वेदान्त पारिजात सौरभ (भगवद् निम्बार्काचार्य - द्वैताद्वैत वेदान्त ब्रह्मसूत्र भाष्य सटीक)

[SŪ. 2. 1. 34.
ADH. 10.] VEDĀNTA-KAUSTUBHA 321
Vedānta-kaustubha
If it be objected: The reason, viz 'on account of dependence',
does not fit in. Why? "On account of the non-distinction of works."
That is, the non-distinction of the entire world prior to creation being
ascertained from the text: '"The existent alone, my dear, was this
in the beginning, one only, without a second"' (Chānd. 6.2.1), the
non-distinction of the works of the individual souls, too, is ascertained.
Hence, prior to creation, there are no works as the cause of the diver-
sities of the objects to be created, on which Brahman might depend,—
(We reply:) "no". Why? "On account of the beginningless"
of all. That is, the works, good and bad, done by the individual
souls in a previous creation, become the cause of the diversities in
a subsequent creation. "And" the continuity of creation "fits in"
in accordance with the maxim of 'the seed and the shoot',1 and in
accordance with the above-mentioned difference between the manifest
and unmanifest effect,2 as well as because a sudden subsequent
creation without a prior creation is inexplicable, this last reason being
indicated by the particle "and" (in the sūtra). This is "observed
also" in Scripture. That is, since the text: 'The creator fashioned
the sun and the moon as he did before' (Ṛg.V. 10.190.3), teaches
the existence of a prior creation, the eternity of the flow of creation
is established. And in the scriptural and Smṛti texts like: 'With
roots above, branches below is this eternal fig-tree' (Kaṭha 6 1),
'With roots above, branches below, the fig-tree is indestructible,
they say' (Gītā 15.1), the reality as well of mundane existence, as
having the Existent as its root, and as having the form of a continuous
stream, is established. Previously, the effect has indeed been deter-
mined to be real 3 In the texts: 'Without beginning and without end'
(Cūl. 5 4), 'A wise man is not born, nor dies' (Kaṭha 2.18 5), 'Know
prakṛti (matter) and puruṣa (soul) to be both beginningless' (Gītā
13.19), the eternity, too, of the sentient and the non-sentient sub-
stances, which are the powers of the Supreme Cause, is established.

1 I.e. just as it is impossible to say whether the seed is earlier or the shoot,
so it is impossible to say whether karmas are the earlier or the saṁsāra. Hence
they are taken to be beginningless.
2 Vide V.K. 2 1 17-18. 3 Vide V.K. 2.1.14 ff.
4 Correct quotation: "Anādavatī" Vide p. 230.
5 Cf. a very similar passage in Gītā 2.20.
21