capable (of complying with the precepts of the sastra); are, secondly, desirous (of the results of actions enjoined by the sastra); are, thirdly, not excluded by prohibitions; and are, fourthly, subject to the precepts about the upanayana ceremony and so on[193].  This point has been explained in the section treating of the definition of adhikara (Purva Mim.  S. VI, 1).—­Now the human body has ordinarily a fixed size, and hence the heart also has a fixed size, viz. the size of a thumb.  Hence, as men (only) are entitled to study and practise the sastra, the highest Self may, with reference to its dwelling in the human heart, be spoken of as being of the size of a thumb.—­In reply to the purvapakshin’s reasoning that on account of the statement of size and on account of Sm/ri/ti we can understand by him who is of the size of a thumb the transmigrating soul only, we remark that—­analogously to such passages as ‘That is the Self,’ ’That art thou’—­our passage teaches that the transmigrating soul which is of the size of a thumb is (in reality) Brahman.  For the Vedanta-passages have a twofold purport; some of them aim at setting forth the nature of the highest Self, some at teaching the unity of the individual soul with the highest Self.  Our passage teaches the unity of the individual soul with the highest Self, not the size of anything.  This point is made clear further on in the Upanishad, ’The person of the size of a thumb, the inner Self, is always settled in the heart of men.  Let a man draw that Self forth from his body with steadiness, as one draws the pith from a reed.  Let him know that Self as the Bright, as the Immortal’ (II, 6, 17).

26.  Also (beings) above them, (viz. men) (are qualified for the study and practice of the Veda), on account of the possibility (of it), according to Badaraya/n/a.

It has been said above that the passage about him who is of the size of a thumb has reference to the human heart, because men are entitled to study and act according to the sastra.  This gives us an occasion for the following discussion.—­It is true that the sastra entitles men, but, at the same time, there is no exclusive rule entitling men only to the knowledge of Brahman; the teacher, Badaraya/n/a, rather thinks that the sastra entitles those (classes of beings) also which are above men, viz. gods, and so on.—­On what account?—­On the account of possibility.—­For in their cases also the different causes on which the qualification depends, such as having certain desires, and so on, may exist.  In the first place, the gods also may have the desire of final release, caused by the reflection that all effects, objects, and powers are non-permanent.  In the second place, they may be capable of it as their corporeality appears from mantras, arthavadas, itihasas, pura/n/as, and ordinary experience.  In the third place, there is no prohibition (excluding them like Sudras).  Nor does,