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xiv Gandapada-Käraka Time, (16) Quarters, (18) Topics for discussion, (19) Universedivisions, ( 20 ) Mind, ( 21 ) Intellect, ( 22 ) Citta, ( 23 ) Merit and demerit, (24) Twenty-five principles, ( 25 ) Twenty-six principles, ( 26 ) Thirty-one principles, ( 27 ) Infinite, ( 28 ) People, ( 29 ) Aśramas, ( 39 ) Man and Woman, ( 29 ) High and Low, ( 30 ) Creation, ( 31 ) Dissolution, ( 32 ) Stability, ( 33 ) Allexisting and so forth. In short, whatever one is pleased to imagine about or to superimpose upon Atman, that becomes that Atman for him. But people well-versed in the Vedänta know the so called creation as nothing but a castle in the air, as false as objects in the dream or as the creation by magic. The Highest truth can thus be summarised as :-- "There is no annihilation, no birth, no one bound down to Samsāra, no one trying for liberation, no one desirous of liberation, no one liberated'. For, only Advaita exists and it is unoriginated, and there is nothing distinct or nondistinct apart from Atinan. Sages free from passion, fear and anger, well-versed in the Vedic lore, realise the Atman as non-dual, auspicious, free from all distinction and where there is the sublation of Samsära. One who has realised the Atman in this way has no use for prayers to deities or sacrificial offerings to Pitrs; he is beyond all Vidhi or Nişedha rules, he stays or wanders at will and goes on with his daily avocations like an automaton. Having realised the Advaita in this way, the sage should take care to see that he does not fall down from that state, till the body comes to an end. Prakarana III - When it is proved that there cannot be any origination or change associated with the Paramātman, all talk about the individual soul or Jiva having recourse to the Upasana or meditation on the Paramātman is really meaningless. For, the Jiva is Paramātman himself, and it is scant courtesy shown to Jiva if we narrow his functions and powers by calling him inferior to Paramātman. Really the Paramātman is like Akaša, infinite and subtle and Jivas are like Ghatakaśa, Patākāśa etc. which are nothing but Akaśa associated with the Upadhis, Ghata, Pata etc. When the Upadhis vanish away, Ghatakaśa is merged into Akasa, similarly the Jivas, with the Upādhis, body etc. gone, are merged into the Paramātman. So long as the Upādhis are there, the jivas retain
