Verse 328 (the ‘Advaita’ doctrine of the Soul)

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation by Ganganath Jha:

नित्यज्ञानविवर्त्तोऽयं क्षितितेजोजलादिकः ।
आत्मा तदात्मकश्चेति सङ्गिरन्तेऽपरे पुनः ॥ ३२८ ॥

nityajñānavivartto'yaṃ kṣititejojalādikaḥ |
ātmā tadātmakaśceti saṅgirante'pare punaḥ || 328 ||

Others assert that—“The earth, eire, water etc. are the illusory modifications of eternal consciousness, and this is what constitutes the ‘soul’.”—(328)

 

Kamalaśīla’s commentary (tattvasaṃgrahapañjikā):

Others, upholding the Advaita (Monistic) system of Philosophy, who are followers of the Upaniṣads, postulate the ‘Soul’ to be Eternal, One and of the nature of Consciousness, which appears in the form of the illusory modifications of Earth etc.—This is the view set forth in the following Texts.—[see verse 328 above]

This is what constitutes the Soul—That is, the Soul is of the nature of one Eternal Consciousness of which Earth etc. are illusory modifications.—‘Others’—i.e. the followers of the Upaniṣads.—(328)

Question:—‘What is the proof of this?’—The answer is given in the following—[see verse 329 next]