स्याच्चैकस्य ब्रह्मशब्दवत् ॥ ५ ॥
syāccaikasya brahmaśabdavat || 5 ||
syāt—Is possible; ca—and; ekasya—of the same (word ‘sprang’); brahmaśabdavat—like the word ‘Brahman’.
5. It is possible that the same word (‘sprang’ be used in a primary) and (secondary sense) like the word ‘Brahman’.
The opponent in the Sutra answers a weak point in his argument, viz. how can the same word ‘sprang’ in the Taittiriya text,
“From that Self (Brahman) sprang Akasa; from Akasa sprang Vayu (air), from air sprang fire” etc. (2. 1),
be used in a secondary sense with respect to Akasa and in the primary sense with respect to air, fire, etc ? He does this by referring to other Sruti texts, where the word ‘Brahman’ is so used. “Try to know Brahman by penance, for penance is Brahman,” where Brahman is used both in a primary and in a secondary sense in the same text; also “Food is Brahman” (Taitt. 8. 2) and “Bliss is Brahman” (Taitt. 3. 6), where Brahman is used in a secondary and primary sense respectively in two complementary texts.