Bhashya
त्—दीपाद्युत्पत्तावपि यः प्रयत्नः सोऽपि तमस्तिरस्करणाय ;तस्मिन्नष्टे घटः स्वयमेवोपलभ्यते ; न हि घटे किंचिदाधीयतइति चेत्, न ; प्रकाशवतो घटस्योपलभ्यमानत्वात् ।यथाप्रकाशविशिष्टो घट उपलभ्यते प्रदीपकरणे, न तथा प्राक्प्रदी-पकरणात् ।तस्मान्न तमस्तिरस्करणायैव प्रदीपकरणम् ; किंतर्हि, प्रकाशवत्त्वाय ; प्रकाशवत्त्वेनैवोपलभ्यमानत्वात् ।क्वचि-दावरणविनाशेऽपि यत्नः स्यात् ; यथा कुड्यादिविनाशे ।तस्मान्ननियमोऽस्ति—अभिव्यक्त्यर्थिनावरणविनाशे एव यत्नः कार्यइति ।नियमार्थवत्त्वाच्च ।कारणे वर्तमानं कार्यं कार्यान्तरा-णामावरणमित्यवोचाम ।तत्र यदि पूर्वाभिव्यक्तस्य कार्यस्यपिण्डस्य व्यवहितस्य वा कपालस्य विनाशे एव यत्नः क्रि-येत, तदा विदलचूर्णाद्यपि कार्यं जायेत ।तेनाप्यावृतो घ-टो नोपलभ्यत इति पुनः प्रयत्नान्तरापेक्षैव ।तस्माद्घटाद्य-भिव्यक्त्यर्थिनो नियत एव कारकव्यापारोऽर्थवान् ।तस्मा-त्प्रागुत्पत्तेरपि सदेव कार्यम् ।अतीतानागतप्रत्ययभेदाच्च ।अतीतो घटोऽनागतो घट इत्येतयोश्च प्रत्यययोर्वर्तमानघटप्र-त्ययवन्न निर्विषयत्वं युक्तम् ।अनागतार्थिप्रवृत्तेश्च ।न ह्यस-त्यर्थितया प्रवृत्तिर्लोके दृष्टा ।योगिनां चातीतानागतज्ञानस्यसत्यत्वात् ।असदविषयत्वे भविष्यद्घटः, ऐश्वरं भविष्यद्घटविषयं प्र-जन्तून् ।तेनासावशनायेया लक्ष्यते मृत्युरिति, अशनायाहीत्याह ।बुद्ध्यात्मनोऽशनाया धर्म इति स एष बुद्ध्यवस्थोहिरण्यगर्भो मृत्युरित्युच्यते ।तेन मृत्युनेदं कार्यमावृतमा-सीत्, यथा पिण्डावस्थया मृदा घटादय आवृताः स्युरितितद्वत् ।तन्मनोऽकुरुत, तदिति मनसो निर्देशः; स प्रकृतोमृत्युः वक्ष्यमाणकार्यसिसृक्षया तत् कार्यालोचनक्षमम्,मनःशब्दवाच्यं संकल्पादिलक्षणमन्तःकरणम्, अकुरुतकृतवान् ।केनाभिप्रायेण मनोऽकरोदिति, उच्यते—आत्म-न्वी आत्मवान् स्यां भवेयम्; अहम्मेनात्मना मनसा मन-स्वी स्यामित्यभिप्रायः ।सः प्रजापतिः, अभिव्यक्तेन मनसासमनस्कः सन्, अर्चन् अर्चयन्पूजयन् आत्मानमेव कृतार्थो-ऽस्मीति, अचरत् चरणमकरोत् ।तस्य प्रजापतेः अर्चतः पूज-यतः आपः रसात्मिकाः पूजाङ्गभूताः अजायन्त उत्पन्नाः ।अत्राकाशप्रभृतीनां वयाणामुत्पत्त्यनन्तरमिति वक्तव्यम्,श्रुत्यन्तरसामर्थ्यात्, विकल्पासंभवाच्च सृष्टिक्रमस्य ।अर्चतेपूजां कुर्वते वै मे मह्यं कम् उदकम् अभूत् इति एवममन्यतयस्मान्मृत्युः, तदेव तस्मादेव हेतोः अर्कस्य अग्नेरश्वमेधक्रत्वौ-पयोगिकस्य अर्कत्वम् ; अर्कत्वे हेतुरित्यर्थः ।अग्नेरर्कनामनिर्व-चनमेतत्—अर्चनात्सुखहेतुपूजाकरणात्संबन्धाच्चाग्नेरेतद्रूपंपरामृशति, अन्यत्र प्रसङ्गो मा भूदिति; तद्यद्रेत आसीत्,तत् तत्र मिथुने, यद्रेत आसीत्, प्रथमशरीरिणः प्रजापतेरु-त्पत्तौ कारणं रेतो बीजं ज्ञानकर्मरूपम्, त्रय्यालोचनायांयद्दृष्टवानासीज्जन्मान्तरकृतम्; तद्भावभावितोऽपः सृष्ट्वा तेनरेतसा बीजेनाप्स्वनुप्रविश्याण्डरूपेण गर्भीभूतः सः, संवत्स-रोऽभवत्, संवत्सरकालनिर्माता संवत्सरः, प्रजापतिरभवत् ।न ह, पुरा पूर्वम् ; 'ततः' तस्मात्संवत्सरकालनिर्मातुः प्रजापतेः,संवत्सरः कालो नाम, न आस न बभूव ह; तं संवत्सरकाल-निर्मातारमन्तर्गर्भं प्रजापतिम्, यावानिह प्रसिद्धः कालः ए-तावन्तम् एतावत्संवत्सरपरिमाणं कालम् अबिभः भृतवान्मृत्युः ।यावान्संवत्सरः इह प्रसिद्धः, ततः परस्तात्किं कृत-वान्? तम्, एतावतः कालस्य संवत्सरमात्रस्य परस्तात्ऊर्ध्वम् असृजत सृष्टवान्, अण्डमभिनदित्यर्थः ।तम् एवं कु-मारं जातम् अग्निं प्रथमशरीरिणम्, 'अशनायावत्त्वान्मृत्युःअभिव्याददात् मुखविदारणं कृतवान् अत्तुम्; स च कुमारोभीतः स्वाभाविकाविद्यया युक्तः भाणित्येवं शब्दम् अकरोत्;सैव वागभवत्, वाक् शब्दः अभवत् ॥
In plain words
