What is Sat?

What then is that Sat which is always there? It is said…

Verse 17: That by which everything is covered is indestructible. None indeed can destroy that which is inexpendable. Avinashi is that which does not have the nature of destruction. Tu is an adjective to point out that Sat is greater than Asat. Know that. What is it that covers this world called Sat which is Brahman like the pot is covered by space. Know that. What? Vinasham is not seen. Not present, not changing. It does not increase or decrease. That is Avyaya – cannot be expended. For that Avyaya, this Brahma called Sat does not change from its form. It does not shape-shift. since it does not have parts like the body. Also indeed concerning itself, since there is no sense of Self – just as Devadatta experienced loss because he lost money, Brahman does not become less or gets spent. Therefore this Brahman which is inexpendable cannot be destroyed by anyone. None can destroy the Atman even Ishwara. Atma is Brahman. There are no actions for it in itself. What is that which is non-existence which modifies from its condition is being told.

Verse 18: Anta Vanta Ime Dehah – O Bharata these bodies are united to the eternal. They are hence indestructible Antavantah means – Antah – end, Vinasha – destruction Vidyate – known to have destruction, they are Antavantah. Just as there is the thought of water, when we see a mirage, but on enquiry of that perception the water thought is destroyed. In that way these bodies have an end just as the bodies in dreams which have no reality and hence they are finite.

The indestructible, immeasurable Atma is the eternal owner of the body. The bodies belonging to the Atma have an end. So the wise ones who don’t know the difference say so. Since in the world there are two different understandings for eternal and end. So the wise ones who don’t know the difference say so. Since in the world there are two different understandings for eternal and end, mention of eternal and indestructible do not have the error of repetition.

Just as the bodies which have turned to ashes has disappeared from sight and we say it is not even when it is alive and it gets modified due to disease we say it is destroyed. In this place the two expressions indestructible and eternal do not have any relationship with destruction. That is the meaning. In another way, if it is not said that Atma is indestructible, its eternity will be like the eternity of five elements such as the Earth. Hence it is mentioned that Atma is not just eternal, but indestructible too. The Atma is immeasurable it is said because there is no measurement as there are no means of knowledge such as Pratyaksha, Anumana and Agama as it is not divided in any way.

Purvapaksha: But isn’t the Atma known by the Agama and Pratyaksha as I? How can it be called Aprameya or immeasurable?
No, because the Atma is self=evident. The knower – Pramata’s identity with the Self is already established. Only then does the seeker begin his search for the Self through the right means of knowledge. Not indeed. I am this way, we think without defining the Atman and then he does not set about knowing the Self with instruments of knowledge. The Atma is not unknown to anyone.  Shastra is the ultimate proof. The Shastra becomes a proof to know the Self because it sets about negating what is not the Self. It does not become a means of the knowledge to describe something that is completely unknown.

The Shrutis also say that which is directly known by oneself is Brahman (Br. U). Since the Self knows no action and it is eternal, therefore fight the war. O Arjuna. Do not withdraw from this war. i.e. do not seek actionlessness. That is the meaning. Here it is not taking about fighting wars. Fighting the war indeed sorrow and delusion and remain silent. Bhagavan is just removing the shackles for performance of his duties. Therefore “fight,” is just a translation for duty. He is not telling Arjuna to engage in wars as a matter of fact. To remove the causes of Samsara such as sorrow and delusion the Gita Shastra is written. It does not prescribe war. To present  evidence to convey this meaning Bhagavan quotes verses from the Kathopanishad.