इतरपरामर्शात् स इति चेत्, न, असभवात् ॥ १८ ॥
itaraparāmarśāt sa iti cet, na, asambhavāt || 18 ||
itara-parāmarśat—Because of the reference to the other (i.e. the individual soul); saḥ—he (the individual soul); iti cet—if it be said; na—no; asambhavāt—on account of impossibility.
18. Because of the reference to the other (i.e. the individual soul in a complementary passage) if it be said that he (the individual soul) (and not Brahman is meant by the ‘small Akasa’), (we say)’ no, on account of the impossibility (of such an assumption).
“Now that being, the individual soul (Jiva) in deep sleep, which having risen above this earthly body” etc. (Chh. 8. 3. 4).
Since in this complementary passage the individual soul is referred to, one may say that the ‘small Akasa’ of Chh. 8. 1. 1 is also the individual soul. It cannot be; for a comparison is made in Chh. 8. 1. 3 between the ‘small Akasa’ and the ether, which would be absurd if by ‘small Akasa’ Jiva were meant, because there can be no comparison between a thing that is limited like the individual soul and the all-pervading ether. The attributes like ‘free from evil’ of this Akasa, referred to in the passage under discussion, cannot be true of the individual soul. So Brahman is meant in that passage.