If you object that lighting a lamp is merely to dispel the dark, and that once the dark is gone, the pot is seen by its own nature without anything new being added to it, we say: no. The pot is only ever perceived when it is bathed in light. The way a pot is seen when a lamp is brought is entirely different from how it was before. Therefore, bringing a lamp does not merely remove darkness; it actively illuminates, for perception requires the presence of light. Sometimes, indeed, our effort is spent in breaking down a barrier, like demolishing a wall. But there is no absolute rule that one who seeks to reveal something must only work to destroy its covering. Causal rules must have a real purpose. We have already shown that an effect, while still latent in its cause, acts as a barrier to other potential effects. If your effort were spent solely on destroying the previous state—the unformed lump of clay or the hidden potsherd—then you would only produce broken chips and dust. The pot, still covered by these new fragments, would remain unseen, requiring yet another effort to clear them. Therefore, for someone who wishes to reveal a pot, a specific and directed causal action is necessary and meaningful. This proves that the effect must exist even before its formal production. We see this also in how we think of the past and the future. The thoughts 'the pot has been' and 'the pot will be' cannot be empty of reality, any more than the thought of the pot standing before us now. Moreover, people actively work to attain things that do not yet exist in the present; no one strives for what is utterly unreal. Even the yogis' clear vision of the past and future is a proven truth, which would be impossible if the unmanifest had no reality. This cosmic destroyer is characterized by hunger, for as the ancient text says, 'hunger is indeed death.' Since hunger is a quality of the conditioned intellect, this cosmic soul, Hiranyagarbha, existing in the state of cosmic intellect, is called death. By this death, the entire unmanifested universe was enveloped, just as future pots are hidden within a single lump of clay. He then fashioned the mind. Desiring to project the universe, the cosmic destroyer created the inner instrument of thought and resolve, capable of planning the creation. He did this with a clear intention: 'May I have a mind to think; may I become conscious through this inner instrument.' Thus endowed with a manifested mind, Prajapati moved about in adoration, feeling completely fulfilled in his own being. As he dwelt in this state of worship, the cosmic waters—the very essence of taste and the primary offering of adoration—were brought forth. This creation of water must be understood to follow the manifestation of space, air, and fire, as established by other sacred texts and the natural order of creation. 'As I worshipped, joy and water arose within me,' thought the creator. This is why the sacred fire of the horse sacrifice is called Arka—it is born of worship and brings supreme joy. The seed of his past wisdom and action, gathered from his contemplation of the Vedas in a previous life, was cast into the waters he created. Entering those waters as a golden embryo, he matured for a full year and emerged as Prajapati, the creator of time. Before him, the measure of time we call a year did not exist. The cosmic destroyer carried him within the womb of the egg for that first year, and then split the egg open to release him. But hunger ruled the destroyer, and he opened his mouth to devour the newborn child, who was the first embodied fire. Terrified and bound by natural ignorance, the infant cried out 'bhan!'—and that first cry became the origin of all speech.
