31.  On the ground of imaginative identification (the highest Lord may be called prade/s/amatra), Jaimini thinks; for thus (Scripture) declares.

Or else the passage about him who is measured by a span may be considered to rest on imaginative combination.—­Why?—­Because the passage of the Vajasaneyibrahma/n/a which treats of the same topic identifies heaven, earth, and so on—­which are the members of Vai/s/vanara viewed as the Self of the threefold world—­with certain parts of the human frame, viz. the parts comprised between the upper part of the head and the chin, and thus declares the imaginative identity of Vai/s/vanara with something whose measure is a span.  There we read, ’The Gods indeed reached him, knowing him as measured by a span as it were.  Now I will declare them (his members) to you so as to identify him (the Vai/s/vanara) with that whose measure is a span; thus he said.  Pointing to the upper part of the head he said:  This is what stands above (i.e. the heavenly world) as Vai/s/vanara (i.e. the head of Vai/s/vanara[162]).  Pointing to the eyes he said:  This is he with good light (i.e. the sun) as Vai/s/vanara (i.e. the eye of V.).  Pointing to the nose he said:  This is he who moves on manifold paths (i.e. the air) as Vai/s/vanara (i.e. the breath of V.).  Pointing to the space (ether) within his mouth he said:  This is the full one (i.e. the ether) as Vai/s/vanara.  Pointing to the saliva within his mouth he said:  This is wealth as Vai/s/vanara (i.e. the water in the bladder of V.).  Pointing to the chin he said:  This is the base as Vai/s/vanara (i.e. the feet of V.).’—­Although in the Vajasaneyi-brahma/n/a the heaven is denoted as that which has the attribute of standing above and the sun as that which has the attribute of good light, while in the Chandogya the heaven is spoken of as having good light and the sun as being multiform; still this difference does not interfere (with the unity of the vidya)[163], because both texts equally use the term ‘measured by a span,’ and because all sakhas intimate the same.—­The above explanation of the term ‘measured by a span,’ which rests on imaginative identification, the teacher Jaimini considers the most appropriate one.

32.  Moreover they (the Jabalas) speak of him (the highest Lord) in that (i.e. the interstice between the top of the head and the chin which is measured by a span).

Moreover the Jabalas speak in their text of the highest Lord as being in the interstice between the top of the head and the chin.  ’The unevolved infinite Self abides in the avimukta (i.e. the non-released soul).  Where does that avimukta abide?  It abides in the Vara/n/a and the Nasi, in the middle.  What is that Vara/n/a, what is that Nasi?’ The text thereupon etymologises the term Vara/n/a as that which wards off (varayati) all evil done by the senses, and the term Nasi as that which destroys (na/s/ayati) all evil done by the senses; and then continues, ’And