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[sū. 1. 2 22.
ADH. 6.] VEDĀNTA-KAUSTUBHA 129

‘Imperishable’ in the first passage, then how can the text: ‘Higher
than the Imperishable, the Light’ (Muṇḍ 2.1.2) be possible, it being
impossible for one to be higher than one’s own self, and there being
no reality higher than Brahman, the Imperishable, the cause of the
world and the topic of discussion, as evident from the declaration by
the Lord Himself, viz. ‘“There is nothing else, higher than me, O
Dhanañjaya” ’ (Gītā 7.7), as well as from the scriptural text: ‘There
is nothing higher than the Person’ (Kaṭha 3.11)² Hence, let either
pradhāna or the individual soul be the meaning of the word ‘Imperish-
able’, mentioned first, (Muṇḍ. 1.1.5), and let the Highest Self, higher
than that high Imperishable, be omniscient,—
(We reply.) Not so, because the word ‘Imperishable’, mentioned
for the second time, (Muṇḍ. 2 1 5) does not refer to the Highest Self
Thus, from the knowledge, called ‘higher’,—mentioned in the passage·
‘The higher is that whereby that Imperishable is apprehended’
(Muṇḍ. 1 1.5),—it is gathered that the Imperishable is the Highest
Brahman alone, since no other knowledge, except that of Brahman,
can be high. Thus, having begun with the Highest Self, denoted by
the word ‘Imperishable’ and celebrated in the texts · ‘He teaches in
truth that knowledge of Brahman whereby one knows the Imperish-
able, the Person, the True’ (Muṇḍ. 1.2.13), ‘As the hairs and the
body-hairs arise from a living person, so from the Imperishable arises
this Universe’ (Muṇḍ. 1 1 7), ‘As from a well-lit fire thousands of
sparks of a similar form emit forth, so do, my dear, manifold existences
from the Imperishable’ (Muṇḍ. 2.1.1) and so on, and with the Imper-
ishable, possessed of the attributes of invisibility and the rest, in the
passage: ‘Now, the higher is that whereby that Imperishable is known’
(Muṇḍ. 1 1 5), Scripture, with a view to demonstrating His qualities
and nature, designates Him once more as ‘higher’ than the ‘Imperish-
able’, i.e than the individual soul which is His own part; as well as
than the ‘high’, i e. pradhāna which His own power,—i.e. designates
Him as their source and controller. Or, else, the ‘Imperishable’ is
that which pervades the mass of its own modifications; ‘higher’ than
that imperishable is pradhāna which is superior to its own modifica-
tions; and ‘higher’ than this pradhāna is the Highest Self. Or, else,
the Supreme Person is ‘higher’ than the Person within the aggregate
(or Hiraṇyagarbha) who is higher than the Imperishable, viz. pradhāna,
—this is the sense