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

420 VEDĀNTA-KAUSTUBHA [SŪ. 2. 3. 28. ADH. 9 ] ground of etymology thus) ‘Brahman’ is one in whom there are great qualities,¹ so the soul has been designated as “Eternal, all-pervading” (Muṇḍ. 1.1.6 ²), because of possessing great attributes. In the first case, the Intelligent Being, great by Himself, is great by reason of His attributes too. In the second case, on the other hand, the individual soul, atomic in size, is great by reason of its attribute only,—this is the distinction Vedānta-kaustubha To the objection, viz. If the individual soul be atomic by nature, then the texts which establish its all-pervasiveness must be con- tradicted, such as. ‘Eternal, all-pervasive, omnipresent, extremely subtle’ (Muṇḍ. 1 1.6), ‘Eternal, all-pervasive, immobile’ (Gītā 2.24) and so on,—the author replies· No. The term “but” is for disposing of the objection. On account of having an all-pervasive attribute as its very essence, “that designa- tion”, viz. the designation of the all-pervasiveness of the soul, such as: ‘Eternal, all-pervasive’ (Muṇḍ. 1.1.6), fits in. “As in the case of the intelligent being.” Greatness is said to belong to the Intelligent Being through His connection with great attributes as well, in accord- ance with the saying: ‘Brahman’ is one in whom there are great attributes. The Intelligent Being being great by nature as well, the example holds good only partially.³ Similarly, there is this designation of the all-pervasiveness (of the soul) on the ground of its all-pervasive attribute only, and not by nature. This should be understood here: Vāsudeva, the Highest Person, is without an equal and a superior and all-pervasive, in accordance with the scriptural text: ‘Nothing is observed to be either equal to Him or higher than Him’ (Śvet. 6.8). The all-pervasiveness of others, such as, prakṛti, time, and the attribute of the individual soul (viz. knowledge), is relative (and not absolute). There are contraction and expansion of even such an attribute which is peculiar to the individual soul, and eternal, in accordance with the declarations by the Lord Himself: “ ‘Knowledge is enveloped by ¹ Bṛh+man. ² Not quoted by others. ³ I.e. the case of Brahman and the individual soul are not parallel in all respects, but in some respects only. The former is great by nature, as well as great by attributes; while the latter is atomic by nature yet great by attributes. Hence the two cases are parallel only in respect of the second point, and not of the first as evident.