Section 6.13 (thirteenth khaṇḍa) (three texts)

Upaniṣad text:

‘Having put this salt into water, come to me in the morning’.—He did so.—(The father) said to him—‘Bring the salt, my son, which you put into the water at night’.—Having looked for it, he found it not; as it had melted away.—(1)

Commentary (Śaṅkara Bhāṣya):

‘Even a thing that exists may not be directly perceived, and yet it may be known in another way; listen to an example of this, if you wish to have direct evidence of this fact, then, having put. this salt—lump—in water,—in a jar or some other vessel,—come to me—tomorrow in the morning.’—The boy, with a view to see for himself for what father had taught him, did as he was told.—The next day, the Father said to him—in the morning—‘The salt that, at night, you put under water,—that, my boy, please bring.’—Being told thus, with a view to bring the salt, having looked for it,—in the water,—he found it not,—he did not per,ceive the salt; because, even though it was there it had welted away—and merged into the water.—(1)

Upaniṣad text:

‘My boy, taste it from the pot; how is it?’—‘It is salt.’—‘Taste it from the middle; how is it?’— ‘It is salt.’—‘Taste it from the bottom; how is it ‘It is salt.’—‘Throw it away and come to me.’—He did so; (saying) ‘It remains for ever’—The Father said to him—‘Here also, forsooth, thou dost not perceive the Being, while there it is indeed.’—(2)

Commentary (Śaṅkara Bhāṣya):

‘Though you do not perceive the melted salt with the eye, nor feel the lump by your tactile organ, yet it exists in the water all the same and is perceived by other means,’—in order to convince of the truth of this, he said to him—‘My boy, take some water from the top surface and taste it.’—Having said this and having found that the son had done as he was asked, he asked him—‘How is it?’—the other replied—‘It is salt—in taste.’—Similarly, ‘Take some water jrom the middle and taste it;—how is it?’—‘It is salt.’—So take some water from the bottom—‘end’ and taste it.—How is it?—‘It is salt,’—‘If that is so, then throw it away,—leave it,—and having washed your mouthy —come to me.’—He did so; that is, having thrown away the salt, he went to his father;—saying these words—‘Exactly the same salt that I had put into the water at night, remains for ever,—i.e. it exists quite in the right manner.’—When he had said this, the Father said to him—‘This salt had been perceived by you, in the first instance, with the visual and tactile organs,—and when it melted in water, though it was not perceived by those two organs yet it exists there, as shown by the fact that it is perceived by the gestatory organ (the tongue);—in the same manner, it happens in regard to the body which is of the nature of a sprout, a product of fire, water, food and other things.’—The particles ‘Vāva’ and ‘Kila’ are meant to indicate the remembrance of the teachings of ancient teachers.—‘Here also forsooth, thou dost not perceive the Being’,—which is the cause of the sprout made up of fire, water, food and other things,—while it is there indeed,—like the subtle essence of the Banyan-Seed,—though thou perceivest it not by the sense-organs. As in this water, though the salt was not perceived by the visual and tactile organs, yet it was there as you perceived it bu the gestatory organ,—in the same manner, though the Being exists in this world, as its very root, and thou canst apprehend it by other means,—like the subtle essence of the salt,’ this is the final upshot of what he said.—(2)

Upaniṣad text:

‘That which is this Subtle Essence,—in that has all this its Self; That is the True; That is the Self; That thou art, O, Śvetaketu.—‘Revered Sir, please explain this to me again.’—‘Be it so, my boy,’—he said.—(3)

Commentary (Śaṅkara Bhāṣya):

That which etc., etc.—just as before.

If this Being, the root of the Universe,—though imperceptible through the sense-organs,—is yet capable of being apprephended by other means,—just like the subtle essence of the salt,—and the apprehension of this Being would fulfil my whole purpose in life, and the non-apprehension of it would make me disappointed in my aim,—then, please explain to me again, what is the means by which that Being could be apprehended; please explain this by means of illustration’—said the son.

‘Be it so, my boy,’—said the Father.—(3)

End of Section (13) of Discourse VI.