Shloka
अतो नायं परात्मा स्याद्विज्ञानमयशब्दभाक् ।
विकारित्वाज्जडत्वाच्च परिच्छिन्नत्वहेतुतः ।
दृश्यत्वाद्व्यभिचारित्वान्नानित्यो नित्य इष्यते ॥ २०८ ॥
ato nāyaṃ parātmā syādvijñānamayaśabdabhāk ;
vikāritvājjaḍatvācca paricchinnatvahetutaḥ ;
dṛśyatvādvyabhicāritvānnānityo nitya iṣyate . 208 .
Anvaya
- अतःataḥ
- Hence
- न अयं परात्मा स्याद्na ayaṃ parātmā syād
- this cannot be the Supreme Atman
- विज्ञान–मय–शब्दभाक्vijñāna–maya–śabdabhāk
- that which is known as the ego sheath
- विकारित्वात्vikāritvāt
- as it is changing in nature
- जडत्वात् चjaḍatvāt ca
- and as it is insentient
- परिच्छिन्नत्व–हेतुतःparicchinnatva–hetutaḥ
- for the reason that it is delimited
- दुष्टत्वाद्duṣṭatvād
- as it is known (objectified)
- व्यभिचारित्वात्vyabhicāritvāt
- inconstant in its existence
- अनित्यःanityaḥ
- an unreal thing
- न नित्यः इष्यतेna nityaḥ iṣyate
- cannot be accepted as real
Translation
Hence this entity known as the intellect sheath cannot be the Supreme Atman as it is changing in nature, insentient, delimited, as it can be objectified and as it is inconstant in its existence. An unreal thing cannot be accepted as real.
Annotation
Scriptures clearly say that Atman is eternal. The intellect sheath is said to be vikāri, changing in nature, because it undergoes birth and death. It is insentient in the sense that it cannot know things by itself. It is only by reflection of Brahman consciousness that it appears to know things. The intellect sheath is not all–pervading but limited to the intellect only. It is also objectifiable by knowledge. It is inconstant in the sense that it exists at times and does not exist at other times (Jagadguru).