Sūtra 1.3.19

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of Sūtra 1.3.19:

उत्तराच् चेद् आविर्भाव-स्वरूपस् तु

uttarāc ced āvirbhāva-svarūpas tu

uttarāt – because of a later passage; cet – if; āvirbhāva – manifestation; svarūpas – form; tu – indeed.

“[If it is said that] a later passage [proves that the “small sky” is the jīva then I say no.] The description of the true nature of the jīva [is confined to that passage alone.]” (19)

Sūtra pagination:
Adhyāya 1:
  The subject matter of all Vedic literatures is Brahman;
Pāda 3:
  Scriptural Texts that may Seem to Describe the Jīva or some other Topic, but in Truth Describe the Supreme Personality of Godhead.;
Adhikaraṇa 5:
  The ‘Dahara’ is the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa’s commentary (Govinda-bhāṣya)

The word tu [but] is used here to dispel doubt. The word na [no] should be understood from the previous sūtra. In this passage spoken by the Prajāpati the teaching is that the jīva manifests the eight qualities mentioned in Chāndogya Upaniṣad [8.7.1] quoted above by engaging in spiritual activities, but otherwise these qualities are not manifested. In the passage describing the “small sky” these eight attributes are said to be eternally manifested. The statement of the Prajāpati is, however, that these qualities are present in the jīva only if he engages in spiritual activities.

The Chāndogya Upaniṣad [8.3.4] clearly explains the difference between the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who possesses these eight qualities in all circumstances, and the jīva, who possesses these qualities only when he becomes liberated, in the following words:

स एष सम्प्रसादो ‘स्माच् छरीरात् समुत्थाय परं ज्योतिर् उपसम्पद्य स्वेन रूपेणाभिनिष्पद्यते. एष आत्मेति होवाच. एतद् अमृतम् एतद् अभयम् एतद् ब्रह्म.

sa eṣa samprasādo ‘smāc charīrāt samutthāya paraṃ jyotir upasampadya svena rūpeṇābhiniṣpadyate. Eṣa ātmeti hovāca. Etad amṛtam etad abhayam etad brahma.

“The liberated jīva rises from the material body. He attains the spiritual effulgence and manifests his original form. This is the self,” he said. “He is immortal. He is fearless. He is Brahman”.

Although the jīva may manifest some of these eight qualities by engaging in spiritual activities, he still cannot manifest all of them. The qualities of being the “bridge that spans the worlds,” and being the “maintainer of the worlds” are some of the qualities the jīva can never attain. This proves that the “small sky” is the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Now our opponent says: “If this is so, then why is the jīva mentioned at all in this passage?”

To answer this question he says: