The Religion of the Veda: The Ancient Religion of India (from Rig-Veda to Upanishads) c10.87

c10.87

Desire, Kāma, the equivalent of Greek *Ἔρως* “Love,” means here the desire to live; it is the first possible seed or fruit of the mind, for there is no conceivable action of the mind which is not preceded by life. The second hemistich introduces an even more primordial creative rôle on the part of the sages, whose devotion is the real promotive force in the act of creation. The poet does not tell whence come the sages at this stage of the drama. The production of this creation, which is here defined as “being” coming out of “non-being,” contradicts, the first stanza where “non-being” is denied: “How can 'being' come out of 'non-being?'" asks the Chāndogya Upanishad (6. 2. 2). Moreover it ignores the previously postulated "That Only" which by its terms eliminates "non-being." The poet here unquestionably entangles himself in sham-profundity; he had better left out all reference to "non-being"; it is a term handled by the Hindus with a degree of deftness which is in the inverse ratio to their fondness for it.