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[sū. 2. 3. 16. ADH. 7.] VEDĀNTA-KAUSTUBHA 407 Adhikaraṇa 7: The section entitled “The soul”. (Sūtras 16-17) SŪTRA 16 “BUT THAT DESIGNATION (OF THE SOUL AS BEING BORN OR DYING) MUST DEPEND ON (I.E. REFER TO) THE MOBILE AND IMMOBILE (BODIES), (IT IS) METAPHORICAL (IN REFERENCE TO THE SOUL), BECAUSE (THERE IS) THE EXISTENCE (OF BIRTH AND DEATH) IF THERE BE THE EXISTENCE OF THAT (I E. THE BODY).” Vedānta-pārijāta-saurabha The nature of the individual soul is being determined now. “The designation” like: ‘Devadatta is born and dead’ is metaphorical, and as such “depends on the mobile and the immobile”,—there being the “existence” of birth and death when there is the “existence” of the body. Vedānta-kaustubha It has been pointed out above that the ether and the rest originate from Brahman, the unborn, the highest. Now the problem is being considered, viz. whether like them the individual soul, too, is some- thing to be produced or not. The word ‘soul’ is to be supplied from the immediately following aphorism. On the doubt, viz. whether the ‘soul’, i e. the individual soul, originates or not, the prima facie view, viz. In conformity with the designation, viz. ‘Devadatta is born and dead’, the soul is born and dies,—is disposed of by the term “but”. This conventional designation of the origination and dissolution of the soul “must be metaphorical”, i.e. is figurative in reference to the individual soul. To the enquiry: In reference to what then is it literal?—(the author) replies· “Dependent on the mobile and the immobile”, i.e. it refers to the bodies of the movable and the immovable. Why? “Because (there is) existence, if there be the existence of that,” i.e. because there can be origination and dissolution only if there be the existence of that, i e. the body, in accordance with the scriptural text· ‘This person being born and obtaining a body . . . He departing and dying’ (Bṛh. 4.3.8) COMPARISON Rāmānuja This is sūtra 17 in his commentary. He does not begin a new adhikaraṇa here, but concludes the topic of the order of evolution.