twisted the natural meaning of Sâbhâvya, the word used in the Sûtras, rather than altering a word of the Sûtra, and replacing Sâbhâvyam by Sâmyam.

A similar difficulty arises again when it has to be determined whether the departed, in his further descent, actually becomes a plant, such as rice, corn, sesamum, beans, &c., or becomes merely connected with them. Samkara decides strongly in favour of the latter view, though here again the actual words of the Sutra have certainly to be twisted by him; nay, though Samkara himself has to admit that other people may really, on account of their bad deeds, sink so low as to become plants. He only denies this with reference to the departed who, on account of their pious works, have already reached the moon, and are after that redescending upon earth.

Lastly, if it is said that the plant, when eaten, becomes a progenitor, this also, according to Samkara, can only mean that it is joined with a progenitor. For the progenitor must exist long before he eats the rice or the beans, and is able to beget a child. Anyhow, the child when begotten is the soul that had ascended to and descended from the moon, and is born again according to his former works.

I must confess that, though the Vedântists may be bound by Samkara's interpretation, it seems to me as if the author of the Sûtras himself had taken a different view, and had looked throughout on ether, air, mist, cloud, rain, plants as the habitat, though the temporary habitat only, of the departed in their subtle body1.

1 See Vishnu Dh. S. XLIII, 45.

Little is said in the Upanishads of those who, owing to their evil deeds, do not even rise to the moon and descend again. But Bâdarâyana tries to make it clear that the Upanishads know of a third class of beings (III, 1, 12) who reap the fruits of their evil actions in Samyamana (abode of Yama) and then ascend to earth again. Theirs is the third place alluded to in the Khând. Upanishad V, 10, 8.

But while evil doers are thus punished in different hells, as mentioned in the Purânas, and while pious people are fully rewarded in the moon and then return again to the earth, those who have been pious and have also reached at least the lower knowledge of Brahman follow a different road. After leaving the body, they enter the flame, the day, the waxing moon, the waxing year (northern precession), the year, the world of the Devas, the world of Vâyu, air, the sun, the moon, and then lightning; but all these, we are told, are not abodes for the soul, but guides only who, when the departed has reached the lightning, hand him over to a person who is said to be not-a-man. This person conducts him to the world of Varuna, then to that of Indra, and lastly to that of Pragâpati or the qualified Brahmâ. Here the souls are supposed to remain till they realise true knowledge or the Samyagdarsana, which does not mean universal, but thorough and complete knowledge, that knowledge which, if obtained on earth, at once frees a man from all illusion. Finally the souls, when fully released, share in all the powers of Brahman except those of creating and ruling the universe. They are not supposed ever to return to the world of Samsâra (IV, 4, 17).

All this is hardly to be called philosophy, neither

do the different descriptions of the road on which the souls of the pious are supposed to wander towards Brahmâ, and which naturally vary according to dif ferent schools, help us much towards a real insight into the Vedânta. But it would have been unfair to leave out what, though childish, is a characteristic feature of the Vedanta-philosophy, and must be judged from a purely historical point of view.

Freedom in this Life.

What is of importance to remember in these ancient fancies is that the enlightened man may become free or obtain Mukti even in this life (Gîvanmukti 1). This is indeed the real object of the Vedanta-philosophy, to overcome all Nescience, to become once more what the Âtman always has been, namely Brahman, and then to wait till death removes the last Upâdhis or fetters, which, though they fetter the mind no longer, remain like broken chains hanging heavy on the mortal body. The Atman, having recovered its Brahmahood, is even in this life so free from the body that it feels no longer any pain, and cannot do anything, whether good or bad. This has been always laid hold of as the most dangerous doctrine of Vedântism, and no doubt it may be both misunderstood and misapplied. But in the beginning it meant no more than that the Âtman, which is above the distinctions of subject and object, of past and present, of cause and effect, is also by necessity above the distinction of good and evil. This never was intended as freedom in the sense of licence, but as freedom that can

neither lapse into sinful acts nor claim any merit for good acts, being at rest and blessed in itself and in Brahman.

It is hardly necessary to say or to prove that the Vedanta-philosophy, even in its popular form, holds out no encouragement to vice. Far from it. No one can even approach it who has not previously passed through a course of discipline, whether as a student (Brahmakârin) or as a householder (Grihastha). In order to make this quite clear, it may be useful to add a few verses from one of the many popular works intended to teach Vedanta to the masses. It is called the Mohamudgara, the Hammer of Folly, and is ascribed to Samkara. Though not strictly philosophical, it may serve at least to show the state of mind in which the true Vedântist is meant to maintain himself. It was carefully edited with Bengali, Hindi and English translations by Durga Das Ray, and published at Darjeeling in 1888.

'Fool! give up thy thirst for wealth, banish all desires from thy heart. Let thy mind be satisfied with what is gained by thy Karman.

Who is thy wife and who is thy son? Curious are the ways of this world. "Who art thou? Whence didst thou come? Ponder on this, O

Brother."

Do not be proud of wealth, of friends, or youth. Time takes all away in a moment. Leaving all this which is full of illusion, leave quickly and enter into the place of Brahman.

Life is tremulous like a water-drop on a lotus-leaf. The company of the good, though for a moment only, is the only boat for crossing this ocean of the world.

As is birth so is death, and so is the dwelling in the mother's womb. Thus is manifest the misery of the world. How can there be satisfaction here for thee, O Man!

Day and night, morning and evening, winter and spring come and go. Time is playing, life is waning yet the breath of hope never ceases.

The body is wrinkled, the hair grey, the mouth has become toothless, the stick in the hand shakes, yet man leaves not the anchor of hope.

To live under a tree of the house of the gods, to sleep on the earth, to put on a goat-skin, to abandon all worldly enjoyment; when does such surrender not make happy?

Do not trouble about enemy, friend, son, or relation, whether for war or peace. Preserve equanimity always, if you desire soon to reach the place of Vishnu (Vishnupada).

The eight great mountains, the seven oceans, Brahmâ, Indra, the Sun and the Rudras, thou, I and the whole world are nothing; why then is there any sorrow?

In thee, in me, and in others there dwells Vishnu alone, it is useless to be angry with me and impatient. See every self in Self, and give up all thought of difference.

The child is given to play, the youth delights in a beautiful damsel, an old man is absorbed in cares -no one clings to the Highest Brahman.

Consider wealth as useless, there is truly no particle of happiness in it. The rich are afraid even of their son, this is the rule established everywhere.

So long as a man can earn money, his family is kind to him. But when his body becomes infirm