Section 7.11 (eleventh khaṇḍa) (two texts)

Upaniṣad text:

‘Fire indeed is greater than Water. When having held the Air, it warms up the Ākāśa; then people say ‘it is hot, it burns, it will rain’;—it is Fire that having shown itself first, creates Water. Then again, when thunderings go on, along with lightnings flashing upwards and horizontally, and people say ‘lightning is flashing, it is thundering, it will rain,’—‘it is Fire that, having shown itself first, creates Water.—Meditate upon fire.’—(1)

Commentary (Śaṅkara Bhāṣya):

Fire indeed is greater than Water; because Fire has no cause.—“Why has Fire no cause?”—Because Fire is the origin of Water, therefore, when it—Fire—having held the Air,—having closed up the Air,—i.e. having made it immobile by itself,—it warms the Ākāśa,—i.e. pervading over warms it up, then, people—ordinary men of the world —say, ‘it is hot’—the whole world in general,—‘it burns’—the bodies of living beings, hence—‘it will rain’.—It is well known in the world that when one perceives the cause he has the notion that the effect will come. It is Fire that, having shown itself first,—as manifested—it—afterwards—creates water; and thus, as it creates water, Fire is greater than Water.—There is a further reason; it is this Fire itself which, in the form of Clouds, became the cause of rain.—“In what way?”—Thunderings—of cloud,—go on, along with lightnings flashing upwards and horizontally; and on seeing this, people say—‘lightning is flashing, it is thundering, it will rain’ etc., etc.—as already explained.—Hence, meditate upon Fire.—(1)

Upaniṣad text:

‘One who meditates upon Fire as Brahman, being resplendent himself, attains resplendent regions, full of light and free from darkness; and he becomes free to act as he wishes, in the sphere within reach of Fire,—one who meditates upon Fire as Brahman’.—‘Is there anything greater than Fire, Revered sir?’—‘Certainly, there is something greater than Fire.’—‘Please explain to me. Revered sir.’—(2)

Commentary (Śaṅkara Bhāṣya):

The reward for meditating upon Fire, is as follows: He becomes resplendent,—attains resplendent regions, full of light and free from darkness,—i.e. from which all darkness of material and spiritual ignorance.—The rest is easy.—(2)

End of Section (11) of Discourse VII.