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

[SŪ. 4. 1. 3.
ADH. 2.] VEDĀNTA-KAUSTUBHA 785
for knowing the self in question. Thirdly, there are a great many
scriptural and Smṛti texts as well as aphorisms teaching a fundamental
difference between Brahman and the individual soul like: "And on
account of the designation of difference" (Br. Sū 1 1.18), "But
something more, on account of the indication of difference" (Br Sū.
2 1.21) and so on In this way, such a difference between Brahman
and the individual soul being established by the direct evidence of
one’s own realization, as well as by Scripture, no other supposition
is to be made, in accordance with the condemnatory statement: "He
who supposes the self to be otherwise than what it really is,—what
sin is not committed by him, the thief, the stealer of his own self?"
With regard to it, we reply: "But 'the self'—so (they) admit",
since the Highest self is the whole of which the individual self is a
part and since the former is the very soul of the latter, which can
have no existence and activity independently of Him, just as the
thousand-rayed sun, having independent existence and activity in
contrast to its own rays, is their soul, and the rays are non-different
from it. Similarly, the Lord should be known to be non-different
from the individual souls.
The word "but" indicates clearly the difference in nature between
the individual soul and the Highest self, the non-knowing and the all-
knowing. The relation of identity is possible between two things
when they are non-different in some way or other. No identity is
possible between a cow and a horse. Again, identity is not possible
in the case of a single horse also. But there is a relation of identity
between the effect and its cause, the attribute and its substratum,
the power and its possessor,—i.e only between two things which are
both different and non-different. Otherwise, in accordance with the
text: "All this, verily, is Brahman" (Chānd. 3.14.1), the universe,
consisting of the sentient and the non-sentient, must be non-different
from Brahman in nature, which is impossible.
Hence, the Lord is the soul of the meditating devotee,—a part
of Brahman and different, indeed, from Him in nature,—as the tree
is of the leaf, the substratum of light of light, the chief vital-breath
of the sense-organs. Hence, both difference and non-difference are
equally fundamental and natural. Thus, alone, texts like: "Thou art
me, O lord Deity! I am 'Thou'" and so on can have a meaning.
For this very reason, again, the non-difference of the individual soul
from Brahman being established,—as of the leaf from the tree, light