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1046
TATTVASANGRAHA : CHAPTER XXIV.
is not seen by the observer --why because it is not in a straight line with the substratum of the organ the substratum of the Visual Organ in the body does not lie in a straight line with the Sun ;-but 'mediately through an intervening medium-the Sun is presented to the Visual Rays by the rays of the Sun, and hence becomes seen through the downward rays ;-so that what happens is that the Solar Rays present the luminous object to the Visual Rays, the Visual Rays present it to the Visual Organ, and the Visual Organ presents it to the perceiving observer. This is what is meant by the mediate presentation of the luminous Sun. Thus it is that the Sun, shining above, is regarded by the observer as if it were below.-Who regards it so ? The observing person ;-and it is not that there is another Sun shining below.Why is this so 2-Because it is the same; ie. the Sun is one, not diverse. Others explain 'taděkatvät' as 'because the Visual Organ is one ', -Thus it is under the influence of the downward rays of the Visual Organ, as functioning through a medium, that the Sun is seen below, in the Well ;-0 also in the case of the diverse vessels containing Water; if it were not so, how could there be cognition of the Sun as one and the same ?-(2221-2223)
It has been argued (by some people, under Text 2220)— How could the man facing the East, come to face the West, when looking at the mirror ?'
The Mimamsaka's answer to this is as follows:
TEXT (2224).
"SIMILARLY (IN THE CASE OF THE MAN LOOKING AT THE MIRROR), IT IS THROUGH ILLUSION THAT THE MAN COGNISES THE FACE AS FACING THE WEST, THOUGH IN REALITY WHAT HE ACTUALLY PERCEIVES IS THE FACE AS PRESENTED BY THE VISUAL RAYS PROCEEDING EASTWARD TO THE RAYS PROCEEDING WESTWARD."Shlokavārtika-ETERNALITY OF WORDS, 189-190].
-(2224)
COMMENTARY.
What happens is as follows First of all the Visual Rays, taking up the face-image, issue forth till they reach the mirror; these are spoken of as proceeding eastward o n striking the mirror-space, the said rays are turned back and come back to the man's face standing there as before this is spoken of as 'proceeding westward '; -the eastward rays thus present the face-image to the westward rays, and these latter present it to the Soul (the observer); thereupon the Soul, cognising the image as prosented by the westward rays, has the illusion that he is facing the West. The sense of all this is that the diversity of the functioning of the Eye is at the root of the illusion in question.-(2224)