The Philosophy of the Upanishads c10.s2.t4.6

c10.s2.t4.6

A significant advance in the direction of theism and belief in providence is found in the thought which is repeated from Kâṭh. 5. 13 in Îs'â 8, where it is said (word for word) :—" The wise, thoughtful, all-comprehending, self-existent one has assigned ends *yâthâtathyato* for all time." The word *yâthâtathyato*, interpolated later as the metre shows, gives evidence of a further advance upon the original verse; "in proportion to the quality," *i.e.* according to (*yathâ*) the works of the individual soul, so (*tathâ*) has the wise thoughtful one (*kavir manîshî*) determined beforehand the ends (the fruit of actions, the doing and suffering of each soul). This is already, unless we have read too much into the verse, the part which îs'vara plays in the later Vedânta. The works of the soul are the seed-corn, which in close correspondence with its quality is made to grow by god as the rain ; just as by the seed the plant, so by the works of the earlier existence the future life is determined both as regards its doing and its suffering. A clear distinction between these two is not to be found even in the later Vedânta. In general this later Vedânta standpoint is anticipated by the S'vetâs'vatara Upanishad, which in harmony with its theistic colouring depicts the âtman as “the overseer of actions,”¹ “the only free one, who multiplies the one seed of many who are by nature free from actions,”² who apportions to each his qualities,³ who executes justice, restrains the evil, allots good fortune,⁴ “who, himself colourless, but endowed abundantly with powers, assigns the numerous colours to appointed ends,”⁵ who brings to maturity the actions of the soul:—