he highest Lord. Against all
these interpretations there lies moreover the objection founded on the
inapplicability of the term 'Self.'

28. Jaimini (declares that there is) no contradiction even on the
assumption of a direct (worship of the highest Lord as Vai/s/vanara).

Above (Sutra 26) it has been said that Vai/s/vanara is the highest Lord,
to be meditated upon as having the gastric fire either for his outward
manifestation or for his limiting condition; which interpretation was
accepted in deference to the circumstance that he is spoken of as
abiding within--and so on.--The teacher Jaimini however is of opinion
that it is not necessary to have recourse to the assumption of an
outward manifestation or limiting condition, and that there is no
objection to refer the passage about Vai/s/vanara to the direct worship
of the highest Lord.--But, if you reject the interpretation based on the
gastric fire, you place yourself in opposition to the statement that
Vai/s/vanara abides within, and to the reasons founded on the term, &c.
(Su. 26).--To this we reply that we in no way place ourselves in
opposition to the statement that Vai/s/vanara abides within. For the
passage, 'He knows him as man-like, as abiding within man,' does not by
any means refer to the gastric fire, the latter being neither the
general topic of discussion nor having been mentioned by name
before.--What then does it refer to?--It refers to that which forms the
subject of discussion, viz. that similarity to man (of the highest Self)
which is fancifully found in the members of man from the upper part of
the head down to the chin; the text therefore says, 'He knows him as
man-like, as abiding within man,' just as we say of a branch that it
abides within the tree[160].--Or else we may adopt another
interpretation and say that after the highest Self has been represented
as having the likeness to man as a limiting condition, with regard to
nature as well as to man, the passage last quoted ('He knows him as
abiding within man') speaks of the same highest Self as the mere witness
(sakshin; i.e. as the pure Self, non-related to the limiting
conditions).--The consideration of the context having thus shown that
the highest Self has to be resorted to for the interpretation of the
passage, the term 'Vai/s/vanara' must denote the highest Self in some
way or other. The word 'Vi/s/vanara' is to be explained either as 'he
who is all and man (i.e. the individual soul),' or