16.30-33 There is a Buddhist school of thought called nihilism which holds that nothing exists, neither the subject nor the object. This theory of emptiness is questioned by the author. That which witnesses and is aware of emptiness must exist. The witness exists even before beginning of deliberation on existence or non-existence or both. According to Advaita, the world of objects is a superimposition on the Self. There can be destruction of the superimposition but not of the entity (Self) on which is the superimposition. Existence of Self is undeniable. It is indestructible. It is one without second on which diversity is a superimposition.
16.34-36 Duality is unreal (mithya) because it comprises products which are subject to arrival and departure. Duality is a superimposition like dream objects. Existence of duality depends on its knowability. It does not exist before deliberation on its existence or non-existence. There are scriptural supports. All modifications are names and words (Ch Up 6.1.4-6), he dies again and again (Br Up 4.4.19), and My Maya is difficult to get rid of (BG 7.14). Self alone is real. It is pure, untainted and is not affected by what is superimposed on It. It is not anything that can be either gained or lost.
16.37-38 There is no darkness in the sun as it is of the nature of light only. Likewise, there is no ignorance in the Self as It is the knowledge principle which reveals objective knowledge. When pot is revealed by the light of consciousness, there is pot-knowledge. Consciousness is changeless and is the common factor in all knowledges.
19.39-41 The author clarifies common misconceptions about liberation. Liberation does not mean going from one state to another (superior) state for in that case liberation becomes a product of time and artificial, fleeting and subject to change. Whereas liberation is eternal. Another misconception is that on liberation, there is merger of jiva with Brahman. There is no such merger. Moreover, if there is any merger, it is transitory and ceases to be liberation. A jiva has always been Brahman but he is ignorant about the truth. When ignorance is removed by knowledge, identity of jiva and Brahman is realized. The intrinsic nature of a jiva is same as that of Brahman and intrinsic nature is never lost. Differences are due to the limiting adjuncts. When they are negated by knowledge, identity is revealed and it is liberation.
16.42-44 Brahman is the Self of everything. It is not like an object of the Self which is different from the Self. It is eternal. Really speaking. liberation cannot be attained because it is the very nature of a jiva. A jiva needs scriptures, teachers and spiritual disciplines to remove the notion that he is not liberated. Liberation means being established in one’s own Self. And therefore, no action in the form of Vedic rites and rituals are required for liberation. “To know the real Self to be one’s own is the greatest attainment according to the scriptures and reasoning. To know wrongly the non-Self such as, the ego etc. to be the Self is no attainment at all. One. therefore, should renounce this misconception of taking the non-Self for the Self”. [Translation by Swami Jagadananda, R K Math]
Contd Part 22