make sense if the dharAkasa is the same as bhoothAkAsa.

But an objection is raised that the supreme self is described as 'jyAyAn prthivya jyAyan anthrikshAth, (Chan.3-14-3) as being larger that the earth and sky and hence it could not be compared to the AkAsa in size. Ramanuja answers as follows: The comparison to akAsa is given in order to dismiss the idea of smallness on account of the dhaharAkAsa being situated inside the heart, as in the expression 'ishuvath gacchathi savithA,' the sun moves like an arrow, to indicate the fastness of movement, though in fact the sun moves faster. Another argument forwarded to show that the dhaharAkasa is not Brahman.It is not dhaharAkAsa which is intended to be sought and understood but only what is inside it. So dhaharAkaSA is distinguished from that inside it. This objection is ruled out for the following reason. The sarira of the meditator is indicated as the city in which Brahman dwells and the dhaharAKASa denotes the omniscient, omnipotent Lord, who comes to dwell in it out of love for the devout upAsaka, with all his auspicious attributes, which is the object of meditation. That is, the Brahman who is the dhaharAkAsa is to be meditated and understood along with his attributes. But the opponent questions the interpretation that, the dharAkASa is Brahman and 'thath' in 'thasmin yadhantha' indicates the attributes of Brahman, and both being the object of meditation is indicated by 'thadhanvEshtavyam', to which Ramanuja replies thus: The dharAkAsa is said to be as large as the bhoothAkAsa and then the earth, sky, sun, moon and the stars etc are said to be in it. Then it is said that all desires realized and not realized are there in it to be enjoyed and the dhaharAkAsa, though being inside the heart and thus inside the body, is not affected by old age etc. The text further denotes that the dhaharAkAsa is Brahman by the sentence 'Ethath sathyambrahma param,' meaning, this city is the reality which is the cause of all, and the qualities of Brahman have been attributed to it by 'Esha AthmA apahatha pApmA, the self free from evil,' confirming that it is Brahman by 'sathyakAmah sathya sankalpah, of true wish and infallible will, and the declaration that those who do not know these qualities of Brahman enumerated in the passage attain perishable results while those who know realize their goal and have their wishes fulfilled. Therefore the dharakasa is Brahman while and the qualities abiding inside is both to be meditated and known.

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SUTHRA-14-GATHISABDHABHYAM;THATHAHI DHRSHTAM;LINGAM CHA-1-3-14 DHAHARAKASA IS BRAHMAN ON ACCOUNT OF THE MENTION OF 'GOING INTO BRAHMAN' AND THE WORD BRAHMALOKA. THIS IS ALSO SEEN FROM THE OTHER TEXTS AND THERE IS AN INDICATORY SIGN.
The Chandhogya passage 'thadhyaTHA hiraNyaniDHim nihitham akshEthrajnA uparyupari sancharanthah na vindhEyuh, EvamEva imAh prajAh ahrahargacchanthyah Etham brahmalOkam na vindhanthi; anrthEna hi prathyooDAh,'(Chan.8-3-2)

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which means, as the people who do not know the field,(akshEtrajnA) walk over and over and do not know the gold treasure buried underneath, so do all the beings go to brahmaloka everyday but do not know it because they are covered with untruth. Here the word Etham denotes dhaharAkAsa and all beings are said to enter into it everyday in sleep but do not know it as such. So by the gathi, going and sabda, the word brahmalOka, the dhaharAkAsa is understood as Brahman. This is substantiated by other texts also. In chandhogya 'EVAMeva khalu somya imAh sarvAh prajAh sathi sampadhya na vidhuh,sathi sampatsyAmahe ithi' (Chan.VI-9-2) And 'satha Agaccha na vidhuh satha acchAmaha ithi' (Chan.VI-10-2) The two texts mean, all this beings having gone to braHmaloka (in their sleep) do not know it and having returned from it do not know that also. Similarly the word brahmaloka is used in the sense of the abode of Brahman in the texts like 'Esha brahma lokah samrAt ithi ho vacha,' (Brhd.IV 3-32) this is the world of Brahman. The mention of all beings getting merged in Brahman in the state of deep sleep as in pralaya is the sufficient inferential sign of the dhaharAkasa being Brahman and so is the word brahmalOka denoting that of Brahman. Even if the other texts do not mention it, the moving about of all beings to the world of Brahman everyday and not knowing it, is itself the sign of dhaharAkASa being Brahman only.

SUTHRA-15-DHRTHESCHA MAHIMNAH ASYA ASMIN UPALABDHEH-1-3-15

Because of the mention supporting the world by dhaharAkAsa, the glory which is of Brrahman only 'sa sEthuhrviDhoothirEsham lOkAnAm asambhedhAya'(Chan.8-4-1) this is a bridge, limiting the worlds so that they do not mingle with each other.This quality of being a support to the worlds denote that the dhaharAkAsa is Brahman. In BrhadAraNyaka also we find the passage, 'Esha sarvEsvarah Esha bhoothADhipathih Esha bhoothapAlah Esha sEthuh viDHaraNa EshAm lOkAnAm asamBhEdhAya, (Brhd.4-4-22) He is the LOrd of all, master of all beings and ruler of all, and He is the bridge and limit so that these worlds do not get mixed up. And 'Ethasya vA aksharasya prasAsanE gArgi suryAchandramasou viDhrthou thishTathah,'(Brhd.3-8-9) By the rule of this imperishable one, Gargi, the sun and the moon are held in their position. Since this power of Brahman is also seen in dhaharAkAsa it is Brahman only.
SUTHRA-16-PRASIDDHESCHA-1-3-16

ALSO BECAUSE OF THE WELL KNOWN MEANING

'kO vA hyEVAnyAth, kah prANyAth, yadhEsha AkAsahAnandhO na syAth, (Taitt.II-7) Who could breath in and who will breath out if this bliss is not the AkASa.' and sarvANi ha imAni bhoothAni AkAsAdhEva samuthpadhyanthe.(Chan.1-9-1) All these beings come from AkASa only.' From this it is clear that the term AkAsa is used to 107

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