Sat and Asat

It is said that this is made possible to function in this manner by sheer Will or sankalpa of God. This may be called as Gracious Will which enables the self to reach its appointed destiny.Umapati Shivam also explains the subtle nature of the knowing self which is different from the non-intelligent pasha in which it is immersed, and from the pure intelligent Pati about which the self is unaware. The eye in darkness cannot see but it is not dark itself. The eye sees objects in light but it is not light itself. Hence the nature of eye is necessarily different from the nature of darkness and light. It amounts that the eye gets involved with which it is associated. So also the individual self gets involved with which it is associated i.e. the self remains in ignorance when it is associated with pasha and it becomes wise in association with Pati , i.e. it overcomes pasha—the ignorance. Hence due to this variable association of self with Sat and asat , the self is christened as “sadasat” by Umapati Shivam. Therefore the order of reality, being different from the “sat” and “asat ”, but knowing them to be “Sat ” and “asat ”, is knownas “sadasat ”—it is the individual self.^[1]

In another context Umapati Shivam (vide verse 72) says that the self, by its own native light, has no knowledge of any thing. Whatever it knows, it knows with the help of outside light and it is not an independent knower. The self due to its own limitations, knows only finitely and discursively even when aided by the infinite knowledge i.e. it knows a thing to the exclusion of other things and comprehends the things differentially in its experience. When all-pervasive daylight is available to the eye, it can “see” each thing only in succession. The visual sense is limited in its vision severally to its span in spite of unlimited character of illumination.^[2] “Shivadvaita ” says that since eye has no sight in the absence of outer light, it follows that the eye has no native light of its own. It is the outer light that gives or reflects the light in the eye and thereby reveals the object to it. Accordingly Divine Shakti gives knowledge to the individual self and enables revelations.This view of “Shivadvaita ” is not agreed to by Umapati Shivam. He says that if the outer light supplies light to the eye, 59 it means there is no light initially in the eye which leads to the absurd conclusion that a blind eye will be able to see the objects in the presence of light as well as any other sense like ear, skin etc., may also be able to “visualize” the things independently.

Hence he proves that the eye has its own native intrinsic light enabling it to function as a receptor mechanism. Also he adds that the eye in a darker zone is able to “see” an object in an illuminated zone. In the same way, it is not able to see the object in darkness even when the eye is in an illuminated zone. This leads to the conclusion that the sensory light is not able to perceive the things without itself mingling with the outer light.^[3]

In the end, Umapati Shivam narrates the different theories of many other believers and says that all are repudiated by the above arguments. He says that the wise will not accept that the self stays in one part of the body (smiritis) or that it fills the entire body (Jains) or that it fills the space of which the body forms part (aikiyavathi) or that the self has its own effulgence (Shivasamavadin) or that the unintelligent implements make the self intelligent (vaishesikas). These investigations make it clear that the self is like a pure reflecting crystal.^[4]

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Sathu asathaich charadu asatthu ariyadhu anganivai Uytthal sadashattham uyir .—Tiruvarutpayan 17.

[2]:

Thannari vadhanal ethum thanakkarivu illaiyenum Thannari vaga ellam thanitthanip payan arundhum .—Sivaprakasam 72.

[3]:

Vilakkoli kalandhavatraik kannoli agala nindre kandidum verugana—Sivaprakasam 58.

[4]:

Oridatthu irutthal, maya urunirainthiduthal, ondram
Peridatthu uraithal, thane pirangu arivagi nittral
Sorvudaich chadamnigazhtthal enumivai sollar nallor
Oridathu unarum unmai olitharum upalam polum .—Sivaprakasam 59.