The System of the Vedanta according to Badarayana's Brahma-Sutras and Cankara's Commentary c6.s8.t3.11

c6.s8.t3.11

What relation have the only two remaining characteristics of Brahman, Existence and Intelligence (bodha), to each other?—The treatment of this question, expounded by other Commentators of the Brahmasūtras, Ṣaṅkara dismisses as purposeless (p. 812, 10) and on this point remarks as follows: (1) Brahman cannot be Existence without Intelligence, because this contradicts the passage of scripture (just quoted), and because otherwise he would not be the self of the individual soul, which is by nature intelligent; (2) not Intelligence without Existence either, because this is impossible; (3) and just as little Existence and Intelligence in their separate characters, because this would give rise to a plurality, which cannot exist in the case of Brahman; it therefore only remains that (4) Existence is the same as Intelligence, and Intelligence the same as Existence (*sattâ eva bodho, bodha' eva ca sattâ*, p. 813, 7), so that between the two there is no mutual exclusion. "Thus one might say," adds Çaṅkara, passing over, as secondary, this question which is so interesting for us.