Book 12 edition notes 1901–1943

The word Ekantin is explained by the commentator to mean a nishkama worshipper, i.e., one who adores the Supreme Deity without the expectation of any fruit whatever. There can be no error, however in rendering it as one devoted with his whole soul. Such devotion verily implies nishkama worship.

i.e., all creatures were righteous and compassionate. Of evil, there was nothing in that age.

One of the foremost of Samans is called by the name of Jeshthya. One conversant with the Jeshthya Saman would have this name.

Ikshaku was the progenitor of the solar race of kings.

This desire, of course, relates to the acquisition of Emancipation. Yoga-kshema literally means the acquisition of what is desired and the protection of what has been acquired.

Buddha or Pratibuddha literally implies _awakened_. The sense, of course, is that such a person has succeeded in casting off all impurities and desires. He has, as it were been awakened from the slumber of ignorance or darkness.

Those that follow the religion of Pravritti acquire heaven, etc., through their merits. Merits however, are exhaustible. They have, therefore, to fall down from heaven. The Creator Brahma casts his eye on [(illegible--JBH)] that follow Pravritti. The religion of Nivritti, however, leads to Emancipation. It is Narayana that looks upon men that betake to Nivritti.

What is stated here is this the deities and Rishis are certainly endued with Sattwa. But then that Sattwa is of a great form. Hence, they cannot attain to Emancipation. It is only that Sattwa which is of subtile form that leads to Emancipation. The deities, without being able to attain to Emancipation, remain in a state that is mutable or fraught with change.

That is, the practices which constitute the religion of the Ekantins are not really different for those laid down in the scriptures adverted to above.

Who are the Whites referred to in this place? The commentator explains that the word has reference to persons leading the domestic mode of life. Yatis wear robes that are coloured yellow or yellowish red. Households, however, use cloth that is white. The word may also mean the inhabitants of White Island.

The name Apantara-tamas implies one whose darkness or ignorance has been dispelled.

Vedakhyane Srutih karyya, literally, I think, means thou shouldst turn thy ears to the description of the Vedas, implying that thou shouldst set thyself to a distribution or arrangement of the Vedic hymns and Mantras.

It is difficult to understand what is the precise meaning of the expression twamrite. Literally it means without thee. Whether however, the speaker means that all the princes will meet with destruction except thee or that they will be destroyed without thy being present among them, or that such destruction will overtake them without thyself being the cause of it, it is difficult to determine.

Anyo hanyam chintayati seems to mean that the thoughts of others do not correspond with their act.

It is scarcely necessary to remark that the word nandana means both sons and delighter. The etymological meaning is, of course, delighter. The son or grand-son is so called because of his being a source of delight to the sire or the grandsire with the other members of the family. In verse 58, nandana seems to be used in the sense of delighter.

The commentator explains these verses in this way. So far as ordinary purposes are concerned, both the Sankhyas and Yogins speak of many Purushas. In reality, however, for purposes of the highest truth, there is but one Purusha. I do not see this limitation in the verse itself. The fact is what the commentator says is to be seen in the next Verse.

The abode of thy feet means thy abode. To this day, in mentioning persons that are entitled to reverence, the Hindu speaks of them as the "feet of so and so".

The commentator explains the meanings of the words used in this verse in this way--He is called Purusha, because of the attribute of fulness eternal, because he has neither beginning nor end; immutable, because there is no change in him; undeteriorating, because he has no body that may be subject to decay; immeasurable, because the mind cannot conceive of him in his fulness.

Acts are called seeds. Seeds produce tree. Acts lead to the attainment of bodies. For the production of bodies, therefore, acts operate like seeds.

The sense seems to be this: in the Yoga system He is called the Supreme Soul, for Yogins affirm the existence of two souls, the Jivatman and the Supreme Soul, and assert the superiority of the latter over the former. The Sankhyas regard the Jiva-soul and the Supreme Soul to be one and the same. A third class of men think everything as Soul, there being no difference between the one Soul and the universe displayed in infinitude.

The acting Soul is ensconced in the Linga-sarira with which it becomes now a human being, now a deity, now an animal, etc. given and ten possessions are five pranas, mind, intelligence and ten organs of senses.

Dhaturadyam Vidhanam is supposed by the commentator to imply what is known as Mahat i.e., the existence of Jiva before the consciousness of Ego arises.

Pragvansa is a certain part of the altar. Both the vernacular translators omit the word in their renderings.

This portion does not occur in all the texts. I have thought fit to add it for explaining the connection. Most texts begin abruptly by saying--Yudhishthira said, etc. etc.

The object of the question is to ascertain which is the foremost of all the modes of life. Although Renunciation has been described to be the best of all modes, still the duties of that mode are exceedingly difficult of practice. Hence, Yudhishthira wishes to know if the duties of any other mode can be regarded as superior.

Family customs are always observed with great care. Even when inconsistent with the ordinances of the scriptures, such customs do not lose their binding force. Reprehensible as the sale of a daughter or sister is, the great king Salya, when he bestowed his sister Madri on Pandu, insisted upon taking a sum of money, alleging family custom not only as an excuse but as something that was obligatory. To this day, animals are slain in the sacrifices of many families which follow the Vaishnava faith, the justification being family custom.

