Page:Rati Sastram.djvu/8

 evolving from him by force of repulsion from Him (Brahma) that is unqualified and unknowable, are one and identical and at the same time distinct and separable in thought. This is the nature of Maya, being the influence of Brahma in His waking state and emanant form of Him. There is only this difference between God and Maya that the latter is under the control of God who by His transcendent and unique influence reigns supreme over His creatures and every-thing, for it is said Wratfat adlaa इश्वरः. सब्बेतो महान्‌ ‘God is great of all for His having controlled Maya (universe) or elsewhere in the  which means "He is smallest of the small and greatest of the great.” Individual souls are subject to Maya and by the influence or through the agency of Maya, God governs the world No individual soul can get redemption ftom the bondage of Maya until it shall have qualified itself to attract. the mercy of God. Without God’s mercy no one can be redeemed from the bondage of desires by which he is tied unto the world

Nothing has been said so long as to the utility of the 'Rati-Sastra.’ But it would be impossible to deal more prominently on the various features of the Sastra within the small compass of a preface as this, than by stating broadly in what points its importance lies, which seems most probably to consist in this, that as the progress of the world depends upon coming generations, their bodily and mental energies, so the production of healthy progeny is of greatest moment to us, and