नासतो विद्यते भावो नाभावो विद्यते सतः ।
उभयोरपि दृष्टोऽन्तस्त्वनयोस्तत्त्वदर्शिभिः ॥16॥
nāsato vidyate bhāvo nābhāvo vidyate sataḥ
ubhayorapi dṛṣṭo’ntastvanayostattvadarśibhiḥ
na = never; asataḥ = of the nonexistent; vidyate = there is; bhāvaḥ = endurance; na = never; abhāvaḥ = changing quality; vidyate = there is; sataḥ = of the eternal; ubhayoḥ = of the two; api = verily; dṛṣṭaḥ = observed; antaḥ = conclusion; tu = indeed; anayoḥ = of them; tattva = of the truth; darśibhiḥ = by the seers.;
The unreal has no being; there is no non-being of the Real; the truth about both these has been seen by the Knowers of the Truth (or the Seers of the Essence) .
Commentary:
Shankaracharya
Rough translation: The changeful [asat] has no ultimate existence, and the Unchanging [sat] can never cease to exist. But the nature of both these [sat and asat], indeed, has been realized by the seers of Truth.
asat = changeful
sat = Unchanging
antaḥ = ascertainment or conclusion (nirṇayaḥ)
Śaṅkara’s Argument for Jagat mithyā [i.e. The changeful [asat] has no ultimate existence]:
“Heat, cold, etc., together with their causes, are not substantially real [vastu] when examined by means of the pramāṇas [means of knowledge like perception, etc.].” [na hi śītoṣṇādi sakāraṇaṃ pramāṇaiḥ nirūpyamāṇaṃ vastu sambhavati.]
- All names and forms are changeful.
- All changeful things are nothing over and above their material cause.
- Names and forms are not perceived before their origination and after their destruction.
Example:
- A clay pot is a name and form that is changeful.
- The clay pot has no existence apart from the clay.
- Try to perceive a clay pot without perceiving clay; you can’t!
- Therefore, the clay pot ultimately does not exist.
- The same is true for all names and forms. Since all names and forms are impermanent and changeful, they do not exist ultimately.
Śaṅkara’s Argument for Brahma satyam [i.e. Eternal, nondual Pure Consciousness alone exists from the ultimate standpoint]
In all perceptions, there are two awarenesses:
- asad-buddhi: awareness of the changeful name and form
- sad-buddhi: awareness of unchanging Existence or is-ness
“That in relation to which the awareness does not change is sat; that in relation to which the awareness changes is asat.”