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152
SANATSUGÂTIYA.
the life of Brahmakarins, for freedom from death?
Sanatsugata said: Some (say), that freedom from death (results) from action?; and others that death exists not. Hear me explain (this). O king! have no misgiving about it'. Both truths, O Kshatriya ! have been current from the beginning. The wise maintain what (is called) delusion (to be) death. 1' verily call heedlessness death, and likewise I call freedom from heedlessness immortality. Through heedlessness, verily, were the demonsø vanquished; and through freedom view correct, or the view involved in the practice of gods and demons?
See Gîtâ, p. 69 supra; Kalhopanishad, p. 102 ; Prasna, p. 167. As to the gods being afraid of death, see Khandogya, p. 50; and Nrisimha Tâpini, p. 32; and as to gods and demons practising the life of Brahmakârins, see Khandogya, p. 571; and cf. Brihadaranyaka, p. 964.
' I.e. action prescribed in the Vedas.
• I.e. as to how I shall be able to reconcile the seeming contradiction between the two truths.'
• I.e. of creation.
• Sanatsugâta says he differs from the wise;' delusion=thinking the not-self to be the self; heedlessness=falling off from one's natural condition as the Brahman—which is the cause of delusion (Sankara). See p. 153 infra; Katha, p. 152; and Taittiriya-upanishad, p. 8o.
• Sankara suggests that demons might mean crcatures attached to worldly objects; and gods those who are pleased in their own self; and he cites a stanza in support of this suggestion. The allusion, however, seems to be plainly to the story at K'randogya, p. 571 seq., where the idea and expression of being vanquished' also occurs (p. 583). That word Sankara interprets in connexion with his suggested interpretation to mean are born in lower species.' See Khandogya, p. 585, and Maitrt, p. 211, about asuras or demons. It is interesting to note that in the Introduction to the Mahabhashya, there is an allusion to a story of the demons' being vanquished' in consequence of their grammatical blunders.
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