possesses greatness, of essential nature as well as of qualities, in
unlimited fulness; and such is only the Lord of all. Hence the word
'Brahman' primarily denotes him alone, and in a secondary derivative
sense only those things which possess some small part of the Lord's
qualities; for it would be improper to assume several meanings for the
word (so that it would denote primarily or directly more than one thing).
The case is analogous to that of the term 'bhagavat [FOOTNOTE 4:1].' The
Lord only is enquired into, for the sake of immortality, by all those
who are afflicted with the triad of pain. Hence the Lord of all is that
Brahman which, according to the Sutra, constitutes the object of enquiry.
The word 'jijnasa' is a desiderative formation meaning 'desire to know.'
And as in the case of any desire the desired object is the chief thing,
the Sutra means to enjoin knowledge--which is the object of the desire
of knowledge. The purport of the entire Sutra then is as follows: 'Since
the fruit of works known through the earlier part of the Mimamsa is
limited and non-permanent, and since the fruit of the knowledge of
Brahman--which knowledge is to be reached through the latter part of the
Mimamsa--is unlimited and permanent; for this reason Brahman is to be
known, after the knowledge of works has previously taken place.'--The
same meaning is expressed by the Vrittikara when saying 'after the
comprehension of works has taken place there follows the enquiry into
Brahman.' And that the enquiry into works and that into Brahman
constitute one body of doctrine, he (the Vrittikara) will declare later
on 'this Sariraka-doctrine is connected with Jaimini's doctrine as
contained in sixteen adhyayas; this proves the two to constitute one
body of doctrine.' Hence the earlier and the later Mimamsa are separate
only in so far as there is a difference of matter to be taught by each;
in the same way as the two halves of the Purva Mimamsa-sutras,
consisting of six adhyayas each, are separate [FOOTNOTE 5:1]; and as each
adhyaya is separate. The entire Mimamsa-satra--which begins with the