अश्रुतत्वादिति चेत्, न, इष्टादिकारिणां प्रतीतेः ॥ ६ ॥
aśrutatvāditi cet, na, iṣṭādikāriṇāṃ pratīteḥ || 6 ||
aśrutatvāt—On account of not being mentioned in the Sruti; iti cet—if it be said; na—not so; iṣṭādikāriṇām—the performers of sacrifices etc.; pratīteḥ—being understood.
6. If it be said that on account of (the soul) not being mentioned in the text (the soul does not depart enveloped with water etc.), (we say) not so, for it is understood (from the scriptures) that the Jivas who perform sacrifices etc. (alone go to heaven).
An objection is raised that in the Chhandogya text cited (5. 3. 3), there is mention of water only but no reference to the soul; and it is explained how this water becomes man. So how can it be taken that the soul departs enveloped with water and then is born again as man? This Sutra refutes it and says that if we examine all the scriptural texts like, “But they who being in the village practise sacrifices and works of public utility and give alms, go to the (deity of) smoke … to the moon” (Chh. 5. 10. 3-4), which describe the journey to the moon, we find that only the Jivas who perform such good acts go to heaven, and that in so doing they go enveloped with water, which is supplied by the materials like curds etc. that are offered as oblations in sacrifices; these assume a subtle form called Apurva and attach themselves to the sacrificer.