विकारशब्दान्नेति चेत्, न, प्राचुर्यात् ॥ १३ ॥
vikāraśabdānneti cet, na, prācuryāt || 13 ||
vikāraśabdāt—On account of a word (‘tail’) denoting part; na—is not; iti cet—if it be said; na—not so; prācuryāt—on account of abundance (of terms denoting parts).
13. If it be said (that Brahman) is not (spoken of as an independent entity in the passage) on account of a word (‘tail’) denoting part, (we reply) not so, on account of abundance (of terms denoting parts).
Owing to the abundance of phraseology denoting parts or limbs in the Taittiriya texts 2. 1-5, Brahman is designated as the tail just to keep up the foregoing imagery; but it is not intended to convey the idea that Brahman is actually a part or member of “the self consisting of bliss”. The object of the scriptures, is to teach the knowledge of the real Self. If the “self consisting of bliss” were the real Self, the scriptures would refer to this in the concluding texts, but as a matter of fact they do not; on the other hand they refer to the Nirguna Brahman, which is therefore the real subject-matter. Brahman’s being the tail means, not that It is a part, but that It is the main support or abode of everything.