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

[SŪ. 4. 2. 13. ADH. 5.] VEDĀNTA-KAUSTUBHA 823 at an exactly opposite conclusion to that of Nimbārka, viz. those who meditate on qualified Brahman, go out of their bodies and travel through the path of gods, and not higher knowers. Accordingly he takes this section, viz. sūtras 12–14¹ as referring to higher knowers only. But Nimbārka, as we have seen, makes no such distinction; according to him both knowers and non-knowers go out, only they travel through different paths. SŪTRA 13 “AND (IT IS) DECLARED BY SMṚTI.” Vedānta-pārijāta-saurabha The departure of the knower “is declared by the Smṛti passage”. “But by it the soul is confined forsooth in all the abodes. It went out penetrating the crown of the head, and flew up towards the heaven” (Mahā. 13.7764b-7765a). Vedānta-kaustubha The departure of the knower is declared by the Mahā-bhārata thus: “He who has become the self of all, who has a proper perception of beings at his path, even the gods are perplexed, seeking a path for him who has no path” (Mahā. 12.9657). This Smṛti passage denotes that the path leading to the attainment of the Highest Brahman is impassable. The phrase: ‘who has no path’ denotes that the knower, endowed with a subtle body, is devoid of a gross body. The phrase: ‘seeking a path’ denotes a special place. It is declared at the end of Dāna-dharma too, beginning: “The sense-organs of him, the great-souled one went upwards” (Mahā. 13. 7760b), and continuing: “But by it the soul is confined in all the abodes. It went out penetrating the crown of the head and flew up towards the heaven” (Mahā. 13.7764b-7765a). Yājñavalkya also says: “Of them, there is one that is situated above, penetrating the disc of the sun. Having passed the world of Brahman, one goes to a ¹ Sū. 12-13 according to Nimbārka.