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490
LAWS OF MANU.
XII, 25.
Self, with which the Great One always completely pervades all existences.
25. When one of these qualities wholly predominates in a body, then it makes the embodied (soul) eminently distinguished for that quality.
26. Goodness is declared (to have the form of) knowledge, Darkness (of) ignorance, Activity (of) love and hatred; such is the nature of these (three) which is (all-)pervading and clings to everything created.
27. When (man) experiences in his soul a (feeling) full of bliss, a deep calm, as it were, and a pure light, then let him know (that it is) among those three (the quality called) Goodness.
28. What is mixed with pain and does not give satisfaction to the soul one may know (to be the quality of) Activity, which is difficult to conquer, and which ever draws embodied (souls towards sensual objects).
Râgh., Nâr., Nand.), the latter two saying mahattattvasya,' of the (Sâmkhya) principle, called Mahat.' Medh.'s somewhat longer discussion arrives at the same result.
25. 'In a body,' i. e. 'in a subtile body' (Rágh.). Medh. and Gov. add to the first clause 'in consequence of acts done in a former life.'
26. Kull. takes etat, such,' in the sense of as follows.' Nâr. and Nand. take the last line somewhat differently: The nature of these three is pervaded by the three characteristics just mentioned and) clings to all created beings.'
27. 'A (feeling) full of bliss,'i. e.' without any particular cause for such a sensation' (Gov.). I take tatra, which Gov. and Kull. explain by tasmin and construe with âtmani, in the sense of teshu, among those three.' Râgh. says tatreti tribhih.
28. Medh. has apratipam, which he explains by apratyaksham, not perceptible by the senses,' instead of apratigham, 'difficult to conquer.'
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