The Vedas are, strictly speaking, not scriptures, for they are _heard_ the scriptures being those ordinances that are written down. Of course, the Vedas have been reduced into writing, but for all that, they continue to be called the Srutis, as the Common Law of England, though reduced into writing, is still called the unwritten law etc. etc.

Some texts erroneously read sthitah for sthitim. Eka eva atmani sthitim kartum literally rendered, is to achieve existence in the one soul. This means to realise the union of the Jiva-soul with the 'Supreme Soul.' 'Relying upon the Soul I shall try to exist in the one Soul,' in brief, means, I shall try to unite the Jiva with Supreme Soul. The difference between Kankhami and Ichcchemi is well illustrated by the commentator by referring to the case of the man of weak stomach who craves for food of every kind but who does not wish to actually eat from fear of increasing his illness.

Sattwikani implies the deities and others that are endued with the attribute of Sattwa. Samyujyamanani refers to their births and deaths as deities and men in consequence of the fruits reaped of acts done. Niryyatyamanani is distressed or afflicted in consequence of such birth and deaths. The rows of Yama's standards and flags refer to the diverse diseases that afflict all creatures.

The commentator explains that nityah-salilah means pure as water. I think this is not the sense of the word here.

It is desirable to note that the word atithi which is rendered guest here and elsewhere, means a person who enters without invitation the abode of a householder. Such an individual is adorable. All the deities reside in his person. He is supposed to favour the householder by giving him an opportunity of performing the rites of hospitality. Whatever the respect, however, that is paid to a guest, he cannot expect to be served with food till the householder, has done his best for serving him as sumptuously as his circumstances would permit. Hence, by the time the food is placed before him, the guest becomes very hungry.

Some of the Bengal texts have dwigunam for dwiruna. Less than ten by two is the meaning.

This verse seems to be unintelligible. I think the sense is this. Frugality of fare and observance of vows constitute merit for person of all classes. These imply the restraint of the senses, for if the senses be not restrained, no one can observe vows or practise frugality. There is a connection, thus between the duties of religion and the senses.

Darsana-sravas means one who hears with the eye. The Nagas or snakes are believed to have no ears, but to use their eyes both for seeing and hearing. Who the Nagas of the Mahabharata or the Puranas were, it is difficult to determine. They seem to have been a superior order of beings, having their abode in the nether regions.

The meaning of annyayinah is that we should be followed by others, i.e., we deserve to walk at the head of others.

The Indian bird Chataka has a natural hole on the upper part of its long neck in consequence of which it is seen to always sit with beaks upturned, so that the upper part of the neck keeps the hole covered. The Chataka is incapable of slaking its thirst in a lake or river, for it cannot bend its neck down. Rain water is what it must drink. Its cry is shrill and sharp but not without sweetness. 'Phate-e-ek-jal' is supposed to be the cry uttered by it. When the Chataka cries, the hearers expect rain. Eager expectation with respect to anything is always compared to the Chataka's expectation of rain water.

The Burdwan translator erroneously renders this verse. The commentator explains that hitwa is equivalent to vina and sums up the meaning of the first line in these words, viz., twaddarsanam vina asya kopi vighnomabhut. In the second line, naprayupasate is equal to paritajya na aste.

It is a pity that even such verses have not been rendered correctly by the Burdwan translator. K. P. Singha gives the sense correctly, but the translation is not accurate.

A form of expression meaning that 'we are your slaves'.

Atmanam is Brahma; atmasthah is 'relying in the Soul', i.e., withdrawn from all worldly objects; atmanogatim implies the end of the Jiva-soul, i.e., the Supreme Soul; the last is an adjective of atmanam.

It has been explained in the previous sections that the Unccha vow consists in subsisting on grains picked up from the fields after the corn has been reaped and taken away by the owners. It is a most difficult vow to observe. The merit attaching to it is, therefore, very great.

The formal initiation or diksha is a ceremony of great importance. No sacrifice or vow, no religious rite, can be performed without the diksha. The rite of diksha is performed with the assistance of a preceptor or priest. In leaving the domestic mode for the life of a forest recluse, the diksha is necessary. In following the Unccha vow, this rite is needed. Any religious act performed by one without having undergone the formal diksha, becomes sterile of results.

Bhishma abducted, with the might of his single arms, the three daughters of the king of Kasi, viz., Amva, Amvika, and Amvalika. He wished to marry the princesses to his brother Vichitravirya. The eldest princess, having previously to her abduction selected king Salwa for her lord was let off. When, however, she presented herself before her lover, the latter refused to wed her. She, therefore, applied to Rama for wreaking vengeance on Bhishma whom she regarded as the author of her wrongs. Rama took up her cause and fought with Bhishma, but was obliged to acknowledge defeat at the hands of his antagonist who was his disciple in arms. For fuller particulars, vide Amvopakhyana Parvan in Udyoga Parvan.