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ceases to exist in that state the moment after knowing it. In that case, how can he express that a particular thing is transitory? For expressing it he needs to exist; it means that he cannot be transitory.
The pupil's argument of soul being transitory is thus meaningless. Without soul there is no liveliness and without liveliness no one can talk. The fact, that the pupil talks, indicates that there is a soul within him, and that soul continues to exist while he utters. To say that it is transitory means that the soul talks of itself as transitory. Isn't it absurd? The Guru therefore asks the pupil to ponder over it and to determine for himself that his soul is not transitory.
Kyäre Koi Vastuno, Keval Hoy Na Näsh; Chetan Päme Näsh To, Kemän Bhale Tapäs?
No substance can ever be entirely destroyed; if consciousness is destroyed, find out wherein it can merge. (70)
Explanation & Discussion:
The Guru now turns to a scientific truth. Nothing that exists can be entirely destroyed. There can be alterations, whereby a substance would undergo changes in its states. In other words, while retaining its existence the substance gives up the old state and assumes a new one. Jainism calls this Utpäd-Vyay-Dhrauvya. Assuming of the new state is Utpäd; giving up the old one is Vyay; and retaining its own substance is Dhrauvya. No substance can thus be entirely destroyed. That is the natural law of conservation. Jain seers were aware of it and therefore refused to admit the concept of creation or of a Creator.
Since the pupil had contended that the soul cannot be everlasting, the Guru points out that as a substance the soul cannot be destroyed. When it ceases to exist in its present form, it must be assuming a new one. The Guru therefore asks the pupil to find out what new state the soul would assume, or wherein it would merge, if it ceases to exist.
The explanation given under this stanza (Vachanamrut # 718) takes the illustration of an earthen pot and points out, "When a pot is broken, it is said that the pot is destroyed, but the earth of which it was made is not destroyed. Even if the pot is reduced to pieces, even if it is pulverized, the earth would stay as Paramänu, it cannot be entirely destroyed. Not a single Paramänu of the erstwhile pot can be lost, because it is of every one's experience that an object can be transformed, but it is not possible to conceive of its total destruction."
The Guru therefore tells the pupil that if by extinction of soul he refers to its transformation similar to a pot, he should specify the form that a soul would assume after its extinction. In other words, as the Paramänus of the earthen pot are mixed with other earthly aggregates of Paramänus, he should explore with what matter consciousness can be mixed. He would then find out that consciousness is a substance that cannot mix with or merge into anything else. It is therefore safe to say that the soul is the everlasting consciousness.
