pan may,
by means of some fictitious assumption, be predicated. Sm/ri/ti also
confirms this, 'Then Yama drew forth, by force, from the body of
Satyavat the person of the size of a thumb tied to Yama's noose and
helpless' (Mahabh. III, 16763). For as Yama could not pull out by force
the highest Self, the passage is clearly seen to refer to the
transmigrating (individual soul) of the size of a thumb, and we thence
infer that the same Self is meant in the Vedic passage under discussion.

To this we reply that the person a thumb long can only be the highest
Lord.--Why?--On account of the term 'lord of the past and of the
future.' For none but the highest Lord is the absolute ruler of the past
and the future.--Moreover, the clause 'this is that' connects the
passage with that which had been enquired about, and therefore forms the
topic of discussion. And what had been enquired about is Brahman, 'That
which thou seest as neither this nor that, as neither effect nor cause,
as neither past nor future, tell me that' (I, 2, 14).--'On account of
the term,' i.e. on account of the direct statement, in the text, of a
designation, viz. the term 'Lord,' we understand that the highest Lord
is meant[191].--But still the question remains how a certain extension
can be attributed to the omnipresent highest Self.--The reply to this is
given, in the next Sutra.

25. But with reference to the heart (the highest Self is said to be of
the size of a span), as men are entitled (to the study of the Veda).

The measure of a span is ascribed to the highest Lord, although
omnipresent with reference to his abiding within the heart; just as to
ether (space) the measure of a cubit is ascribed with reference to the
joint of a bamboo. For, on the one hand, the measure of a span cannot be
ascribed directly to the highest Self which exceeds all measure, and, on
the other hand, it has been shown that none but the highest Lord can be
meant here, on account of the term 'Lord,' and so on.--But--an objection
may be raised--as the size of the heart varies in the different classes
of living beings it cannot be maintained that the declaration of the
highest Self being of the size of a thumb can be explained with
reference to the heart.--To this objection the second half of the Sutra
replies: On account of men (only) being entitled. For the /s/astra,
although propounded without distinction (i.e. although not itself
specifying what class of beings is to proceed acc