"And what is the sense of those words, O sage? Why are those the most excellent?
"Tell me this, Brahmá, that I may know it truly."
Thus addressed by Nárada, the most excellent Brahmá replied:—
"The word Then is used of subsequency and of competency, and in an auspicious sense,
"And the word Thence is employed to indicate the reason."
It is laid down that we must institute inquiries about the absolute, because emancipation is not attained without the grace of Náráyana, and his grace is not attained without knowledge. The absolute, about which the inquiry is to be instituted, is described in the words (of the second aphorism): From which the genesis, and so forth, of this. The meaning of the sentence is that the absolute is that from which result emanation, sustentation, and retractation; according to the words of the Skanda-puráṇa—
"He is Hari the sole ruler, the spirit from whom are emanation, sustentation, retractation, necessity, knowledge, involution (in illusion), and bondage and liberation;"
and according to such Vedic texts, From which are these. The evidence adducible for this is described (in the third aphorism): Because it has its source from the system. That the absolute should be reached by way of inference is rejected by such texts as, He that knows not the Veda cogitates not that mighty one; Him described in the Upanishads. Inference, moreover, is not by itself authoritative, as is said in the Kaurma-puráṇa—
"Inference, unaccompanied by revelation, in no case
"Can definitely prove a matter, nor can any other form of evidence;