Knowledge overspread by Darkness, therefore, or
Knowledge with the attributes of Intelligence and Consciousness, is the
cause of Chit or soul or Jiva assuming a body. Such knowledge, therefore,
is called the seed of the body. Then, again, the tadvijam (the second
expression), i.e., the foundation on which knowledge overspread by
ignorance (or knowledge with the attributes of intelligence and
consciousness) rests, is, of course, pure Knowledge or chit or jiva or
Soul as it existed before life. It is only another form of repeating a
statement made several times before. Both the vernacular translators have
misunderstood the last half of the second line.
744. The meaning, of course, is that while in the mother's womb, the Soul
remembers the acts of past lives, and those acts influence and determine
the growth of its senses as also the character it will display in its new
life.
745. I do not follow Nilakantha in his grammatical exposition of the
second line. That exposition seems to be very far-fetched. Besides
tebhyah tyagat for tesham tyagat is no violence to grammar, the use of
the ablative in this sense not being infrequent in these writings.
746. Women have before (vide verse 9 of this section) been said to be the
embodiment of the senses and as antarhitah in Rajas or Passion. The
senses, therefore, are, it is concluded here, originated in Rajas. By the
destruction, again, of Rajas, they may be destroyed. What is wanted,
therefore, is the conquest of Rajas or Passion.
Pages:
2799
2800
2801
2802
2803
2804
2805
2806
2807
2808
2809
2810
2811
2812
2813
2814
2815
2816
2817
2818
2819
2820
2821
2822
2823