accomplished).  But the fact is that no option is possible as to whether a substance is to be thus or thus, is to be or not to be.  All option depends on the notions of man; but the knowledge of the real nature of a thing does not depend on the notions of man, but only on the thing itself.  For to think with regard to a post, ’this is a post or a man, or something else,’ is not knowledge of truth; the two ideas, ’it is a man or something else,’ being false, and only the third idea, ’it is a post,’ which depends on the thing itself, falling under the head of true knowledge.  Thus true knowledge of all existing things depends on the things themselves, and hence the knowledge of Brahman also depends altogether on the thing, i.e.  Brahman itself.—­But, it might be said, as Brahman is an existing substance, it will be the object of the other means of right knowledge also, and from this it follows that a discussion of the Vedanta-texts is purposeless.—­This we deny; for as Brahman is not an object of the senses, it has no connection with those other means of knowledge.  For the senses have, according to their nature, only external things for their objects, not Brahman.  If Brahman were an object of the senses, we might perceive that the world is connected with Brahman as its effect; but as the effect only (i.e. the world) is perceived, it is impossible to decide (through perception) whether it is connected with Brahman or something else.  Therefore the Sutra under discussion is not meant to propound inference (as the means of knowing Brahman), but rather to set forth a Vedanta-text.—­Which, then, is the Vedanta-text which the Sutra points at as having to be considered with reference to the characteristics of Brahman?—­It is the passage Taitt.  Up.  III, 1, ’Bh/ri/gu Varu/n/i went to his father Varu/n/a, saying, Sir, teach me Brahman,’ &c., up to ’That from whence these beings are born, that by which, when born, they live, that into which they enter at their death, try to know that.  That is Brahman.’  The sentence finally determining the sense of this passage is found III, 6:  ’From bliss these beings are born; by bliss, when born, they live; into bliss they enter at their death.’  Other passages also are to be adduced which declare the cause to be the almighty Being, whose essential nature is eternal purity, intelligence, and freedom.

That Brahman is omniscient we have been made to infer from it being shown that it is the cause of the world.  To confirm this conclusion, the Sutrakara continues as follows: 

3. (The omniscience of Brahman follows) from its being the source of Scripture.