SAIVA-SIDDHANTA

"
He
"
He
"
"
God
"
"
ASHTAMUHURTAM. 95
The famous passage in the seventh Brahmana, of the 3rd
Adyaya, of the Brihadaranyaka Upanishat, brings out a full
exposition of these Eight forms of God. In the third Mantra,
Earth is said to be His body
Yasyaprithivl sariram."
who dwells in the earth, and within (or different
from) the earth,
whom the earth does not know, whose body the
earth is, and who pulls (rules) the earth within, He is thy
Self, the puller (ruler) within, the immortal."
And in Mantras, 4, 5, 7, 9, n, 12 and 22 the water, fire, air,
sun, moon, AkaSa and Vijnana are respectively said to be His
bodies.
The passages are all similar to the one relating to the earth
and we quote the last, however, in full.
who dwells in Vijnana, and within (or different from)
Vijnana, whom Vijfiana does not know, whose body Vijun&a
is, and who pulls (rules) Vijnana within, He is thy Self, the
puller (ruler) within, the immortal ".
Professor Max Muller translates Vijnana as knowledge,
but he notes at the same time that those of the Madhyandina
school interpret it as meaning the Atma or the soul; and
according to the text in the samana prakarana yasyatma
sariram and from the Upa-Brahmanas we will quote below
it will be seen that it is the correct interpretation.
clearer.
The other text in the Brihadaranya, makes it much
is to be seen, heard and contemplated and
enjoyed in the soul. He is beyond the soul. His body is the
soul, He penetrates into the recess of the soul."
Nothing can
be clearer than this text. This Soul and soul, this Atma and
atma, this Self and self (The confusion in thought
arises from
the name which originally meant the human spirit being applied
to the Supreme spirit also), are the two birds which dwell in
the tree (human body) ; these are the two which "enter into the
heart, the excellent divine
abode
and these are the two which