वेदान्त पारिजात सौरभ (भगवद् निम्बार्काचार्य - द्वैताद्वैत वेदान्त ब्रह्मसूत्र भाष्य सटीक)

[SŪ. 1. 3. 13 ADH. 4] VEDĀNTA-KAUSTUBHA 161 object which one sees. As ¹ it has been stated before that the wor- shipper of the praṇava (= om) of one element and the worshipper of the praṇava of two elements respectively attain the world of man and the world of the ether as fruits, so the world of Hiraṇyagarbha,— who represents the individual souls in their collective aspect,—higher than the ether, should be understood as designated as the fruit belong- ing to the worshipper (of the praṇava) of three elements. The object of the perception of a person, who has come to that world, is he (the four-faced) alone, the ruler of that world. It is quite appropriate to hold that the person, residing in that world and representing the individual souls in their collective aspect, is superior to those discrete souls which are embodied beings, yet are superior to the body, the sense-organs, etc. Hence the object which one sees is the four-faced Brahmā. On this suggestion, we reply: The Highest Self alone, the topic of discussion and the cause of the world, is the object which one sees. Why? "On account of designation", i.e. on account of the designation of the qualities of the Highest Self, such as, 'being the object to be attained by the wise', 'being tranquil', 'being ageless', 'being immor- tal', 'being fearless' and the rest, mentioned in the passage: 'Through this very syllable "om" as the support, a knower reaches that which is tranquil, ageless, immortal, fearless, the supreme, the supreme goal' ² (Praśna 5.7). 'A mass of souls' implies one who has connec- tion with the body and the rest, generated by karmas; and that (viz. connection with the body, etc.) is declared by Scripture to be pertaining to the four-faced Brahmā too, in the passage: 'He who first creates Brahmā' (Śvet. 6.18). Nor is the world of the four-faced Brahmā higher than the ether, it being included among the heaven and the rest. The world, mentioned in the passage: 'He sees the Person, lying within the city' (Praśna 5.5), is not the world of Brahmā,— otherwise called the 'world of truth' and an abode for the enjoyment of the fruits of works, but is the world of Brahman,—who is the topic of discussion and the object which one sees,—to be approached by the freed, it being indicated as the sleeping-place of the Person, higher than even the 'mass of souls' which itself is higher than all worlds.

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¹ Here the śatṛ-suffix implies reason, in accordance with Pāṇ. 3.2.126, SD. K. 3103. ² 'Parāyaṇam' not included under the original text. 11