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

78 VEDĀNTA-KAUSTUBHA [SŪ. 1. 1. 26 ADH. 10.] who are conversant with the Yajur-veda consider, respectively in the chief Śāstra ¹, sacrificial fire, and the Mahā-vrata, Brahman who inheres in them severally, like this, Brahman inheres in the (Gāyatrī) metre. Or, (an alternative explanation of the sūtra,) just as the Gāyatrī is a class of metre which consists of four feet, each consisting of six syllables ², so Brahman, too, has four feet in accordance with the text: 'One foot of him are all beings, three feet, the immortal in the heaven' (Chānd. 3.12.6). Accordingly, on account of the mention of the fixing of the mind to Brahman who is metaphorically denoted by the word 'Gāyatrī' in virtue of the fact that both possess the quality of having four feet, the Gāyatrī is not recognized here, but Brahman alone. “For thus it is seen,” i.e. in the very same manner, a term denoting a metre is found applied,—in a literal (as opposed to a metaphorical) sense,³—even to a different object in virtue of the fact that both possess a common quality. Thus, beginning: 'These five and the other five make ten, and that is the kṛta' ⁴ (Chānd. 4.3.8), the text goes on to say: 'That is the Virāj, the eater of food' (Chānd. 4.3.8). Here under the saṁvargavidyā ⁵, the term 'Virāj', ¹ A Śāstra is a verse recited by the Hotṛ and his assistants. Vide M.W., p. 1044. ² Vide the verse: 'Indraś śacī-patiḥ / Balena pīḍitaḥ / duscyavano vrṣā / samitsu sāsahiḥ' / Śrī. B. 1.1.26, p. 216, Part 1. ³ See end of footnote 5 below ⁴ Kṛta is the name of the die marked with four points ⁵ The Saṁvarga-vidyā or the knowledge concerning the snatcher-unto- itself, taught by Raikva to Jānaśruti Vide Chānd. 4.3. The wind is the snatcher-unto-itself among the gods, the vital-breath is the snatcher-unto- itself among the sense-organs The wind absorbs fire, the sun, the moon and water. The vital-breath absorbs speech, the eye, the ear and the mind And, the wind, together with its four kinds of food, viz fire, the sun, the moon and water—these five, and the vital-breath, together with its four kinds of food, viz. speech, the eye, the ear and the mind—these five, make ten or the 'kṛta', which is called the 'Virāj'. Here, the Kṛta has actually ten constituent parts, just as the Virāj metre has actually ten syllables. Hence these two are said to resemble each other in a literal sense, and not in a figurative one, as opposed to the case of Brahman and Gāyatrī, since when it is said that Brahman has four feet, it is not meant that He has actually four feet, but only metaphorically, while Gāyatrī has actually four feet or parts. Hence, here the term 'gauṇa' has been used in connection with the latter case, and the term 'śākya' in con- nection with the former. Vide V.K. above.