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Antara upapatteh I.2.13 (44)
The person within
(the eye) (is Brahman) on account of (the attributes mentioned
therein) being appropriate (only to Brahman).
Antara: inside (the eye), the being within the eye; Upapatteh: on account of the appropriateness of (attributes).
The being within the eye is Brahman, because it is reasonable
to construe the passage as applying to the Supreme Self
than to anything else.
The form of worship in another part of Chhandogya Upanishad
(IV-15-1), taking the being within the eyes as the Supreme
Self, is taken up as the subject for discussion.
In Chhandogya Upanishad IV-15-1 we read, "This person that
is seen in the eye is the Self. This is Immortal and fearless,
this is Brahman". The doubt here arises whether this passage
refers to the reflected self which resides in the eye, or
to the individual soul or to the self of some deity which
presides over the organ of sight or to the Supreme Self.
The Sutra says that the person in the eye is Brahman only,
because the attributes 'Immortal', 'fearless', etc., mentioned
here accord with the nature of the Supreme Self only.
The attributes 'being untouched by sin', being 'Samyadvama'
etc., are applicable to the Supreme Self only. The attributes
of being 'Vamani' or the leader of all and 'Bhamani', the
All-effulgent, applied to the person in the eye are appropriate
in the case of Brahman also.
Therefore, on account of agreement, the person within the
eye is the Supreme Self or Brahman only.
Sthanadivyapadesaccha I.2.14 (46)
And on account of
the statement of place and so on.
Sthanadi: the place and the rest; Vyapadesat: on account of the statement; Cha: and.
An argument in support of Sutra 13 is given.
In other Srutis location etc., i.e., abode, name and form
are attributed to Brahman Himself to facilitate meditation.
But how can the all-pervading Brahman be in a limited space
like the eye? Definite abode like the cavity of the heart,
the eye, the earth, disc of the sun etc., is given to the
all-pervading Brahman for the purpose of meditation (Upasana),
just as Saligrama is prescribed for meditation on Vishnu.
This is not contrary to reason.
The phrase 'and so on' which forms part of the Sutra shows
that not only abode is assigned to Brahman but also such
things as name and form not appropriate to Brahman which
is devoid of name and form, are ascribed to It for the sake
of meditation, as Brahman without qualities cannot be an
object of meditation. Vide Chh. Up. 1.6.6-7. "His name is
'Ut'. He with the golden beard."
Sukhavisishtabhidhanadeva
cha I.2.15 (46)
And on account of
the passage referring to that which is distinguished by
bliss (i.e. Brahman).
Sukha: bliss; Visishta: qualified by; Abhidhanat: because of the description; Eva: alone; Cha: and.
The argument in support of Sutra 13 is continued.
Because the text refers to the Supreme Self only and not
to Jiva who is miserable.
The same Brahman which is spoken of as characterised by
bliss in the beginning of the chapter in the clauses "Breath
is Brahman," "Ka is Brahman" "Kha is Brahman"
we must suppose It to be referred to in the present passage
also, as it is proper to stick to the subject matter under
discussion.
The fires taught to Upakosala about Brahman "Breath is Brahman,
bliss is Brahman, the ether is Brahman" Chh. Up. IV-10-5.
This same Brahman is further elucidated by his teacher as
"the being in the eye".
On hearing the speech of the fires viz., "Breath is Brahman, Ka is Brahman, Kha is Brahman", Upakosala
says "I understand that breath is Brahman, but I do not
understand that Ka or Kha is Brahman". Therefore
the fires reply "What is Ka is Kha. What is Kha is Ka".
The word Ka in ordinary language denotes sensual
pleasure. If the word Kha were not used to qualify
the sense of Ka one would think that ordinary worldly
pleasure was meant. But as the two words Ka and Kha occur together and qualify each other, they indicate Brahman
whose Self is Bliss. Therefore the reference is to Supreme
Bliss and such a description can apply only to Brahman.
If the word Brahman in the clause "Ka is Brahman"
were not added and if the sentence would run "Ka, Kha is Brahman", the word Ka would be only
an adjective and thus pleasure being a mere quality cannot
be a subject of meditation. To prevent this, both words Ka as well as Kha are joined with the word
Brahman. "Ka is Brahman. Kha is Brahman".
Qualities as well as persons having those qualities could
be objects of meditation.
Srutopanishatkagatyabhidhanaccha I.2.16 (47)
And on account of
the statement of the way of him who has known the Truth
of the Upanishads.
Sruto: heard; Upanishatka: Upanishads; Gati: way; Abhidhanat: because of the statement; Cha: and.
The argument in support of Sutra 13 is continued.
The person in the eye is the Supreme Self for the following
reason also. From Sruti we know of the way of the knower
of Brahman. He travels after death through the Devayana
path or the path of the Gods. That way is described in Prasna
Up. 1-10. "Those who have sought the Self by penance, abstinence,
faith and knowledge attain the Sun by the Northern Path
or the path of Devayana. From thence they do not return.
This is the immortal abode, free from fear, and the highest."
The knower of the "person in the eye" also goes by this
path after death. From this description of the way which
is known to be the way of him who knows Brahman it is quite
clear that the person within the eye is Brahman.
The following Sutra shows that it is not possible for the
above text to mean either the reflected Self or the Jiva
or the deity in the Sun.
Anavasthiterasamhhavaccha
netarah I.2.17 (48)
(The person within
the eye is the Supreme Self) and not any other (i.e. the
individual soul etc.) as these do not exist always; and
on account of the impossibility (of the qualities of the
person in the being ascribed to any of these).
Anavasthiteh: not existing always; Asambhavat: on account of the impossibility; Cha: and; Na: not; Itarah: any other.
The argument in support of Sutra 13 is continued.
The reflected self does not permanently abide in the eye.
When some person comes near the eye the reflection of that
person is seen in the eye. When he moves away the reflection
disappears.
Surely you do not propose to have some one near the eye
at the time of meditation so that you may meditate on the
image in the eye. Such a fleeting image cannot be the object
of meditation. The individual soul is not meant by the passage,
because he is subject to ignorance, desire and action, he
has no perfection. Hence he cannot be the object of meditation.
The qualities like immortality, fearlessness, immanence,
eternity, perfection etc., cannot be appropriately attributed
to the reflected self or the individual soul or the deity
in the sun. Therefore no other self save the Supreme Self
is here spoken of as the person in the eye. The person in
the eye (Akshi Purusha) must be viewed as the Supreme Self
only.
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