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Nor is there any strength in the argument that, since the Brahma-world mentioned in the text is known to be the world of Katurmukha, as it follows next on the world of the atmosphere, the being abiding there must needs be Katurmukha.
The Brahma-world to be attained, therefore, is nothing different from the attaining individual soul; and hence the ether also that evolves names and forms can be that soul only. To this objection the next Sutra replies. On account of difference in deep sleep and departing. We have to supply 'on account of designation' from the preceding Sutra.
What is said there about all these creatures daily 'going into the Brahma-world, may not refer at all to the state of deep sleep, but rather mean that although 'daily going into the Brahman-world, i. e. although at all time moving above the small ether, i. e.
Hence the Brahma-world, which the text after that represents as the object reached by him who meditates on Om as having three syllables, must be the world of Brahma Katurmukha who is constituted by the aggregate of the individual souls.
But in what way do these two points prove what they are claimed to prove? 'For thus it is seen'; the Sutra adds. Up. And in the same way we see that the word 'Brahma-world' denotes the highest Brahman; so e.g. Up. The Sutra subjoins a further reason.
We rather argue as follows as from the concluding clause 'that which is tranquil, free from decay, &c., we ascertain that the object of intuition is the highest Brahman, the Brahma-world spoken of as the abode of the seeing devotee cannot be the perishable world of Brahma Katurmukha.
The circumstance, here stated, of all individual souls going to a place which the qualification 'that' connects with the subject-matter of the whole chapter, i.e. the small ether; and the further circumstance of the goal of their going being called the Brahma-world, also prove that the small ether is none other than the highest Brahman.
That this explanation of 'Brahma-world' is preferable to the one which understands by Brahma-world 'the world of Brahman' is proved by considerations similar to those by which the Pu. Mi. Sutras prove that 'Nishada-sthapati' means a headman who at the same time is a Nishada. Another explanation of the passage under discussion may also be given.
Some accounts even go so far as to state that at the very moment of his birth the young prince was able to speak, and that his words ascended "even to the gods of the uppermost Brahma-world."
Hence also the concluding sloka says with reference to that Brahma-world 'that which the wise teach': what the wise see and teach is the abode of the highest, of Vishnu; cp. the text 'the wise ever see that highest abode of Vishnu. Nor is it even strictly true that the world of Brahma follows on the atmosphere, for the svarga-world and several others lie between the two.
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