The Advaitic Sat

Summary

In this paper the author clarifies the Advaitic concept of sat (being), the foundational principle on which the non‑dual view of reality rests. He notes that ordinary usage of the words “real” or “existent” is inadequate for describing the Advaitin’s sat because empirical objects are subject to change and cessation, whereas Brahman is timeless, unchanging and self‑luminous. By analysing Upaniṣadic passages, Ram Murti Sharma shows how sat is defined as pure consciousness and absolute bliss, distinct from the sat encountered in worldly phenomena. The article surveys classical Advaita distinctions among pāramārthika (absolute), vyāvahārika (empirical) and prātibhāsika (illusory) levels of truth, stressing that only Brahman enjoys unconditional existence. Sharma engages with critics who accuse Advaita of nihilism and defends the doctrine against charges that it denies the reality of the world. He explains how the Advaitic sat functions as the adhyastita (substratum) upon which names and forms are superimposed, and how ignorance gives rise to the perception of multiplicity. The essay also contrasts the Advaitic notion of sat with Sāṃkhya’s puruṣa and Buddhist śūnyatā, arguing that Advaita neither posits a plurality of selves nor reduces reality to nothingness. Through careful exegesis, the author elucidates why realisation of sat is synonymous with liberation.