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

[sū. 1. 1. 25. ADH. 10.] VEDĀNTA-KAUSTUBHA 75 mention of feet", in the passage. '"One foot of him are all the ele- ments"' (Chānd. 3.12.6 ¹). Vedānta-kaustubha In this manner, it has been pointed out that the term 'ether', as well as the term 'vital-breath' refer to Brahman, all-pervading, untouched by any fault and the cause of all life. Now, the author is showing that the term 'light' also refers to Brahman. In the Chāndogya, it is recorded: 'Now, the light which shines higher than this heaven, on the backs of all, on the backs of everything, in the highest worlds than which there are no higher,—that, verily, is the same light which is within this person' (Chānd. 3.13.7) Here, a doubt arises, viz whether the term 'light' denotes the well- known light of the sun and so on, or the Highest Self. What is reason- able here? The prima facie view is as follows. It denotes the light of the sun and the rest. Why? Because that is well-known to be a remover of darkness, because Scripture mentions a limit in the passage : 'The light which shines higher than this heaven' (Chānd. 3.13.7), because no limit is possible on the part of Brahman, because Scripture speaks of a minor fruit in the passage: 'He who knows this becomes agreeable to the eyes, and renowned' (Chānd. 3.13.8), and, finally, because from the passage: 'That, verily, is the same light, which is within this person' (Chānd. 3.13.7), its identity with the fire within the belly is known. On this suggestion, we reply: Here the object denoted by the term "light" is the Supreme Brahman alone, possessed of unsurpassed splendour. Why? "On account of the mention of feet" Thus, in the text, which precedes the text about the 'light', viz. 'So much is His greatness, and the Person is higher than this One foot of him are all beings, three feet of him, the immortal in the heaven' (Ṛg-V. 10.10.3, Chānd. 3.12.6), Brahman is mentioned as having four feet. Thus, all beings constitute His one foot Having all beings as one foot is possible on the part of the Supreme Brahman alone, and never on the part of any one else. Nor is any contradiction involved in the declaration of His having the heaven as His limit, because, as the word 'higher' in the passage: 'What is higher than this' (Chānd. 3 13 7) denotes superiority, it is not meant to denote non-comprehensiveness,

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1 Ś, R, ŚK, B