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lvi
VEDÂNTA-SÛTRAS.
association with the buddhi is non-essential or, more strictly, unreal, false.
There are no similar difficulties in the way of Râmânuga's interpretation of the adhikarana. He agrees with Sankara in the explanation of Sûtras 19-25, with this difference that he views them as setting forth, not the pūrvapaksha, but the siddhânta. Sûtras 26-28 also are interpreted in a manner not very different from Sankara's, special stress being laid on the distinction made by Scripture between knowledge as a mere quality and the soul as a knowing agent, the substratum of knowledge. This discussion naturally gives rise to the question how it is that Scripture in some places makes use of the term vigñana when meaning the individual soul. The answer is given in Sûtra 29, 'The soul is designated as knowledge because it has that quality for its cssence,' i.e. because knowledge is the essential characteristic quality of the soul, therefore the term "knowledge' is employed here and there to denote the soul itself. This latter interpretation gives rise to no doubt whatever. It closely follows the wording of the text and does not necessitate any forced supplementation. The 'tu' of the Sûtra which, according to Sankara, is meant to discard the pärvapaksha, serves on Râmânuga's view to set aside a previously-raised objection; an altogether legitimate assumption.
Of the three remaining Satras of the adhikarana (30-32), 30 explains, according to Sankara, that the soul may be called anu, since, as long as it exists in the samsara condition, it is connected with the buddhi. According to Râmânuga the Sûtra teaches that the soul may be called vigiiâna because the latter constitutes its essential quality as long as it exists.-Sûtra 31 intimates, according to Sankara, that in the states of deep sleep, and so on, the soul is potentially connected with the buddhi, while in the waking state that connexion becomes actually manifest. The same Sætra, according to Râmânuga, teaches that gñatritva is properly said to constitute the soul's essential nature, although it is actually manifested in some states of the soul only.-In Sûtra 32, finally, Sankara sees a statement of the
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