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9. But she begins with light; for thus some read in their text.
The 'but' has assertory force. 'Light' in the Sūtra means Brahman, in accordance with the meaning of the term as known from texts such as 'On him the gods meditate, the light of lights' (Bri. Up. X, 4, 16); 'That light which shines beyond heaven' (Kh. Up. III, 13, 7). 'She begins with light' thus means 'she has Brahman for her cause.'--'For thus some read in their text,' i.e. because the members of one Sakha, viz the Taittiriyas read in their text that this 'aga' has Brahman for her cause. The Mahanarayana-Upanishad (of the Taittirīyas) at first refers to Brahman abiding in the hollow of the heart as the object of meditation. 'Smaller than the small, greater than the great, the Self placed in the hollow of this creature'; next declares that all the worlds and Brahma and the other gods originated from that Self; and then says that there sprung from it also this aga which is the cause of all 'The one aga (goat), red, white and black, which gives birth to numerous offspring of the same shape, one aga (he-goat) loves and lies by her; another one forsakes her after having enjoyed her.'
The subject-matter of the entire section evidently is to give instruction as to the whole aggregate of things other than Brahman originating from Brahman and thus having its Self in it; hence we conclude that also the aga which gives birth to manifold creatures like her, and is enjoyed by the soul controlled by karman, while she is abandoned by the soul possessing true knowledge is, no less than vital airs, seas, mountains, &c., a creature of Brahman, and hence has its Self in Brahman. We then apply to the interpretation of the Svetasvatara-text the meaning of the analogous Mahanarayana-text, as determined by the complementary passages, and thus arrive at the conclusion that the aga in the former text also is a being having its Self in Brahman. That this is so, moreover, appears from the Svetasvatara itself. For in the early part of that Upanishad, we have after the introductory question, 'Is Brahman the cause?' the passage 'The sages devoted to meditation and concentration have seen the person whose Self is the divinity, hidden in its own qualities' (I, 1, 3); which evidently refers to the aga. as being of the nature of a power of the highest Brahman. And as further on also (viz. in the passages 'From that the Mayin creates all this, and in this the other is bound up through Maya'; 'Know then Prakriti to be Maya and the Great Lord the ruler of Maya'; and 'he who rules every place of birth,' V, 9-11) the very same being is referred to, there remains not even a shadow of proof for the assertion that the mantra under discussion refers to an independent Prakriti as assumed by the Sankhyas.
But a further objection is raised, if the Prakriti denoted by aga begins with, i.e. is caused by Brahman, how can it be called aga, i.e. the non-produced one; or, if it is non-produced, how can it be originated by Brahman? To this the next Sūtra replies.
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