Verse 3.3.67-71

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation of verse 3.3.67:

अविरोधी विरोधी वा सन्नसन् वापि युक्तितः ।
क्रमवानक्रमो वापि नाभाव उपपद्यते ॥ ६७ ॥
अविरोधी विरोधी वा सन्नसन्नपि तत्त्वतः ।
क्रमवानक्रमो वापि तेन भावो न विद्यते ॥ ६८ ॥
अभावे त्रिषु कालेषु न भेदस्यास्ति सम्भवः ।
तस्मिन्नसति भावेऽपि त्रैकाल्यं नावतिष्ठते ॥ ६९ ॥
आत्मतत्त्वपरित्यागः परतो नोपपद्यते ।
आत्मतत्त्वन्तु परतः स्वतो वा नोपकल्पते ॥ ७० ॥
तत्त्वे विरोधे नानात्व उपकारो न कश्चन ।
तत्त्वान्यत्वपरित्यागे व्यवहारो निवर्तते ॥ ७१ ॥

avirodhī virodhī vā sannasan vāpi yuktitaḥ |
kramavānakramo vāpi nābhāva upapadyate || 67 ||
avirodhī virodhī vā sannasannapi tattvataḥ |
kramavānakramo vāpi tena bhāvo na vidyate || 68 ||
abhāve triṣu kāleṣu na bhedasyāsti sambhavaḥ |
tasminnasati bhāve'pi traikālyaṃ nāvatiṣṭhate || 69 ||
ātmatattvaparityāgaḥ parato nopapadyate |
ātmatattvantu parataḥ svato vā nopakalpate || 70 ||
tattve virodhe nānātva upakāro na kaścana |
tattvānyatvaparityāge vyavahāro nivartate || 71 ||

67. Non-existence can rationally be neither opposed nor non-opposed (to existence) can be neither existent nor non-existent, neither have sequence nor not have it.

68. Existence which is opposed or otherwise, existent or non-existent, sequenceful or sequenceless, does not, therefore, exist.

69. There cannot be any division within nonexistence on the basis of the three divisions of time and, if that is not possible, there cannot be triple time for existence either.

70. Abandoning one’s own essence due to something external is not possible, nor is it possible to maintain that one’s own essence depends upon oneself or something external.

71. There is contradiction in identity (between existence and non-existence) and if they are different, they cannot render service (to each other). If both are abandoned, all usage would cease.

Commentary

It is now stated that neither existence nor non-existence has separate Being.

[Read verse 67 above]

[As non-existence in intangible, there cannot be opposition between it and existence. Non-existence neither helps nor hinders existence. One cannot predicate existence about it, because what exists cannot be non-existent and what has already attained its form cannot get anything further. Nor can it have a separate form because, in that way, there would be no difference between it and existence. Sequence is an attribute of existent entities and, therefore, non-existence cannot have it. Nor can there be absence of sequence, that is. simultaneity, because that depends upon something external.]

[Read verse 68-71 above]

[Verses 67-71 are intended to show on the basis of logic, that really speaking it is not possible to show the validity of existence or non-existence. They are no more than appearance and disappearance or hiding of something unreal. The ultimate Reality is eternal and is not affected by its appearance and disappearance as unreal forms of something which is eternal and quite free from these unreal forms.]

The truth is now stated.—[Read next verse]