Page:The Vedanta-sutras, with the Sri-bhashya of Ramanujacharya.djvu/106

 Adhik. I. Snt. /.] SRI-BHASHYA. 13

tute the inborn means for the evolution of knowledge : " Tranquilled in mind, with the senses restrained, having given up desires, resigned and patient, and absorbed in abstract meditation, let a man see the Self in the self." _Brih. Up. IV. 4. 23.]. Therefore, after the desire to know (the Brahman) is thus born in one, whose sins have been destroyed by means of works done in hundreds of previous births without attachment to any particular result, (one's) avidya (or ignorance) is removed by means of the knowledge derived from such passages as the following among other* : " Existence alone, my dear child, this was in the beginning, one only without a second." _Qihilnd. Up. VI. 2. i.] : "The Brahman is Existence, Knowledge, In- finity." [Taitt. Up. II. i. i.] : " He is without parts, He is without actions and tranquil." [Svet. Up. VI. 19.]: " This dtman (the self) is the Brahman." [Brih. Up. II. 5. 19. & IV. 4. 5.]*: " That thou art." [Qihdnd. Up. VI. 8. 7.].

'Hearing' (sravana), 'reflection' (manand) and ' steady meditation' (nididhyasana) are useful for the purpose of knowing the meaning of (scriptural) sentences. 'Hearing' is to receive ideas which are supported by logic from a preceptor who has perceived the truth that Veddntlc passages declare the knowledge of the oneness of the Self. .'Reflection' is rationally to fix in one's self that, in a certain particular way alone, the idea thus taught by the teacher is true. ' Steady meditation ' is the incessant contemplation of this very idea for the purpose of destroying that beginningless innate impression (raiand) of distinctions which is hostile to this (knowledge of the oreness ot the Self). The knowledge of the syntactical meaning of scriptural sentences

16. Vide also Mil/id Up. I. 2.