Xxxvi Gaudapada-Karika contents in it could be understood without any reference to the earlier Prakarana, This dictum cannot possibly be accepted by any one. In that case, the Bhagavadgitā can easily be shown to be comprising at least half a dozen independent Adhyāyas. It is no use arguing that it does not matter in the least if we have a dozen Gītās instead of one. For, this is after all a defeatist attitude in a way. There is bound to be a connecting link, in the case of a well-known work, which knits the different sections thereof and it is the commentator's duty to point this out in a sympathetic manner and to represent the intentions of the original author in a connected reasoned way. If objections can be taken in a hyper-critical spirit, we may as well object to the fact that Gauda pāda repeats certain Kärikäs now and then, makes use of four Karikás while describing the similarity between Alata and Vijñāna (IV-49-52 ) in self-same words ( he could have easily said simply that Vijñāna acts in the same way as Alāta, instead of repeating the idea word for word) or writes three Karikās in describing the Svapnamaya, Māyāmaya and Nirmitaka Jivas ( IV-68-70 ), when he could have disposed of the topic in one Kärikä and so on. Such criticism is clearly unhelpful. Broadly speaking therefore, it must be conceded that the first three Prakaraņas are written in the same style, giving due importance to both Śruti and Tarka, and discussing the general topic of Advaita, though with a different emphasis and thus are closely related with one another, The Fourth Prakarana, unlike the first three Prakarañas, can have some claim to being regarded as a distinct piece of work, though related to the first three Prakaranas, Prof. Vidhusekhara, in his criticism of K-bháşya's comments about the fourth Prakarana, unnecessarily spoils his case by over-stating it. (1) Prof. Vidhusekhara does not admit that the views of the Dvaitins and the Vaināśikas are discussed in the fourth Prakarana. This is quite an untenable position. Gauďapāda says, भूतस्य जातिमिच्छन्ति वादिनः केचिदेव हि । भभूतस्यापरे धीरा विवदन्तः परस्परम् ॥३॥
