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432 VEDĀNTA-PĀRIJĀTA-SAURABHA [SŪ. 2. 3. 39. ADH. 10.] SŪTRA 39 "AND LIKE A CARPENTER, IN BOTH WAYS " Vedānta-pārijāta-saurabha The soul acts or does not act according to its own wish, "like a carpenter", and as such a situation is possible "in both ways". If buddhi be the agent, then there being the absence of desire and the like on its part, there will be the absence of such a situation. Vedānta-kaustubha The soul,—the nature of which is to act or abstain from acting, and which is possessed of the attributes of 'being an agent' and so on, lasting so long as it itself does,—though connected with a group of instruments like speech and the like, performs action or does not perform action according to its wish, and thus if the soul be an agent a situation is possible "in both ways",—just as a carpenter, though provided with instruments like axe and the rest, constructs chariots, etc., according to his wish. But acting or refraining from action is not possible on the part of buddhi, which is an instrument like the axe, by reason of its non-sentience. On account of the eternity of its proximity to a sentient being, as well as on account of the absence, on its part,—of any desire—the cause of action or inaction,—there must be either eternal activity or eternal non-activity, on its part. Hence, it is established that the soul alone is the agent. Here ends the section entitled "The agent" (10). COMPARISON Śaṃkara and Bhāskara This is sūtra 40 in their commentaries. Interpretation absolutely different. They take it to be forming an adhikaraṇa by itself, con- cerned with the question whether the individual soul is an agent by nature or as connected with limiting adjuncts, and accept the second alternative. Hence the parallel instance: "i e. yathā ca takṣā" is interpreted differently by them thus: In ordinary life a carpenter is miserable and so long as he is an agent, i.e. works with his tools,