‘Truth’ or ‘existence’ is a verbal noun that can be projected as subject as per requirement of the statement. If you say ‘he walks’, the word ‘he’ is the subject and the word ‘walks’ is the verb. The verb always needs a subject. If the verb is expressed as subject, such subject is called as verbal noun. The same verb ‘walks’ can be expressed as subject in the statement ‘walk is good’. Similarly, in the statement ‘it exists’, ‘it’ is the subject and ‘exists’ is the verb. The same verb ‘exists’ can be expressed as subject by modifying the verb as ‘existence’ or ‘truth’ (verbal noun). In the statement ‘truth is good’, the verbal noun has become the subject. If you analyze the verbal noun, it is very clear that the verbal noun means only verb suitably modified for the subjective expression. Therefore, the word ‘truth’ or ‘existence’ expressed as verbal noun stands for and means the verb only. Hence, ‘God is Truth’ means that ‘God is existing’. If I say that the rope is ‘truth’, it means that only the rope is existing and not the serpent as seen by you.
God is the ultimate cause, who is the only existence (Paramartha Sat) like the rope. The Creation generated by God must be different from God and hence, must be non-existent. The non-existent created item is associated with and is based on the ultimate existence of God and such associated existence is the relative existence (Vyavahara Sat). The inherent characteristic of the non-existent creation is only non-existence. When the associated existence transferred from the cause is withdrawn, the non-existing Creation is exhibited along with its characteristic non-existence. You are existing and your imaginary world is non-existent. When you withdraw your support, the imaginary world loses its basic existence transferred from you. Now, the non-existent imaginary world becomes non-existent along with its characteristic non-existence. Your existence remains always and is the absolute existence. The existence of the imaginary world continues as long it is based on the absolute existence. Such temporary existence of the imaginary world is called as the relative existence.
The Creation has multiplicity due to the chain of cause and effect. You have seen the rope as a stick and some other person has seen the same rope as serpent at the same time. Here, the ultimate cause, the rope is one only and the effects are many like stick, serpent, etc. You may also see the rope as stick for sometime and then you may see the same stick as serpent after sometime. In your case, the stick is the cause and serpent is effect. Thus, in the Creation itself, the chain of cause and effect exists relatively. The stick and serpent are non-existent but they are not realized as non-existent since they are based on transferred absolute existence of rope. They are realized as existent and hence, you say that the stick exists, the serpent exists, etc. The existence of non-existent items of creation is the same existence of the ultimate cause, the God. The stick and serpent exist only because the rope exists. In the absence of the existence of rope, you will say that the stick does not exist; the serpent does not exist, etc.
The non-existence of non-existent item is its inherent characteristic. The existence of the same non-existent item is the transferred characteristic from the ultimate cause. The black color of the mud is transferred quality of the pot from its cause, the mud. The round shape of the pot is the inherent characteristic of the effect, the pot. Even if the pot is destroyed into pieces, these pieces contain the same black color of the mud but the round shape, which is the inherent quality of the pot, also becomes non-existent after the breakage of the pot. Hence, the existence of God is the transferred property that is associated with every item of the Creation and is eternal. Only the non-existent items disappear along with their non-existent inherent characteristics. The pot may become pieces. The pieces may become particles. The particles may become atoms. The atoms may become energy. When the energy disappears, the ultimate God exists alone. Therefore, the existence never becomes non-existence (Nasato Vidyate Bhaavo… Gita). The reason is that this eternal existence is the same existence of the eternal God. All this is the sequence of the argument of Shankara. Up to this, it is absolutely correct. But, we should not forget that all this logic of the existent God and non-existent Creation is with reference to God and not with reference to an individual soul.
The individual soul being part and parcel of the creation is also non-existent, having the eternal existence of God associated with it as the base and hence, is said to be existent. All this logic applied to God cannot be applied to the individual soul since every individual soul is not God. God can become an individual soul through human incarnation in which God identifies Himself with a specific human being and such a special human being can be treated as God. Shankara, being such human incarnation is God and hence, could pass through the bolted doors and could drink the molten metal. No other human being could do like that since every human being is not God.
God is unimaginable as declared by the several Vedic statements and also the Gita. Even the Brahmasutras established the same point in the beginning itself by saying that God is the Creator of this world. The word ‘Creator’ does not give any direct specific information about God and this concludes that God is unimaginable. Therefore, in the statement that ‘God is Truth’ or ‘God exists’, the subjective God is dropped since God is unimaginable. In such case, the verbal noun i.e., ‘truth’ or the verb ‘exists’ alone is left over. Dropping the word ‘God’ indicating silence is the best expression for God. If you say that God is unimaginable, there may be a chance to say that you have understood or imagined God as unimaginable. Therefore, the Veda says that in the beginning, before the Creation of this world, only ‘truth’ existed, which means that only ‘existence’ existed. ‘Truth’ or ‘existence’ is verbal noun. Since the verbal noun is the verb itself, this means that ‘exists’ only existed. The word ‘exists’ is a verb and cannot stand as independent subject since the verb always needs a subject. Here, the subject ‘unimaginable God’ is dropped and only the verb ‘exists’ remains. Hence, for a proper expression, the verb ‘exists’ is modified as the verbal noun, which is ‘existence’ or ‘truth’. Therefore, the Veda says that ‘truth’ alone existed in the beginning before the creation of this world (Sadeva Somyedamagra aseet). The Veda also states that you must understand that God is never understood since God is unimaginable (Avijnatam Vijaanataam). The Veda also states that since the unimaginable God cannot be understood and is dropped, you can understand only the remaining verb ‘exists’ (Asteetyevopalabdhavyah). The ‘truth’ or ‘existence of something can be understood and therefore, the only understandable information about the God is ‘existence’ or ‘truth’. If both God and His existence are not understood, the final conclusion will be that God does not exist. Since, the verb ‘exists’ has to be modified into the verbal noun i.e., ‘existence’ or ‘truth’ due to dropped subject, finally you have to say that ‘truth’ or ‘existence’ alone existed (Sadeva).
