________________
I ADHYAYA, I PÂDA, 25.
93
mentioned in a not distant passage can have the power of divorcing from its natural object and transferring to another object the direct statement about light implied in the word 'light,' may be answered without difficulty. The passage under discussion runs, which above this heaven, the light.' The relative pronoun with which this clause begins intimates, according to its grammatical force, the same Brahman which was mentioned in the previous passage, and which is here recognised (as being the same which was mentioned before) through its connexion with heaven; hence the word gyotis also-which stands in grammatical co-ordination to which '-must have Brahman for its object. From all this it follows that the word 'light'herè denotes Brahman.
25. If it be objected that (Brahman is) not (denoted) on account of the metre being denoted; (we reply) not so, because thus (i. e. by means of the metre) the direction of the mind (on Brahman) is declared; for thus it is seen (in other passages also).
We now address ourselves to the refutation of the assertion (made in the pûrvapaksha of the preceding Sutra) that in the previous passage also Brahman is not referred to, because in the sentence, 'Gayatri is everything whatsoever here exists,' the metre called Gayatri is spoken of.—How (we ask the pûrvapakshin) can it be maintained that, on account of the metre being spoken of, Brahman is not denoted, while yet the mantra 'such is the greatness of it,' &c., clearly sets forth Brahman with its four quarters ? - You are mistaken (the pûrvapakshin replies). The sentence, 'Gayatri is everything,' starts the discussion of Gayatrî. The same Gâyatrî is thereupon described under the various forms of all beings, earth, body, heart, speech, breath; to which there refers also the verse, 'that Gâyatri
* If we strictly follow the order of words in the original. * Svasâmarthyena sarvanâmnah sannihitaparâmarsitvavasena.
Digitized by Google
