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for reason of the latter being impotent to dispel all darkness, where did any one observe the absence of darkness, for the light of the universal Atman being present everywhere ? The Vedantin, will retort, it is only on account of the illumination proceeding from the Atman that darkness or fire or any such thing becomes comprehensible. It is that self-sustaining light which illumines all and is not opposed in its nature to any thing. ( 7 ) sr: m&n jRfag^ ft: ir- 24. The ego i. e. the substratum of the ego — the (subjective atman) is the Universal Atman, Brahma, being, with it, unique and one, ever-existent and self-illumined, free from all conditions, and by nature all existence, conscious intelligence and joy. The deha surely can never be the substratum of this ego : the deha which, is non-existence itself. This is called real knowledge by the wise (who have realised the real Atma- tatva.) 5$: The ego is free from all change, without any form, un- describable and undecaying or indestructible. The Deha &c. 26. The ego is beyond all disease, not within the reach of comprehension, free from all imagination, and all — pervading. The Deha &c. 27. It is unaffected by the three Gunas — qualities — of mat ter, — Sattva, Rajas and Tamas — motionless, eternal, ever free from all conditions, undecaying and unique. The deha &c. 28. It is, again, free from every impurity — ignorance caused by Avidyd— Immoveable, Infinite, Holy, Immortal, and Unborn. The ckha &c. / ( 8 ) 29. Oh you Ignorant fool ! when you have got in your own body the holy Atman, which is evidently different from the body, and which is known as the Purushu (residing in the body of men, in the form of the ego), how can you (in spite of this testimony) assert that this Atman is nothing, is mere void, — mere nil ? uv>n 30. (If abandoning your hypothesis as incompatible with the phenomena even of your own consciousness and existence, you should assert that there may be something, which however cannot be any thing other than the body itself). Oh ignorant one ! know the ego within you to be that Purusha which is implied in the S'rutis, and demonstrated by Reasoning. It is other than the body in as much as it is the only one of whom you can predicate existence in the real sense of the word : bub it is very difficult to be realised as such by people of your cast of mind. 31. The Atman, which is the substratum of the ego in man, is one : and therefore different from the physical bodies which on the other hand are many. How can this body then be the Atman ? wwrr 32. The ego is well-established as the subject of all per ception, whereas the body is the object : this is proved from the fact of our* every time saying of the physical body as being " mine" " belonging to me" &c. How can this body &c. 33, It is well-known to us in our daily experience that the ego is free from all change (caused by happiness, misery or time. The ego remains the same in childhood, young age, old age, though the body changes) whereas the physical body is subject to many. How can &c. 34. The characteristics, Oh lord of the ignorant ! of this Atman are laid down in the S'ruti ^TWT^T^&c. (that is the Purusha than whom there is nothing higher &c.) How can &c- n \<\ \\ 35. Again the S'ruti in the Purusha Sukta (the hymn to Purusha says, all this is Purusha etc. How then can &c. n ^ n 36. Even in the Brihadaranyaka it is said " this Purusha is free from every thing etc" ; How could this body besmeared with endless dirt be this Purusha 1 n ^ n 37. In the same S'ruti, it is said the Purusha is self-illu mined &c. How could this body which is all darkness and illu mined by something quite extraneous, be this Purusha 1 ( 10 ) 38. Even that part of the Vedas, which inculcates the per formance of various religious ceremonies (as contra-distinguish ed from that part which inculcates the usefulness of knowledge only) describes the Atman as different from the deha ; and as one, eternal, and therefore subsisting to undergo, after the des truction of its material coil, the results of actions done during any previous life. 39. Even the astral body is made up of many things (not one), is unstable, is the object of perception, is subject to change, limited, and non-existent. How could this astral body ever be the Purusha ? f w n ^o H 40. Thus the Atman is evidently different from these two bodies, and is the Purusha, the Lord, the Soul of All, every thing in itself, free from all conditions, present in every one as the substratum of the ego, and indestructible. n *n n 41. Thus the enunciation of the difference between the two bodies and the Atman involving an (indirect) assertion of the reality of the material transitional Universe, given in a manner after the principles of the Tarkasdstra (Nyaya), compasses but a very insignificant aim in life.* * For it leaves the state of final absolution open to some objections as to its utility or quality, baaed pn the duality of the cosmic principle. •'•"•', ' "' .''j* , - [,:..... ;, fffl ( 11 ) ii VK it 42. The object however of this enunciation of the vital fundamental difference between the two bodies and the Atman is (not to establish the reality of the material universe but) to dissipate the ignorance of confounding or identifying the Atman with the dehas. It yet remains, however, to clearly demonstrate the unreality of the difference between the two* i. e. it remains clearly to establish that the dehas have no existence independent of, and without the Atman. * *FTT 1R ^F tfHlffT *FTT II *> H 43. As Chaitanya or absolute consciousness is but uniform and unique, it cannot admit of a second, it cannot admit of a division. Even the individual soul must then be accepted to be futile, like the delusion of snake in a rope. 44. As through ignorance the rope, appears for the ti to be a snake, so does the unconditioned consciousness — chit — ,. (Brahma] — appear in the form of this so-called material universe. 45. The material cause of this transitional universe can be nothing else than Brahma ; it follows therefore that the whole universe is Brahma itself and nothing else, ••t ( 12 ) 46. In as much as it is ordained that " All is Atman" the distinction between the pervading and the pervaded or subject and object, is illusory. This, the highest truth being realised, there could be little room for the distinction of subject and object etc. 47. When the S'ruti has by denouncing in loud terms the existence of any variety in this (Brahma), fused all the material, instrumental and final causes into one unique consciousness, how could there be even the least shadow of any other thing ? (as the pervading and pervaded, subject and object etc.) 48. The S'ruti has not rested here, but has fastened an awful sin to the belief in the existence of the cause as separate from the effect, in the words " He who led away by Maya or illusion, accepts any variety in this (Absolute Atman) passes from death to death (i. e. is born and reborn often and often, and does not attain to final beatitude.)" n 49. In as much as the universe exists in the Absolute Atman, all-embracing Brahma, it must be understood to be one, with Brahma, its original cause. ftfrmt ^ I 50. Moreover the S'ruti plainly declares that all kinds of names, forms, and actions are sustained in, and through Brahma. ( 13 ) 51. As the being golden of that which is made of gold is eternal and unchanging, so should be the being Brahma of that which proceeds from Brahma. 52. The opinions of that ignorant man, who abides by even the faintest distinction between Jiva and Paramdtman, are very dangerous and pernicious. 53. Distinctions crop up only so long as duality is main tained through ignorance, but when the whole is seen as in and of Atman, there could not exist the least shadow of distinction. 54. In the condition in which the enlightened identify the whole with Atman, there enters not the faintest tinge of delu sion, or sorrow, in consequence of the cause of such delusion or sorrow being destroyed with the dissipation of the idea of duality. 55. The S'ruti in the Brahaddranyaka has declared that this soul is Brahma, and stands as the soul and substance of the universe, ( 14 ) 56.