God is the ultimate cause, who is the only existence (Paramartha Sat) like the rope. The Creation generated by God must be different from God and hence, must be non-existent. The non-existent created item is associated with and is based on the ultimate existence of God and such associated existence is the relative existence (Vyavahara Sat). The inherent characteristic of the non-existent creation is only non-existence. When the associated existence transferred from the cause is withdrawn, the non-existing Creation is exhibited along with its characteristic non-existence. You are existing and your imaginary world is non-existent. When you withdraw your support, the imaginary world loses its basic existence transferred from you. Now, the non-existent imaginary world becomes non-existent along with its characteristic non-existence. Your existence remains always and is the absolute existence. The existence of the imaginary world continues as long it is based on the absolute existence. Such temporary existence of the imaginary world is called as the relative existence.
The Creation has multiplicity due to the chain of cause and effect. You have seen the rope as a stick and some other person has seen the same rope as serpent at the same time. Here, the ultimate cause, the rope is one only and the effects are many like stick, serpent, etc. You may also see the rope as stick for sometime and then you may see the same stick as serpent after sometime. In your case, the stick is the cause and serpent is effect. Thus, in the Creation itself, the chain of cause and effect exists relatively. The stick and serpent are non-existent but they are not realized as non-existent since they are based on transferred absolute existence of rope. They are realized as existent and hence, you say that the stick exists, the serpent exists, etc. The existence of non-existent items of creation is the same existence of the ultimate cause, the God. The stick and serpent exist only because the rope exists. In the absence of the existence of rope, you will say that the stick does not exist; the serpent does not exist, etc.
The non-existence of non-existent item is its inherent characteristic. The existence of the same non-existent item is the transferred characteristic from the ultimate cause. The black color of the mud is transferred quality of the pot from its cause, the mud. The round shape of the pot is the inherent characteristic of the effect, the pot. Even if the pot is destroyed into pieces, these pieces contain the same black color of the mud but the round shape, which is the inherent quality of the pot, also becomes non-existent after the breakage of the pot. Hence, the existence of God is the transferred property that is associated with every item of the Creation and is eternal. Only the non-existent items disappear along with their non-existent inherent characteristics. The pot may become pieces. The pieces may become particles. The particles may become atoms. The atoms may become energy. When the energy disappears, the ultimate God exists alone. Therefore, the existence never becomes non-existence (Nasato Vidyate Bhaavo… Gita). The reason is that this eternal existence is the same existence of the eternal God. All this is the sequence of the argument of Shankara. Up to this, it is absolutely correct. But, we should not forget that all this logic of the existent God and non-existent Creation is with reference to God and not with reference to an individual soul.
The individual soul being part and parcel of the creation is also non-existent, having the eternal existence of God associated with it as the base and hence, is said to be existent. All this logic applied to God cannot be applied to the individual soul since every individual soul is not God. God can become an individual soul through human incarnation in which God identifies Himself with a specific human being and such a special human being can be treated as God. Shankara, being such human incarnation is God and hence, could pass through the bolted doors and could drink the molten metal. No other human being could do like that since every human being is not God.
God is unimaginable as declared by the several Vedic statements and also the Gita. Even the Brahmasutras established the same point in the beginning itself by saying that God is the Creator of this world. The word ‘Creator’ does not give any direct specific information about God and this concludes that God is unimaginable. Therefore, in the statement that ‘God is Truth’ or ‘God exists’, the subjective God is dropped since God is unimaginable. In such case, the verbal noun i.e., ‘truth’ or the verb ‘exists’ alone is left over. Dropping the word ‘God’ indicating silence is the best expression for God. If you say that God is unimaginable, there may be a chance to say that you have understood or imagined God as unimaginable. Therefore, the Veda says that in the beginning, before the Creation of this world, only ‘truth’ existed, which means that only ‘existence’ existed. ‘Truth’ or ‘existence’ is verbal noun. Since the verbal noun is the verb itself, this means that ‘exists’ only existed. The word ‘exists’ is a verb and cannot stand as independent subject since the verb always needs a subject. Here, the subject ‘unimaginable God’ is dropped and only the verb ‘exists’ remains. Hence, for a proper expression, the verb ‘exists’ is modified as the verbal noun, which is ‘existence’ or ‘truth’. Therefore, the Veda says that ‘truth’ alone existed in the beginning before the creation of this world (Sadeva Somyedamagra aseet). The Veda also states that you must understand that God is never understood since God is unimaginable (Avijnatam Vijaanataam). The Veda also states that since the unimaginable God cannot be understood and is dropped, you can understand only the remaining verb ‘exists’ (Asteetyevopalabdhavyah). The ‘truth’ or ‘existence of something can be understood and therefore, the only understandable information about the God is ‘existence’ or ‘truth’. If both God and His existence are not understood, the final conclusion will be that God does not exist. Since, the verb ‘exists’ has to be modified into the verbal noun i.e., ‘existence’ or ‘truth’ due to dropped subject, finally you have to say that ‘truth’ or ‘existence’ alone existed (Sadeva).
