The Vedanta-Sutras with the Commentary by Ramanuja: Sacred Books of the East, Volume 48
Religion
The Vedanta-Sutras with the Commentary by Ramanuja: Sacred Books of the East, Volume 48
Vedanta
[FOOTNOTE 102:1. 'Nescience' is sublated (refuted) by the cognition of
Brahman, and thereby shown to have been the object of erroneous
cognition: it thus cannot be 'being,' i.e. real. Nor can it be
altogether unreal, 'non-being,' because in that case it could not be the
object either of mental apprehension or of sublation.]
[FOOTNOTE 106:1. If the imperfection inhering in Consciousness is itself
of the nature of consciousness, and at the same time unreal, we should
have to distinguish two kinds of Consciousness--which is contrary to the
fundamental doctrine of the oneness of Consciousness. And if, on the
other hand, we should say that the Consciousness in which the
imperfection inheres is of the same nature as the latter, i.e. unreal,
we are landed in the view of universal unreality.]
[FOOTNOTE 111:1. Allowing the former view of the question only.]
[FOOTNOTE 112:1. Adopting the latter view only; see preceding note.]
[FOOTNOTE 118:1. For a full explanation of the nature of these 'khyâtis,'
see A. Venis' translation of the Vedânta Siddhânta Muktâvali (Reprint
from the Pandit, p. 130 ff.).]
All knowledge is of the Real.
'Those who understand the Veda hold that all cognition has for its
object what is real; for Sruti and Smriti alike teach that everything
participates in the nature of everything else. In the scriptural account
of creation preceded by intention on the part of the Creator it is said
that each of these elements was made tripartite; and this tripartite
constitution of all things is apprehended by Perception as well. The red
colour in burning fire comes from (primal elementary) fire, the white
colour from water, the black colour from earth--in this way Scripture
explains the threefold nature of burning fire. In the same way all
things are composed of elements of all things. The Vishnu Purâna, in its
account of creation, makes a similar statement: "The elements possessing
various powers and being unconnected could not, without combination,
produce living beings, not having mingled in any way. Having combined,
therefore, with one another, and entering into mutual associations--
beginning with the principle called Mahat, and extending down to the
gross elements--they formed an egg," &c. (Vi. Pu. I, 2, 50; 52). This
tripartiteness of the elements the Sûtrakâra also declares (Ve. Sû. III,
1, 3). For the same reason Sruti enjoins the use of Putîka sprouts when
no Soma can be procured; for, as the Mîmâmsakas explain, there are in
the Putîka plant some parts of the Soma plant (Pû. Mî. Sû.); and for the
same reason nîvâra grains may be used as a substitute for rice grains.
That thing is similar to another which contains within itself some part
of that other thing; and Scripture itself has thus stated that in shells,
&c., there is contained some silver, and so on. That one thing is
called "silver" and another "shell" has its reason in the relative
preponderance of one or the other element. We observe that shells are
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