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xxxi
 
view of a Sankara, I am startled at the outset by
the second sutra of the first adhyaya which
undertakes to give a definition of Brahman."
And why? Brahman is defined in this sutra as
"that whence the origination and so on (i. e. the
sustentation and absorption) of this world pro-
ceed." Dr. Thibaut holds that "the highest
Brahman is not properly defined as that from
which the world originates." And again :-
"That from which the world proceeds can by a
Sankara be accepted only as a definition of
Isvara, of Brahman which by its association
with Maya is enabled to project the false
appearance of this world, and it certainly is as
improbable that the Sutras should open with a
definition of that inferior principle from whose
cognition there can accrue no permanent benefit,
as, according to a remark made above, it is un-
likely that they should conclude with a des-
cription of the state of those who know the
lower Brahman only and thus are debarred from
obtaining true release." "Furthermore, "in
later Vedantic writings, whose authors were
clearly conscious of the distinction of the higher
absolute Brahman and the lower Brahman