50-51. His consciousness and agency are quite absolute because of His independence. In the very variety of His will consists His absolute freedom. Who can define the self-reliant will of Isvara by which He is free to act, or not to act, or to act otherwise?

He is conscious and active independently of all else, without undergoing any change in Himself. So, too, is His will characterized by thorough independence and absence of all obstruction.

52. The Sruti also has declared Isvara's creation by will, in the words, "He desired," and "From Him, the Atman, was akasa born."

Thus by way of comparing Isvara to the magician and to the Yogin, has been expounded the Vedantic doctrine that Isvara is both the material and the efficient cause, as manifesting by force of His Maya the universe made up of names and forms which cannot be spoken of as either real or unreal. As this doctrine is taught in one harmonious voice by all the Upanishads, it should not

be set aside on the strength of evidence furnished from other sources of knowledge.

Isvara is not a mere efficient cause.

53. If the Supreme Lord were merely the efficient cause of this universe, like a potter He would be subject to change and liable to death.

It cannot be that, like the potter operating with external instruments upon an external material cause, Isvara is merely the efficient cause of the universe; for none can operate upon things external to himself without himself undergoing change. Like other operators He should have been endowed with a body, which would make Him liable to decay. Accordingly the conception that Isvara is the mere efficient cause of the universe is opposed to the express teaching of the Vedanta that He is eternal and immutable.

To avoid the absurdity that has been shown to follow from the doctrine that Isvara is the mere efficient cause, the Vaiseshika may say that Isvara, as belonging to the category of Atman, has the nine qualities (the last nine enumerated in vartika 23) including ichchha (desire or will) inherent in

[paragraph continues] His nature, i.e., independent of a body. But this -would lead to another absurdity, as shown below:

54. If the nine qualities including intellect were eternal coinhering attributes of Isvara, then, endowed as He is with eternal will, He should constantly be engaged in the creation of the universe.

55. In the absence of all cessation of activity, samsara would never cease. The teaching as to moksha would be vain, and the Revelation would be of no purpose.

56. Wherefore the Isvara's creation of the universe is all a display of Maya, and all worldly experience including Revelation as to bondage and liberation is (the effect) of Maya.

57. Thus ends the second chapter in brief in the work called Manasollasa which expounds the meaning of the Hymn to the Blessed Dakshinamurti.