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Second Fundamental-Everlastingness of Soul
Thus the body does not have its own substantial existence. Moreover, it is lifeless. Touch, taste, smell, and color, which are the attributes of lifeless Pudgal, are present in the body. Being lifeless, it does not have the knowing capability. Besides, it has some form. Its visibility is manifest, because we are able to see the body. The physical body is thus an object of eyesight.
How can such a body be capable of knowing the emergence and the extinction of soul? The attributes of soul are totally different from those of the body. Soul is not a composition; it has its own substantial existence. It is full of consciousness; knowing and remaining aware are its inherent characteristics. Moreover, it has no form or shape; it is intangible and invisible.
If the soul is subject to emergence and extinction as argued, who knows about the same? Obviously soul cannot know its own emergence or extinction. Can the body know it? Here the body means the lifeless one without a soul. It is plain that a lifeless body is incapable of knowing or experiencing. It does not even experience the pain when it is buried or cremated! In that case, how can it know that the soul emerges or gets extinct? As such, the question is: 'What is the basis on which one can say that the soul arises and is destroyed?'
While explaining this stanza Shrimad has pointed out (Vachanamrut # 718): "The body cannot be the basis. because it is manifestly lifeless.... If one states that the consciousness knows its own emergence and extinction, it would amount to begging the question. It turns out to admitting that consciousness knows its own emergence and extinction. It is anomalous to say so and constitutes the verbal aberration. To say that the soul knows its emergence
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