The Vedanta-Sutras with the Commentary by Sankaracarya eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 748 pages of information about The Vedanta-Sutras with the Commentary by Sankaracarya.

The Vedanta-Sutras with the Commentary by Sankaracarya eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 748 pages of information about The Vedanta-Sutras with the Commentary by Sankaracarya.

Let it then be granted that, from the admission of the corporeal individuality of the gods, no contradiction will result in the case of sacrificial works.  Still a contradiction will result in respect of the ‘word’ (sabda).—­How?—­The authoritativeness of the Veda has been proved ‘from its independence,’ basing on the original (eternal) connection of the word with its sense (’the thing signified’)[194].  But now, although a divinity possessing corporeal individuality, such as admitted above, may, by means of its supernatural powers, be able to enjoy at the same time the oblations which form part of several sacrifices yet it will, on account of its very individuality, be subject to birth and death just as we men are, and hence, the eternal connexion of the eternal word with a non-eternal thing being destroyed, a contradiction will arise with regard to the authoritativeness proved to belong to the word of the Veda.

To this we reply that no such contradiction exists.—­Why?—­’On account of their origin from it.’  For from that very same word of the Veda the world, with the gods and other beings, originates.—­But—­an objection will be raised—­in Sutra I, 1, 2 (’That whence there is the origin, &c. of this world’) it has been proved that the world originates from Brahman; how then can it be said here that it originates from the word?  And, moreover, even if the origin of the world from the word of the Veda be admitted, how is the contradiction in regard to the word removed thereby, inasmuch as the Vasus, the Rudras, the Adityas, the Vi/s/vedevas, and the Maruts[195] are non-eternal beings, because produced; and if they are non-eternal, what is there to preclude the non-eternality of the Vedic words Vasu, &c. designating them?  For it is known from every-day life that only when the son of Devadatta is born, the name Yaj/n/adatta is given to him (lit. made for him)[196].  Hence we adhere to our opinion that a contradiction does arise with regard to the ‘word.’

This objection we negative, on the ground that we observe the eternity of the connexion between such words as cow, and so on, and the things denoted by them.  For, although the individuals of the (species denoted by the word) cow have an origin, their species[197] does not have an origin, since of (the three categories) substances, qualities, and actions the individuals only originate, not the species.  Now it is with the species that the words are connected, not with the individuals, which, as being infinite in number, are not capable of entering into that connexion.  Hence, although the individuals do not originate, no contradiction arises in the case of words such as cow, and the like, since the species are eternal.  Similarly, although individual gods are admitted to originate, there arises no contradiction in the case of such words as Vasu, and the like, since the species denoted by them are eternal.  And that the gods, and so on, belong to different species, is to be concluded

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The Vedanta-Sutras with the Commentary by Sankaracarya from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.