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**Self-Time Statement of Authority**
Commentary: Now, in order to demonstrate the futility of the five-element theory, the theory of the soul's duality, the theory of the soul and body being the same, the theory of non-action, the theory of the soul's sixth category, and the theory of the five aggregates being momentary, from the perspective of achieving liberation, we will first present their respective views.
The word "agar" means "house," and those who reside there are "agari" or householders. Those who live in the forest are "vanaprastha" or ascetics, and those who have accepted "pravrajya-upasampada" or initiation, the "shakya" and other "shramanas," believe that those who accept our philosophy, our principles, are liberated from all suffering. The word "api" is used here in the sense of possibility. Due to the use of the Vedic language, the singular form is used in the sutra instead of the plural.
The five-element theorists and those who believe the soul and body are the same have the view that those who accept our philosophy, while remaining householders, avoid the painful bodily afflictions of shaving their heads, carrying a staff and deer skin, wearing matted hair, saffron robes, cutting their hair, and remaining naked. They say that austerities are various forms of torture and suffering. Accepting restraint is to be deprived of worldly pleasures, and rituals like fire sacrifices are meaningless like children's play.
Those who believe in liberation, those who have faith in the Samkhya philosophy, believe that those who accept our philosophy, which advocates non-action, non-duality, and the theory of the five aggregates being the soul, and who become renunciants, initiated, or accept sannyasa, are freed from birth, old age, death, the cycle of repeated births, and various intense bodily and mental afflictions. They attain liberation, free from all conflicts and troubles.
"Te na api sandhim jnatva, na te dharmavido janah. Ye te tu vaidino evam, na te oghaantara akhyatah." (20)
Commentary: Now, to demonstrate the futility of their views, it is said: "Te" - the five-element theorists, "na api" - not even, "sandhim" - the gap, the opening, which is of two types due to the difference in the nature of substance. There is the "dravya sandhi" - the gap in substance, like a house, and the "bhavasandhi" - the gap in the state of being, like the covering of knowledge, karma, and other forms of obstruction. "Tam jnatva" - not knowing this, "te" - they, "pravrittah" - have embarked on this path. This is a figure of speech, just as the gap between the self and action is characterized by duality, so too, without understanding, they have embarked on this path for the sake of liberation from suffering. As they are, so it will be demonstrated in part and will be further demonstrated. Or, if "sandhana" - understanding, "sandhi" - the progressive knowledge of objects, "tad jnatva" - not knowing this, "pravrittah" - they have embarked on this path. And since they are not experts in the proper understanding of dharma, "janah" - the people, the five-element theorists and others. For, they advocate dharma in various ways, not knowing the tenfold dharma of patience, etc., and because of the lack of results, their views are futile, which will be further explained in the subsequent chapters.