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158
SANATSUGÂTIYA.
Dhritarashtra said : Since some practise piety' in this world, and some likewise practise impiety in this world; is the piety destroyed by the sin, or else does the piety destroy sin ?
Sanatsugâta said: Whichever he adheres to, the man of understanding always destroys both by means of knowledge; (that is) settled. Likewise, in the other case “, the embodied (self) obtains merit; and to such a one sin (also) accrues; (that too is) settled ! Departing (from this world), he enjoys by his actions both (kinds of) fruit, which are not enduring 5-of actions (which are) pure, and of (those which are) sinful. The man of understanding casts aside sin by piety in this (world), for know that his piety is more powerful Those Brâhmanas, in whom there is emulation? about (their) piety, as there is in strong men about (their) strength, after departing from this world, become glorious in heaven And
kantha's is not quite clear. May the expression on the second occasion mean, that the connexion by which beings are stated before to exist has had no beginning-has existed from eternity? The translation should then run thus: 'And beings exist by a connexion which had no beginning;' (see Sâriraka Bhashya, p. 494.) Connexions of things=creation of universe by his power.
* E.g. Agnishtoma, &c., Sankara. ' I.e. impiety or piety, sin or merit.
"In Srutis and Smritis, which Sankara quotes. K'handogya, p.622; Mundaka, p. 309; Brihadaranyaka, p. 911. See, too, Maitri, p. 131.
• of the man devoid of knowledge. . Cf. Gitá, p. 76, and Brihadaranyaka, p. 636.
Sve p. 164, note 9 infra. 'The feeling of one's own superiority over others in piety.
• In the shape of Nakshatras,' says Sankara, which is not quite intelligible. Sce K’handogya, p. 258, and Anugitâ infra, p. 240.
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