________________
162
SANATSUGÂTiya.
sphere of respect !, and that, too, is an obstacle While the Brahmic wealth”, O Kshatriya! is difficult to be attained by any one devoid of knowledge. The ways (to it) are stated by the good to be of various descriptions, and difficult to reach-truth, straightforwardness, modesty *, restraint (of senses), purity, knowledge, which are the six impediments (in the way) of respect and delusion.
CHAPTER III.
Dhritarashtra said : Who possesses this taciturnity', and which of the two is taciturnity ? Describe, O learned person ! the condition of taciturnity here. Does a learned man reach taciturnity' by taciturnity? And how, O sage! do they practise taciturnity in this world ?
'I. e. they both follow on devotion to worldly life. ? I.e. in the way to final emancipation.
· The enjoyment of supreme selicity, Brahmananda (Sankara); the greatness consisting of a knowledge of Rik, Yagus, Saman, and the substance of their teaching, which is worthy of a Brahmana (Nilakantha). See, too, Anugitâ, p. 232.
• Modesty=being ashamed of doing wrong; restraint (of senses) =mental restraint ; and purity is both internal and external, -Sankara ; knowledge is, of course, knowledge of the Brahman.
• I.e. that spoken of in the last chapter.
• Viz. mere silence, or the contemplation of the self after restraining all the senses. In the Brihadâranyaka-upanishad, Sankara (p. 605) renders the original word, mauna, 10 mean, .The fruit of the destruction of the consciousness of anything other than the self.' And his commentator makes it clearer thus: “The conviction in the mind that one is the self-the supreme Brahman-and that there is nothing else existing but oneself.'
' I.e. the highest seat-the Brahman; for mind, sense, &c. are all non-existent there. Cf. Katha, p. 151, and Maitri, p. 161.
Digitized by Google
