Sūtra 4.2.5Śaṅkara · 4.2.5

Śaṅkaraon Brahma Sūtra 4.2.5

Advaita Vedānta

Sūtra

भूतेषु तच्छ्रुतेः

bhūteṣu tacchruteḥ

Sūtra translation

To the elements (the soul, with prd//a, goes), on account of the subsequent scriptural clause.

The soul joined by the pra«a takes up its abode within the subtle elements which accompany heat and form the seed of the (gross) body. This we conclude from the clause, ‘Breath in heat.’ But this passage declares, not that the soul together with the pra;^a takes up its abode in heat, but only that the pra;^a takes up its abode! —No matter, we reply; since the preceding Sutra intercalates the soul in the interval (between prd//a and te^;^s). Of a man who first travels from Srughna to Mathura and then from Mathura to Pa/aliputra, we may say shortly that he travels from .S'rughna to Pa/aliputra. The passage under discussion therefore means that the soul together with the pra«a abides in the elements associated with heat.— But how are you entitled to draw in the other elements also, while the text only speaks of heat?—To this question the next Sutra replies.