The System of the Vedanta according to Badarayana's Brahma-Sutras and Cankara's Commentary c9.s3.t3.8

c9.s3.t3.8

which appears as the sacrificial element in the first offering the same waters are equally to be understood (p. 746, 6), first, because only in that way can question and answer harmonise with each other (p. 746, 10), then, because the first offering, being the cause of the subsequent ones as its effects, cannot be essentially different in nature from them (p. 746, 13). “Further it is not possible, in so far as Faith, being an idea (pratyaya), is a quality of Manas or the soul, to tear it away from the substance in which it inheres, like the heart, etc. of a sacrificial victim, to use it as an offering. By the word ‘Faith’ therefore the waters are to be understood” (p. 747, 1—3). This designation corresponds to the usage of the Veda (Taitt. saṃh. 1, 6, 8, 1: śraddhā vā’ āpaḥ), and is explained by the fact, that the waters as seeds of the body assume a subtlety like that of faith (p. 747, 5), somewhat as one might call a hero of lion-like courage, a lion (p. 747, 6).—We shall see shortly, how our author brings himself into palpable contradiction with this express explanation of “faith” as the elementary seed of the body.