31

31. And on account of (meditating on the part of the gods) being in the Light.

‘Him the devas meditate upon as the light of lights, as

immortal time’ (Br̥. Up. IV, 4, 16). This text declares that the meditation of the gods has for its object the Light, i.e. the highest Brahman. Now this express declaration as to the gods being meditating devotees with regard to meditations on Brahman which are common to men and gods, implies a denial of the gods being qualified for meditations on other objects. The conclusion therefore is that the Vasus, and so on, are not qualified for meditations on the Vasus and other classes of deities.

32. But Bādarāyaṇa (maintains) the existence (of qualification); for there is (possibility of such).

The Reverend Bādarāyaṇa thinks that the Ādityas, Vasus, and so on, are also qualified for meditations on divinities. For it is in their case also possible that their attainment of Brahman should be viewed as preceded by their attainment of Vasu-hood or Āditya-hood, in so far, namely, as they meditate on Brahman as abiding within themselves. They may be Vasus and Ādityas in the present age of the world, but at the same time be desirous of holding the same position in future ages also. In the Madhuvidyā we have to distinguish two sections, concerned respectively with Brahman in its causal and its effected state. The former section, extending from the beginning up to ‘when from thence he has risen upwards,’ enjoins meditation on Brahman in its condition as effect, i.e. as appearing in the form of creatures such as the Vasus, and so on; while the latter section enjoins meditation on the causal Brahman viewed as abiding within the sun as its inner Self. The purport of the whole vidyā is that he who meditates on Brahman in this its twofold form will in a future age of the world enjoy Vasu-hood, and will finally attain Brahman in its causal aspect, i.e. the very highest Brahman. From the fact that the text, ‘And indeed to him who thus knows the Brahma-upanishad. the sun does not rise and does not set; for him there is day once and for all,’ calls the whole Madhuvidyā a ‘Brahma’–upanishad, and that the reward declared is the attainment of Vasu-hood, and so on, leading up to the attainment of Brahman, we clearly are entitled to

infer that the meditations which the text enjoins, viz. on the different parts of the sun viewed as objects of enjoyment for the Vasus, and so on, really are meant as meditations on Brahman as abiding in those different forms. Meditation on the Vasus and similar beings is thus seen to be possible for the Vasus themselves. And as Brahman really constitutes the only object of meditation, we also see the appropriateness of the text discussed above, ‘On him the gods meditate as the light of lights.’ The Vr̥ttikāra expresses the same opinion, ‘For there is possibility with regard to the Madhu-vidyā, and so on, Brahman only being the object of meditation everywhere.’–Here terminates the adhikaraṇa of ‘honey.’