Page:A History of Indian Philosophy Vol 1.djvu/506

 49° The Saizka'ra School of Vedanta [CII. and what is transient, (2) disinclination to enjoyments of this life and of the heavenly life after death, (3) extreme distaste for all enjoyments, and anxiety for attaining the means of right know- ledge, (4) control over the senses by which these are restrained from everything but that which aids the attainment of right knowledge (dama), (a) having restrained them, the attainment of such power that these senses may not again be tempted to- wards worldly enjoyments (uparati), (b) power of bearing extremes of heat, cold, etc., (c) employment of mind towards the at- tainment of right knowledge, (d) faith in the instructor and Upaniads; (5) strong desire to attain salvation. A man pos- sessing the above qualities should try to understand correctly the true purport of the U paniads (called SraVa?la), and by arguments in favour of the purport of the U paniads to strengthen his conviction as stated in the U paniads (called ma1la1la) and then by llididhyiisalla (meditation) which includes all the Yoga processes of concentration, try to realize the truth as one. Vedanta therefore in ethics covers the ground of Yoga; but while for Yoga emancipation proceeds from under- standing the difference between puru!?a and prakrti, with Vedanta salvation comes by the dawn of right knowledge that Brahman alone is the true reality, his own selfI. Mlmarpsa asserts that the Vedas do not declare the knowledge of one Brahman to be the supreme goal, but holds that all persons should act in accord- ance with the Vedic injunctions for the attainment of good and the removal of evil. But Vedanta holds that though the purport of the earlier Vedas is as Mlmarpsa has it, yet this is meant only for ordinary people, whereas for the elect the goal is clearly as the Upani!?ads indicate it, namely the attain- ment of the highest knowledge. The performance of Vedic duties is intended only for ordinary men, but yet it was believed by many (e.g. Vacaspati Misra and his followers) that due performance of Vedic duties helped a man to acquire a great keenness for the attainment of right knowledge; others believed (e.g. Prakasatma and his followers) that it served to bring about suitable opportunities by securing good preceptors, etc. and to remove many obstacles from the way so that it be- came easier for a person to attain the desired right knowledge. In the acquirement of ordinary knowledge the ajfianas re- I See Vediilltasiira ancl .Advaitabrahmasiddhi.