अस्तीत्येवोपलब्धव्यस्तत्त्वभावेन चोभयोः ।
अस्तीत्येवोपलब्धस्य तत्त्वभावः प्रसीदति ॥ १३॥
astītyevopalabdha vyastattvabhāvena cobhayoḥ .
astītyevopalabdhasya tattvabhāvaḥ prasīdati .. 13..
He is to be realised first as Existence limited by upadhis and then in His true transcendental nature. Of these two aspects, Atman realised as Existence leads the knower to the realisation of His true nature.
Commentary:
Know it, comprehend it, and realise it as pure Existence, Sat. Satta-samanya is the word used in the Yoga Vasishtha. The general existence of all things is Reality. The particular existences of things are created by name and form. Thus, general existence, which is satta-samanya, the universally pervading Existence, is the Ultimate Being. In that way only can we contemplate it and know it.
Lord Krishna speaks in the Bhagavadgita: “Know Me in truth. Whoever knows Me as I am, that person knows Me really. But do not call me the son of Vasudeva, etc. I am something different. There is a pure Beingness in Me which is pervading all existence, and in that way know Me.” Tattva-bhāvena: As the pure fundamental Reality of all names and forms, as Existence pure and simple, satta-samanya, know That.
Astīty evopalabdhavyas tattva-bhāvaḥ prasīdati. There are two concepts: existence and non-existence, being and non-being. Between these two it is up to us to choose the being, and not the non-being. There are some people who say that nothing exists, that there is zero, there is a vacuum, there is nihil, there is shunyata, that all things go. This is not a proper way of conceiving or contemplating Reality, because existence cannot become non-existence. How can sat become asat? Even if we feel that there is such a thing called non-existence, that feeling has to exist. The feeling that something does not exist has to exist. As non-existence is also ubiquitous, the person who affirms non-existence is not actually affirming the non-existence of some particular thing. It is the negation of all things. Therefore, the negation of all things is also an all-pervading concept. This all-pervading concept has to exist in order that this statement may be true; therefore, there is an ubiquitous existence behind even the denial of all things. And therefore, do not choose non-existence. Choose only existence. Between the two concepts or possible definitions—existence and non-existence—choose only existence, because it is only through this concept of Being that you can comprehend it for the purpose of meditation on Reality. Then it shall reveal itself before you as it is in itself.