________________
VICHAR MALA.
is not fully known, then only is it possible for the, objective world to be perceived. [But with that knowledge; the world ccases to exist just as a snake does in a rope when it is fully known to be a rope.]
89
Or to speak more plainly :
There is no cause, no product, none whatever, Neither time, nor province. He is perfect, Blissful, unmoveable, without any Distiuction of similarity and dissimilarity.
That all-pervading Self is devoid of action, and like happiness itself; "I am he." He is neither a cause nor product, inasinuch as cause is always one that has form; as for instance of a jar, the cause earth, has form; and what is formed, is non-cternal; whereas I am eternal, because I have no form. And as a product is non-eternal [a jar for instance] and I am eternal, I am therefore no product. Then again, from want of another substance equal to him, Self is said to be without a mark of similarity; nor is there a difference, as between cloth and jar, there are marks of dissimilarity: because that would only happen if there were another Brahma, [Self and Brahma are one], in that case between one Brahma and another would be present the distinction of similarity, as between two pieces of clothes. Moreover in the creation of dissimilarity already referred to, (as between a cloth and jar) there must be required an entity different from Brahma but equally eternal and existent. But since there is not another cutity of that nature, Brahma is therefore said to be evoid of marks of dissimilarity. Though Jiva and Iswar are dissimilar to Brahma, yet as they are material, they cannot be regarded in that light of dissimilar entities. In reference to this, the Panchadasi says, "Between a cloth and its thread the difference is of similarity [for included in it], so is Brahma not personal(i.e., with form)" for which, there is not a similar distinction of similarity like that between a cloth and its yarn].
XII
