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Updated: May 10, 2025
He that knoweth the true meaning of the Vedas, understandeth their true use. Such a man is affrighted at the Vedic ritual like a man at sight of a forest conflagration. Giving up dry disputation, have recourse to Sruti and Smriti, and seek thou, with the aid of thy reason, the knowledge of the Undecaying One that is without a second.
The whole matter may be summarily stated as follows. Some texts declare a distinction of nature between non-intelligent matter, intelligent beings, and Brahman, in so far as matter is the object of enjoyment, the souls the enjoying subjects, and Brahman the ruling principle. Up. Up. Up. Up. Up. Up. Up. Up. Up. Up. Smriti expresses itself similarly. 'Thus eightfold is my nature divided. Gi.
'That which Smriti assumes' is the Pradhana; the 'embodied one' is the individual soul. Neither of these can be the Ruler within, since the text states attributes which cannot possibly belong to either.
Now, as these Rishis did not see truth in the way of Kapila, we conclude that Kapila's view, which contradicts Scripture, is founded on error, and cannot therefore be used to modify the sense of the Vedanta-texts. Here finishes the adhikarana treating of 'Smriti. Hereby the Yoga is refuted. By the above refutation of Kapila's Smriti the Yoga-smriti also is refuted.
The next Sutra now confirms this circumstance of Brahman not lying within the sphere of the other means of proof. Up. Up. Also in perfect conciliation, according to Scripture and Smriti. Moreover, it is only in the state of perfect conciliation or endearment, i.e. in meditation bearing the character of devotion, that an intuition of Brahman takes place, not in any other state.
Smriti also declares that the transmigrating soul when reaching the state of Release 'imitates, i.e. attains supreme equality of attributes with the highest Brahman. Gi. Up.
And it is this distinction viz. of things that are objects of general consciousness, and of things that are not so which makes the difference between what is called 'things sublating' and 'things sublated. Everything is explained hereby. Neither Scripture nor Smriti and Purana teach Nescience.
The "Veda" in the larger sense is made up of these three bodies of compositions, mantras, brahmanas, and upanishads. These three belong to revelation or "S'ruti," i.e. hearing; what is contained in these is to be regarded as having been heard by inspired men from a higher source. The counterpart of S'ruti is "smriti," i.e. recollection, tradition.
The next Sutra supplies a further reason for the same conclusion. That which the text refers to is an inferential mark thus. The text describes the shape of Vaisvanara, of whom heaven, &c., down to earth constitute the several limbs; and it is known from Scripture and Smriti that such is the shape of the highest Self.
This is confirmed by the subsequent clauses, 'unseen but a seer', 'unheard but a hearer, &c. And the next clauses, 'there is no other seer but he, &c., then mean to negative that there is any other being which could be viewed as the ruler of that Ruler. And not that which Smriti assumes, on account of the declaration of qualities not belonging to that; nor the embodied one.
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