Close to the Sanskrit
If it is objected that even the effort made in producing a lamp is only for removing darkness, and when that is destroyed, the pot is perceived by itself, and nothing is added to the pot, we say no; because the pot is perceived only as endowed with light. Just as the pot is perceived when a lamp is brought, it is not so before. Therefore, bringing a lamp is not solely for removing darkness, but for endowing with light, because it is perceived only as possessing light. In some cases, effort may be for removing an obstruction, as in breaking a wall. Therefore, there is no rule that effort must be made only for removing an obstruction by one who desires manifestation. This is also because rules have a purpose. We have said that the effect existing in the cause is an obstruction to other effects. If effort were made only to destroy the previously manifested effect, the lump of clay, or the concealed potsherd, then chips and powder would also be produced. Covered by that too, the pot would not be perceived, so there would be a need for another effort. Therefore, for one who desires the manifestation of a pot, a restricted causal operation is indeed purposeful. Therefore, even before production, the effect is indeed existent. This is also because of the difference in cognitions of past and future. The cognitions 'the pot is past' and 'the pot is future' cannot be objectless, like the cognition of a present pot. This is also because of the activity of those who desire future things. No activity is seen in the world towards the non-existent. This is also because the yogis' knowledge of the past and future is true. If the non-existent were not an object, the future pot, the divine knowledge regarding the future pot... creatures. By that, this death is characterized by hunger, as scripture says 'hunger is indeed death'. Hunger is the attribute of the intellect-self, so this Hiranyagarbha in the state of intellect is called death. By that death, this effect was covered, just as pots are covered by clay in the state of a lump. He made that mind; 'that' is the indication of the mind. That contextual death, with the desire to create the future effect, made the mind, which is capable of reflecting on the effect, signified by the word mind, and characterized by resolve etc. With what intention did he make the mind? It is said: 'May I have a self, may I be endowed with a self; may I be thoughtful with a mind as my self'—this was the intention. He, Prajapati, being endowed with the manifested mind, worshipping, adoring, and venerating himself, thinking 'I am successful', moved about. As that Prajapati was worshipping and adoring, the waters, which are of the nature of taste and serve as instruments of worship, were produced. Here, it should be said that this was after the production of the three elements beginning with space, because of the authority of other scriptures and the impossibility of variation in the order of creation. 'Since for me, who was worshipping, water arose,' thus thought death; therefore, that is the reason for the Arka-nature of the fire useful in the horse sacrifice; this is the meaning. This is the etymology of the name Arka for fire—from worship, and from connection with performing worship which is the cause of happiness. He refers to this form of fire, so that there may be no applicability elsewhere. That seed which was there in that couple, which was the cause of the birth of the first embodied Prajapati, the seed in the form of knowledge and action, which he had seen in another birth during his contemplation of the three Vedas—imbued with that state, having created the waters, entering into the waters with that seed in the form of an egg, becoming an embryo, he became the year. The year, the maker of the time called year, became Prajapati. Indeed, formerly, before him, the maker of the time called year, the time named year did not exist. Death sustained him, the creator of the year-time, who was an embryo inside, for as much time as is well-known here, for the measure of a year. What did he do after that year-time? He created him beyond that much time of a year; meaning, he broke the egg. Death, because of possessing hunger, opened his mouth to eat him, the born child, the fire, the first embodied one. And that child, frightened and endowed with natural ignorance, made the sound 'bhan'; that indeed became speech, sound became speech.