तदापीतेः, संसारव्यपदेशात् ॥ ८ ॥
tadāpīteḥ, saṃsāravyapadeśāt || 8 ||
tat—That; ā apīteḥ—up to the attainment of Brahman (through Knowledge); saṃsāra-vyapadeśāt—because (scriptures) declare the state of relative existence.
8. That (fine body lasts) up to the attainment of Brahman (through Knowledge), because (the scriptures) declare the state of relative existence (till then).
In the text cited in Sutra 1, we have, “And fire (is merged) in the Supreme Deity”. The opponent argues that as fire and the other elements are merged in the Supreme Deity, which is the cause of these elements, this is only the final dissolution, and so everyone at death attains Liberation. This Sutra says that this merging is not absolute merging, but the one we experience in deep sleep. Only the functions of these elements are merged, and not the elements themselves. The final dissolution does not take place till Knowledge is attained; for the scriptures declare that till then the individual soul is subject to relative existence: “Some souls enter the womb to have a body” etc. (Kath. 2. 5. 7). If the merging at death were absolute, then there could be no rebirth.