n; hence the word jyotis also--which stands in grammatical
co-ordination to 'which'--must have Brahman for its object. From all
this it follows that the word 'light' here denotes Brahman.

25. If it be objected that (Brahman is) not (denoted) on account of the
metre being denoted; (we reply) not so, because thus (i.e. by means of
the metre) the direction of the mind (on Brahman) is declared; for thus
it is seen (in other passages also).

We now address ourselves to the refutation of the assertion (made in the
purvapaksha of the preceding Sutra) that in the previous passage also
Brahman is not referred to, because in the sentence, 'Gayatri is
everything whatsoever here exists,' the metre called Gayatri is spoken
of.--How (we ask the purvapakshin) can it be maintained that, on account
of the metre being spoken of, Brahman is not denoted, while yet the
mantra 'such is the greatness of it,' &c., clearly sets forth Brahman
with its four quarters?--You are mistaken (the purvapakshin replies).
The sentence, 'Gayatri is everything,' starts the discussion of Gayatri.
The same Gayatri is thereupon described under the various forms of all
beings, earth, body, heart, speech, breath; to which there refers also
the verse, 'that Gayatri has four feet and is sixfold.' After that we
meet with the mantra, 'Such is the greatness of it.' &c. How then, we
ask, should this mantra, which evidently is quoted with reference to the
Gayatri (metre) as described in the preceding clauses, all at once
denote Brahman with its four quarters? Since therefore the metre Gayatri
is the subject-matter of the entire chapter, the term 'Brahman' which
occurs in a subsequent passage ('the Brahman which has thus been
described') must also denote the metre. This is analogous to a previous
passage (Ch. Up. III, 11, 3, 'He who thus knows this Brahma-upanishad'),
where the word Brahma-upanishad is explained to mean Veda-upanishad. As
therefore the preceding passage refers (not to Brahman, but) to the
Gayatri metre, Brahman does not constitute the topic of the entire
section.

This argumentation, we reply, proves nothing against our position.
'Because thus direction of the mind is declared,' i.e. because the
Brahma/n/a passage, 'Gayatri indeed is all this,' intimates that by
means of the metre Gayatri the mind is to be directed on Brahman which
is connected with that metre. Of the metre Gayatri, which is nothing but
a certain special combination of syllables, it c