gent Brahman being
the cause of the world, others inclining towards the pradhana doctrine,
and others again tending in a different direction; then it might perhaps
be possible to interpret such passages as those, which speak of the
cause of the world as thinking, in such a manner as to make them fall in
with the pradhana theory. But the stated condition is absent since all
the Vedanta-texts uniformly teach that the cause of the world is the
intelligent Brahman. Compare, for instance, 'As from a burning fire
sparks proceed in all directions, thus from that Self the pra/n/as
proceed each towards its place; from the pra/n/as the gods, from the
gods the worlds' (Kau. Up. III, 3). And 'from that Self sprang ether'
(Taitt. Up. II, 1). And 'all this springs from the Self' (Ch. Up. VII,
26, 1). And 'this pra/n/a is born from the Self' (Pr. Up. III, 3); all
which passages declare the Self to be the cause. That the word 'Self'
denotes an intelligent being, we have already shown.

And that all the Vedanta-texts advocate the same view as to an
intelligent cause of the world, greatly strengthens their claim to be
considered a means of right knowledge, just as the corresponding claims
of the senses are strengthened by their giving us information of a
uniform character regarding colour and the like. The all-knowing Brahman
is therefore to be considered the cause of the world, 'on account of the
uniformity of view (of the Vedanta-texts).'--A further reason for this
conclusion is advanced.

11. And because it is directly stated in Scripture (therefore the
all-knowing Brahman is the cause of the world).

That the all-knowing Lord is the cause of the world, is also declared in
a text directly referring to him (viz. the all-knowing one), viz. in the
following passage of the mantropanishad of the /S/veta/s/vataras (VI, 9)
where the word 'he' refers to the previously mentioned all-knowing Lord,
'He is the cause, the lord of the lords of the organs, and there is of
him neither parent nor lord.' It is therefore finally settled that the
all-knowing Brahman is the general cause, not the non-intelligent
pradhana or anything else.

In what precedes we have shown, availing ourselves of appropriate
arguments, that the Vedanta-texts exhibited under Sutras I, 1-11, are
capable of proving that the all-knowing, all-powerful Lord is the cause
of the origin, subsistence, and dissolution of the world. And we have
explained, by pointing to the prevailin