V. 7.] PRASNOPANISHAD-BHASHYA 53 on, such as absence of decay &c. must be taken in such & way as to agree with that Brahma. "To this prima facie view, the Sütre replies that the object of seeing is He, ie the birbest Self, on account of designation. The text clearly designates the object of seeing as the highest Self. For the concluding sloka which refers to that object of seeing, declares that by means of the Omkära he who knows reaches that which is tranquil, free from decay, immortal, fearless, the highest'. all wlich attributes properly beloug to the highest Self only, as we kuuw from texts such as 'that is the Immortal, that is the fearless, that is Brahman' (Ch. Up. IV. 15. 1). The qualification expressed in the clause' etasmāj jivaghanāt' &c. may also refer to the highest Sel: only, not to Brahmã Caturmukha ; for the latter is himself comprehended by the term jivaghana. For that term rienotes all souls which are embodied owing to karinn
and that Caturmukha is one of these we know from texts such as He who first creates Brahmä' (Svet. Up. Vi. 18.) Nor is the arguinent that, since the Brahman-world incutioned in the text is known to be the world of Caturmn. kha, as it follows next ou the world of the attoosphere, the being abiding there omst needs be Caturmukha, correct. We rather argue as follows-as from the concluding cause that which is tranquil, free froin decay' &c, we ascertain that the object of intuitiou is the highest Brahman, the Brahman world spoken of as the abode of the seeing devotee can not be the perishable world of Brahma Caturmukha. "A further reason for this conclusion is supplied by what the text says about 'him who is free from all evil being led up by the Saman verses to the world of Brahmal; for the place reacbed by him who is freed from all evil cannot be the mere abode of Caturmukha. Heuce also the concluding kloka says with reference to that Brahmou-world that which the 1. Insert on line 27 instead of suitable, is to be explained
- ibid. p. 313. line 14, omit "there any strength in"
