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Updated: May 16, 2025
Lordship and the rest, which are stated in the Vajasaneyaka, are special aspects of the quality of being capable to realise all one's purposes, which is one of the eight qualities declared in the Chandogya, and as such prove that all the attributes going together with that quality in the Chandogya are valid for the Vajasaneyaka also. The character of the two vidyas therefore does not differ.
There is no restriction to that limited class of devotees, since all who carry on meditations have to go on that path. For on this latter assumption only text and inference, i.e. scripture and authoritative tradition, are not contradicted. As to scripture, the Chandogya and the Vajasaneyaka alike, in the Pankagni-vidya, declare that all those who practise meditation go on that path.
Because the text designates the highest Self as something different from the individual Self in the state of deep sleep as well as at the time of departure, the highest Self is thus different. For the Vajasaneyaka, after having introduced the individual Self in the passage 'Who is that Self? He who consisting of knowledge is among the pranas, &c. Up.
The conclusion from all this is that in the Chandogya the object of meditation is constituted by the pranava there termed udgitha viewed under the form of prana; while in the Vajasaneyaka the term udgitha denotes the whole udgitha, and the object of meditation is he who produces the udgitha, i.e. the udgatri, viewed under the form of prana. And this proves that the two vidyas are separate.
Here terminates the adhikarana of 'the plurality of indicatory marks. In the Vajasaneyaka, in the Agnirahasya chapter, there are references to certain altars built of mind, 'built of mind, built of speech, &c.
In the Vajasaneyaka the words 'who know this' refer to those who practise the meditation on the five fires, while the following words 'those who in the forest meditate on faith and the True' refer to those who meditate on Brahman; and the text then goes on to say that all those devotees go to Brahman, on the path of the gods.
This also explains why the Chandogya-text does not mention the rinsing at all, but merely the clothing of breath with water. Here terminates the adhikarana of 'the statement of what has to be done. In the book of the Vajasaneyaka, called Agnirahasya, we meet with a meditation on Brahman called Sandilyavidya; and there is also a Sandilya- vidya in the Brihadaranyaka.
The Purvapakshin maintains the former view; for, he says, the Vajasaneyaka uses the injunctive form 'he is to rinse, while there is no injunctive form referring to the meditation; and what the text says in praise of the breath thus not being allowed to remain naked may be taken as a mere glorification of the act of rinsing.
The Chandogya represents as the object of meditation the ether as distinguished by eight different attributes, viz. freedom from all evil and the rest; while, according to the Vajasaneyaka, the being to be meditated on is he who dwells within that ether, and is distinguished by attributes such as lordship, and so on.
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