/lit/ - Literature

Vipaśit, the intelligent one (Self)—intelligent because Its nature of consciousness is never lost; na jāyate, is not born—It is not produced; na vā mriyatte, nor does it die. An impermanent thing, that has origination, is subject to many modifications . With a view to denying all the modifications in the Self, the first and last of these modifications, in the form of birth and death, are being denied in the text: "He is neither born nor dies." Moreover, ayam, this one—the Self; na kutaścit, did not come from anything—did not originate from any other cause; and from the Self Itself na kaścit babhūva, nothing originated—as something different from It. Therefore ayam, this Self; (is) ajaḥ, birthless; nityaḥ, eternal; śāśvataḥ, undecaying. This which is impermanent is subject to decay; but this one is everlasting; therefore, again, It is purāṇaḥ, ancient—new indeed even from of old. A thing is said to be new now which emerges into being through the development of its parts, as for instance, a pot etc. The Self, however, is opposed to them; It is ancient, i.e. devoid of growth. Since this is so, therefore, na hanyate, It is not killed—not injured; śarīre hanyamāne, when the body is killed—with weapons etc., though It exists there, just like space.