--- In [email protected], "Richard J. Williams"
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>
>
> According to Badarayana, Brahman is NOT THIS, NOT
> THAT, but it is not "nothing" and the author of the
> Brahma Sutras does not call Brahman a "Void".
Dunno if you refer to "neti neti*", but - FWIW - literally
it seems mean "not thus, not thus".
*) na(not)+iti(thus)
iti 2 ind. (fr. pronominal base 3. %{i}) , in this manner , thus (in
its original signification %{iti} refers to something that has been
said or thought , or lays stress on what precedes ; in the
Bra1hman2as it is often equivalent to `" as you know "' , reminding
the hearer or reader of certain customs , conditions , &c. supposed
to be known to him). In quotations of every kind %{iti} means that
the preceding words are the very words which some person has or
might have spoken , and placed thus at the end of a speech it serves
the purpose of inverted commas ([EMAIL PROTECTED] , having so said ; %
[EMAIL PROTECTED] , having so considered , having so decided). It may
often have reference merely to what is passing in the mind e.g. %
{bAlo@'[EMAIL PROTECTED]@[EMAIL PROTECTED]@bhUmipaH} , a king , though a
child , is not to be despised , saying to one's self , `" he is a
mortal "' , (Gr. 928.) In dram. [EMAIL PROTECTED]@karoti} means `" after
these words he acts thus. "' Sometimes %{iti} is used to include
under one head a number of separate objects aggregated together
(e.g. [EMAIL PROTECTED]@[EMAIL PROTECTED]@damaH} %
[EMAIL PROTECTED]@mArgo@'yam} , `" sacrificing , studying , liberality ,
penance , truth , patience , self-restraint , absence of desire "' ,
this course of conduct , &c.) %{iti} is sometimes followed by %
{evam} , %{iva} , or a demonstrative pronoun pleonastically (e.g. %
[EMAIL PROTECTED]@[EMAIL PROTECTED] , her he may call `" lady "' , thus). %
{iti} may form an adverbial compound with the name of an author
(e.g. %{iti-pANini} , thus according to Pa1n2ini). It may also
express the act of calling attention (lo! behold!) It may have some
other significations e.g. something additional (as in %{ityAdi} , et
caetera) , order , arrangement specific or distinctive , and
identity. It is used by native commentators after quoting a rule to
express `" according to such a rule "' (e.g. %
[EMAIL PROTECTED]@[EMAIL PROTECTED] , according to the rule of
Pa1n2ini i , 3 , 12 , the A1tmane-pada takes place). [EMAIL PROTECTED] = %
{kim} , wherefore , why? (In the S3atapatha-bra1hman2a %{ti} occurs
for %{iti} ; cf. Pra1kr2it {ti} and %{tti}.)
