18. Sat and Asat
K rishna says ‘sat’ (real or permanence) never ceases to be and ‘asat’ (unreal or impermanence) has no existence. A jnani is the one who can distinguish between the two (2.16). The rope and snake analogy is often quoted in many cultures to understand the intricacies of ‘sat’ and ‘asat’ . A man returned home at dusk and found a coiled snake at the entrance to his home. But in reality, it was a rope left by children that looked like a snake in the semi-darkness. While the rope signifies ‘sat’, the snake signifies ‘asat’ . Until he realises ‘sat’ i.e. the rope, he is likely to adopt many strategies to handle ‘asat’ i.e. the illusory snake. He could attack it with a stick (fight), run away (flight) or he may try to light a torch to check out the reality. The best strategies and skills would go in vain if our perceptions were that of ‘asat’ . Another example is a reflection in a mirror. When we stand before a mirror, our image appears in it. The reflection cannot exist...