XVI. Ontology of the Self Existent Sat = Being.
Philology of Sat. 1. The last word of the formular motto of Vedánta is sat, which derived from the root asa, Lat. esse—to be, makes the present participle Sat and means a being, like the Latin ens and Greek On, the participial noun of eimi meaning a being. Thus the knowledge of sat which is Satyam = reality, is the doctrine of On—the real being, which as said before is to on onton—the being of beings and prime cause of all existences, and forms the main subject of Ontology. This primary and fundamental truth of the existence of a first cause, led the Rishi a priori to deduce all other existences from it by the text अहं वहुस्यां Ego in multis et pluribus—the one in many: or in other words, when the Bráhman believes in but one real being in the Universe, he believes also that this being constitutes the Universe. (M.W. Indian Wisdom p. 36).
2. Etymology of Sat. 2. The noun Sat in its verbal form is equivalent to asti, corresponding with Lat. est, Gr. esti, Persic ast and hast, Bengali-áchhe, Uria achchhe &c. Eng. is, Ger. Ist and the like. And tat sat together makes the Greek to estin, Lat. Id est French Il est &c.; Arabic alast, Persic ost, and Hindi Ohihae. The Om Tat Sat is either an identic proposition, meaning the “Being that is” or a definitive one, expressing Om that (is) existent.
3. The Ontology of Sat or Being. 3. The Ch’hándogya Upanishad says; “In the beginning there was the mere state of sat—being (to on)—the one only without a second.” Some however say that, “in the beginning there was a state of asat—not being; (Lat. non est, Gr. to mi on), the one without a second. Hence out of a state of non-being would proceed a state of being. But how can this be? How can sat = being, proceed out of asat not being?” It is logically absurd by the well known maxim Ex nihilo nihil fit of Lucretius. “Hence in the beginning there was a mere state of being (the om). One only without a second. (om eka mevá dvitíyam ओमेकमेवाद्वितीयं). He willed and became many” (Chánd. VI. 2. M. W. Ind. Wisdom p. 41).
4. A Priori Argument of Vedánta. 4. The Original text runs thus.
सदेवइदमग्र आसीत्, एकमेवाद्वितीयं ।
तदाह एकेआहुः असदेवइदमग्रमासीत् एकमेवाद्वितीयं ॥
तस्मादसतः सज्जायेत ।
कुतस्तुखलु स्यादिति । कथमसतः सज्जायेत इति ॥
तत्त्वेवइदमग्रआसीत्, एकमेवाद्वितीयं ॥