Having established in the first chapter that Self-ignorance is the cause of samsaraand that Self-knowledge is the only means for liberation by negating the need for karma as a supporting sadhana, Sankaracharya begins the actual Vedantic teaching in the second chapter, entitled Pratisheda Prakaranam (topic of negation).
This small chapter with only four verses provides a clear insight into how the scriptures communicate the teaching about the Self. The discussion in the verses is highly subtle and technical in the area of the process of how knowledge takes place (Pramana Sastram).
Three Components
Knowledge of external objects involves three constituents: 1.The knower (pramatha) 2. The instrument of knowledge (pramanam) and 3. the object of knowledge (prameyam). By the operation of the Pramanam (instrument) the knower (pramatha) gains the knowledge (prama) of the object. The position is different in the context of Self-knowledge (Atma Jnanam or Brahma Jnanam). Here the Sastravakyam (scriptural statement) is the instrument (pramanam), which has the job of revealing Atma or Brahman (prameyam), which is non-different from myself, the knower (pramata).
As Atma or Brahman is not an object of knowledge by definition, the question arises as to how the Upanishad (scriptures) can be considered as pramanam to reveal Brahman. Scriptures have, therefore, a serious problem in providing the seeker with the Vedantic teaching (Self-knowledge)
Fortunately, however, as Atma (Brahman) is self-evident as the ever present Consciousness (chaithanyam) in the form of ‘I’ (aham), Sruti need not reveal it. However, whenever we use the expression ‘I,’ we experience along with the awareness, the intellect, the mind, body and the external world, all of which is intrinsically inert (jadam) but illumined by the awareness, directly in the case of the intellect and mind and indirectly in the case of the body and the external world.
While we can
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