तत्स्तम्भपुत्रिकाद्येतत् परमार्थे जगत्स्थितेः । एकदेशेन सदृशमुपमानं न सर्वथा ॥ १२ ॥
tatstambhaputrikādyētat paramārthē jagatsthitēḥ | ēkadēśēna sadṛśamupamānaṁ na sarvathā || 12 ||
Translation
So the pillar, the figure and the rest are a comparison for the world's abiding in the Supreme that holds in one respect, not in every way.
Word by word
- tat
- so
- stambha
- the pillar
- putrikā
- the figure
- ādi
- and the rest
- ētat
- this
- parama
- supreme
- arthē
- in the reality (in the Supreme)
- jagat
- of the world
- sthitēḥ
- of the abiding
- ēka
- in one
- dēśēna
- respect
- sadṛśam
- like
- upamānaṁ
- a comparison
- na
- not
- sarvathā
- in every way
Meaning
A rule for reading every image in this text. If the two are so unlike, why give the image at all? The commentary: the pillar and figure resemble Brahman and the world in one part only, namely that the world has being in Brahman as the figure has being in the pillar; in that part it is a comparison (upamāna), not an example to be pressed in every detail. Another commentary adds that no example and what it illustrates are ever alike in every part. Just as there is no being of the figure apart from the being of the pillar, there is no being of the world apart from the being of Brahman. The pillar was cut by someone, from a tree, at a time; none of that carries over.