IF HE HAD THE POWER TO CREATE THEM, HE WOULD HAVE CREATED, AT ONE AND THE SAME TIME, ALL THE IMPLEMENTS OONDUCIVE TO THE PLEASURE TO BE ACCOMPLISHED BY THE 'AMUSEMENT-IF HE DID NOT HAVE THAT POWER IN THE BEGINNING, THEN HE COULD NOT HAVE IT FOR CREATING THEM CONSECUTIVELY EITHER. BECAUSE FOR AN INDIVISIBLE THING, IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO HAVE Power AND ALSO TO BE WITHOUT POWER.-(162-163)
COMMENTARY.
Further, those various implements of Amusement that are there, if he has the power to create them, then he should create them all at the same time; if he does not have that power in the beginning, then he could not create them subsequently, one by one either; as the 'powerless condition' would be there still; it is not possible for one and the same thing to have the power and not to have the power—to do a certain act-at one and the same time,-the two, power and absence of power, being mutually exclusive.
The arguments that have been urged before against the dootrine of God,e.g. why does He undertake such an operation as creation and so forth, -are applicable to this doctrine also.
This also disposes of the following arguments set forth by Prashasta. mati :-"God undertakes activity for the purpose of helping others. Just
