Page:The Vedanta-sutras, with the Sri-bhashya of Ramanujacharya.djvu/88

 ANALYTICAL OUTLINE OF CONTENTS. Ixxi

to be the Brahman and to form the cause of all things. The second aphorism of this Adhikarana says that this word Gdyatrl does not mean the Vedic metre known by that name, but denotes the Brahman Himself. It is taught that one of the ways of meditating on Him is to conceive Him as the Gdyatrl metre, which has four feet even as He has His four feet. To use words which ordinari- ly denote metres in some other special sense is not un- common, and the word viraj is so used in this same Chhan- dogya-Upanishad. Therefore Gdyatrl also means the Supreme Self who is the cause of the world (pp. 421-423.). The next aphorism gives another reason why the word Gdyatrl has here to be understood to mean the Highest Person Himself. As in the case of the Highest Person, so in the case of the Gdyatrl also, it is pointed out that it has four feet and that all beings make up only one of these four feet. Therefore again the word Gdyatrl must denote the Brahman Himself (pp. 423-424.). The Jyotis or 'Light' mentioned above is said to shine beyond the Highest Heaven, and the three immortal feet of the Highest Person are taught to be in the Highest Heaven. In the former statement the Highest Heaven indicates a boun- dary, while in the latter it indicates a position of locar tion. The last aphorism of this adhikarana says that, nevertheless, there is no incompatibility here to vitiate the conclusion that Jyotis really means the Highest Person. That Highest Person in the Highest Heaven, who is pos- sessed of unsurpassable splendour, is Himself the Light which is resplendent beyond the Highest Heaven. There is scriptural authority for this way of harmonising the above two statements. Consequently it is quite faultless to say that it is that Supreme Person Himself who is denoted by the word Jyotis or 'Light' (pp. 424-425.),