नासतो विद्यते भावो नाभावो विद्यते सतः | उभयोरपि दृष्टोऽन्तस्त्वनयोस्तत्त्वदर्शिभिः ||२-१६||
nāsato vidyate bhāvo nābhāvo vidyate sataḥ . ubhayorapi dṛṣṭo.antastvanayostattvadarśibhiḥ ||2-16||
Chapter 2 · Verse 16
Sankhya Yoga
सांख्ययोग
In plain words
You are encouraged to distinguish between what is temporary and what is eternally real. The changing physical world is ultimately an illusion of maya, while your inner spiritual essence never ceases to exist. Focus your awareness on this unchanging truth, which brings lasting peace amidst a world of constant flux.
Translation
2.16 The unreal can never come into being, the real never ceases to be. The conclusion about these two is seen by the seers of truth.
Meaning
The changeless homogeneous Atman or the Self always exists. It is the only solid Reality. This phenomenal world of names and forms is ever changing. Hence it is unreal. The sage or the Jivanmukta is fully aware that the Self always exists and that this world is like a mirage. Through his Jnanachakshus or the eye of intuition he directly cognises the Self. This world vanishes for him like the snake in the rope after it has been seen that only the rope exists. He rejects the names and forms and takes the underlying Essence in all the names and forms viz.. AstiBhatiPriya or Satchidananda or ExistenceKnowledgeBliss Absolute. Hence he is a Tattvadarshi or a knower of the Truth or the Essence. What is changing must be unreal. What is constant or permanent must be real.
Word by word
न not असतः of the unreal विद्यते is भावः being न not अभावः nonbeing विद्यते is सतः of the real उभयोः of the two अपि also दृष्टः (has been) seen अन्तः the final truth तु indeed अनयोः of these तत्त्वदर्शिभिः by the knowers of the Truth.