शिवज्ञानबोध (मेय्कण्डार - शैव सिद्धान्त का आधारभूत दार्शनिक सूत्र ग्रन्थ)

44 SIVAGNANA BOTHAM.
answer to the Mind of the Western Philosophers. These are also
shown to be distinct from the soul and as the subject requires a
fuller treatment it is discussed in a separate Sutra. It will be
seen from what follows that these occupy a middle position bet-
ween the Soul and the objective Phenomena (Thanu, external
senses, and Buvana, and Bhoga); and there is thus involved a triple
division of man, as soul, mind and animal life (body). As between
mind and body, body is object (Asat) and mind is sat ; as between
the soul and the other two, the last two are objective (Asat) and
the soul the subject (Sat). As between God and Soul and the
rest, God is the True subject (Sat) and soul and the rest are ob-
jective (Asat) This relationship is discussed in the subsequent
chapters and must be borne in mind. It is a point for the
Scientific Inquirer to consider if the proof adduced in this chap-
ter is sufficient and convincing, or if the statement is taken as a
mere theory or hypothesis (and in these grand questions it is not
possible to arrive at more than a true hypothesis) whether it is a
true hypothesis i.e., whether it explains all the phenomena of
human existence and satisfies all human aspiration or whether it
omits any facts unexplained and contradicts any facts of our
existence. It is also a point worth notice that in the elucidation
of these principles, nothing is made a matter of mystery—no real
difficulty left unexplained by being consigned to the realms of
the mysterious, and language is not used to puzzle man and baffle
argument. When once proof is attempted, so far as the human
mind is capable of grasping and proving these things, one must
confine oneself to strictly human logical tests, and if the theory
fails on the application of these tests the theory must be condemn-
ed by human reason. If after all the trouble taken to postulate
a theory, adduce proof &c. a man is going to plead his own igno-
rance and God's mysterious ways, it would be far better for him
to confess his ignorance at the beginning and attempt no expla-
nation at all.