liss, and thereupon as a mere
part, viz. as the tail; which is absurd. And as one of the two
alternatives must be preferred, it is certainly appropriate to refer to
Brahman the clause 'Brahman is the tail' which contains the word
'Brahman,' and not the sentence about the Self of Bliss in which Brahman
is not mentioned. Moreover, Scripture, in continuation of the phrase,
'Brahman is the tail, the support,' goes on, 'On this there is also the
following /s/loka: He who knows the Brahman as non-existing becomes
himself non-existing. He who knows Brahman as existing him we know
himself as existing.' As this /s/loka, without any reference to the Self
of bliss, states the advantage and disadvantage connected with the
knowledge of the being and non-being of Brahman only, we conclude that
the clause, 'Brahman is the tail, the support,' represents Brahman as
the chief matter (not as a merely subordinate matter). About the being
or non-being of the Self of bliss, on the other hand, a doubt is not
well possible, since the Self of bliss distinguished by joy,
satisfaction, &c., is well known to every one.--But if Brahman is the
principal matter, how can it be designated as the mere tail of the Self
of bliss ('Brahman is the tail, the support')?--Its being called so, we
reply, forms no objection; for the word tail here denotes that which is
of the nature of a tail, so that we have to understand that the bliss of
Brahman is not a member (in its literal sense), but the support or
abode, the one nest (resting-place) of all worldly bliss. Analogously
another scriptural passage declares, 'All other creatures live on a
small portion of that bliss' (B/ri/. Up. IV, 3, 32). Further, if by the
Self consisting of bliss we were to understand Brahman we should have to
assume that the Brahman meant is the Brahman distinguished by qualities
(savi/s/esha), because it is said to have joy and the like for its
members. But this assumption is contradicted by a complementary passage
(II, 9) which declares that Brahman is the object neither of mind nor
speech, and so shows that the Brahman meant is the (absolute) Brahman
(devoid of qualities), 'From whence all speech, with the mind, turns
away unable to reach it, he who knows the bliss of that Brahman fears
nothing.' Moreover, if we speak of something as 'abounding in
bliss[112],' we thereby imply the co-existence of pain; for the word
'abundance' in its ordinary sense implies the existence of a small
measu