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32. There is no restriction (since) all (have to go on that path). (Thus) there is non-contradiction of sacred text and Smriti.
The question here is whether Brahman is to be reached on the path of the gods by those only who take their stand on those meditations which, like the Upakosala-vidyâ, describe that path, or by all who practise any of the meditations on Brahman. The Pûrvapakshin holds the former view, since there is no proof to show that in other vidyâs the going on that path is not mentioned, and since those other vidyâs-such as the texts 'and those who in the forest meditate on faith and austerities,'and' those who in the forest worship faith, the True' (Kh. Up. V, 10, 1; Bri. Up. VI, 2, 15)--suggest to the mind the idea of the knowledge of Brahman. This the Sûtra negatives.
There is no restriction to that limited class of devotees, since all who carry on meditations have to go on that path. For on this latter assumption only text and inference, i.e. scripture and authoritative tradition, are not contradicted. As to scripture, the Khândogya and the Vâgasaneyaka alike, in the Pañkâgni-vidyâ, declare that all those who practise meditation go on that path. In the Vâgasaneyaka the words 'who know this' refer to those who practise the meditation on the five fires, while the following words 'those who in the forest meditate on faith and the True' refer to those who meditate on Brahman; and the text then goes on to say that all those devotees go to Brahman, on the path of the gods. Texts such as 'the True, knowledge, infinite is Brahman,' and 'the True must be enquired into,' prove that the term 'the True' denotes Brahman; and as in the Khândogya the term 'tapas ' occurs in the corresponding place, we conclude that both these terms, viz. the True and tapas, denote nothing else but Brahman. Meditation on Brahman, preceded by faith, is mentioned elsewhere also; in the text which begins 'The True must be enquired into' we read further on 'Faith must be enquired into' (Kh. Up. VII, 18, 16; 19). Smriti also declares that all those who know Brahman proceed on the path of the gods, 'Fire, the light, the day, the bright fortnight, the six months of the sun's northern progress--proceeding by that road those who know Brahman go to Brahman' (Bha. Gî. VIII, 24). And there are many other Sruti and Smriti passages of this kind. The conclusion therefore is that the Upakosalavidyâ and similar texts merely refer to that going of the soul which is common to all vidyâs.--Here terminates the adhikarana of 'non-restriction.'
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