| 22. Spectator
and Permitter, Supporter, Enjoyer, the Great Lord and also spoken of as
the Supreme Self, the Purusha Supreme in this body.Spectator (Upadrashtri):
a bystander and a witness, Himself not acting. When priests and the sacrificer
are engaged in a sacrificial act, there is another, an expert in sacrificial
matters, sitting by their side, not taking part in the act, and discerning
what is good and what is bad in the acts of the sacrificer and of the priests
; just so, not taking part in the activities of the body and the senses,
the Self is distinct from them, a next witness of the body and the senses
and all their acts.Or, it may be also explained thus: The body, the sense
of sight, Manas, Buddhi, and the Self are the seers. Of these, the body
is the most external seer ; and viewed from the body inwards, the Self is
the innermost and nearest seer, and beyond Him there is no seer in the interior
Thus being the nearest seer, He is spoken of as Upadrashtri Or, the Self
is Upadrashtri because, like the Upadrasht, in the sacrificial rite, He
watches all. He is also the Permitter (Aaumantri,) expressing approbation
or satisfaction concerning the acts of those who are engaged in action.Or,
though Himself not engaged in action while the body and senses are active,
He seems to be active in cooperation with them.Or, being their mere witness,
he never stands in the way of those that are engaged in their respective
activities. Supporter (Bhartri): The Self is called the Supporter, because
the body, the senses, Manas and Buddhiwhich aggregate together to serve
the purposes of some one else, viz the Intelligent Self, and which are,
or which convey, mere reflections of the Intelligenceare what they are,
only as made by that Intelligent Self. |
