The Final Philosophy of the Veda 253
ical consistency, as all his intellectual history shows, becomes nervous about the permanence of life after death. What if the effect even of his good deeds should not last forever? What if, instead of the hopcdufor immortality in yonder world, there be death again P One text fancies a limited immortal. ity which lasts only a hundred years, that is, the ideal length of the life of man upon earth. The treasure of good deeds is after all finite; day and night, or, as we should say, time may exhaust the stock of one’s good works. In strict logic that must mean death anew. So we read in the Brahmana texts of fervent wishes and cunning rites potent to ensure imperishableness of one’s good works, and to cut off the possible recurrence of death.”I There are also performances intended to secure to the deceased ancestors who, for aught one knows, are in the same danger of remdying, genuine, instead of temporary and conditional immortality.” This “ death-anew,” or “rewdeath” (flarzarmz’z‘ya) as the Hindus call it, is an exceedingly characteristic idea, but it is not yet transmigration of souls. As long as its scene is loca— ted entirely in the other world, and as long as it is thought possible to avoid or cure it by the ordinary
earpedients of sacrifice, so long the essential character 1 Catapatha Brahmana 10. I. 5. 4.
9 Taittiri‘ya Brfihmana 3. II. 8. 5. 3 Qatapatha Brahmana 3:2. 9., 3. I2.
