History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v7.c95.56

v7.c95.56

The Vedic Saṁhitās and Brāhmaṇas show that the popular belief about the individual self was that by good deeds the soul reaches heaven, becomes immortal and enjoys various joys and pleasures. Vide Ṛg. IX. 113. 7-11, I. 125. 4-6, Atharva IV. 34. 2 and 5, VI. 120. 3. There was also the idea of retribution and recompense for evil or harmful acts done by one person to another. For example, the Śat Br. says (XII. 9. 1. 1) 'for whatever food a man eats in this world, by the very same is he eaten again in the other world.' Vide also Śat. Br XI 6. 1 But when we come to the Upanisads, the whole intellectual atmosphere is changed The Upanisads frequently assert that Ātman is the only reality, that there is nothing else and that the Ātman can only be described as 'not this-not this' i. e. the Ātman is unknowable. This is the first and foremost aspect of Vedānta. But this lofty metaphysical conception clashed with the ideas of common people who thought that a real universe existed apart from the Creator. The higher philosophic minds had to concede the reality of the universe for common people. They were prepared to say that the universe exists, in truth, however, it is nothing but the Ātman entered into the universe. They said that the world was phenomenal, not false or nothing, but the world had the Ātman behind it This was the good aspect of the Vedānta viz. that the universe evolved from the first principle, *brahma*. They distinguished between *saguṇa* (qualified) *brahman* that was for prayer and worship (*upāsanā*), and for practical purposes (*vyavahārāvasthā*) and *nirguṇa* (unqualified) *brahma*. But the higher thought also insisted that the highest truth (*pāramārthikasatya*) is that *brahman* is one, that everything in the world (men, animals, inorganic matter)