So also the cognition “I was sleeping long and did not know anything” has to be admitted as referring to the perception of the indefinite during sleep.  It is not true as some say that during sleep there is no perception, but what appears to the awakened man as “I did not know anything so long” is only an inference; for, it is not possible to infer from the pleasant and active state of the senses in the awakened state that the activity had ceased in the sleep state and that since he had no object of knowledge then, he could not know anything; for there is no invariable concomitance between the pleasant and active state of the senses and the absence of objects of knowledge in the immediately preceding state.  During sleep there is a mental state of the form of the indefinite, and during the awakened state it is by the impression (sa@mskara) of the aforesaid mental state of ajnana that one remembers that state and says that “I did not perceive anything so long.”  The indefinite (ajnana) perceived in consciousness is more fundamental and general than the mere negation of knowledge (jnanabhava) and the two are so connected that though the latter may not be felt, yet it can be inferred from the perception of the indefinite.  The indefinite though not definite is thus a positive content different from negation and is perceived as such in direct and immediate consciousness both in the awakened state as well as in the sleeping state.

The presence of this ajnana may also be inferred from the manner in which knowledge of objects is revealed in consciousness, as this always takes place in bringing a thing into consciousness which was not known or rather known as indefinite before we say “I did not know it before, but I know it now.”  My present knowledge of the thing thus involves the removal of an indefinite which was veiling it before and positing it in consciousness, just as the first streak of light in utter darkness manifests itself by removing the darkness[Footnote ref 1].  Apart from such an inference its existence

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[Footnote 1:  See Pancapadikavivara@na, Tattvadipana, and Advaitasiddhi.]

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is also indicated by the fact that the infinite bliss of Brahman does not show itself in its complete and limitless aspect.  If there was no ajnana to obstruct, it would surely have manifested itself in its fullness.  Again had it not been for this ajnana there would have been no illusion.  It is the ajnana that constitutes the substance of the illusion; for there is nothing else that can be regarded as constituting its substance; certainly Brahman could not, as it is unchangeable.  This ajnana is manifested by the perceiving consciousness (sak@si) and not by the pure consciousness.  The perceiving consciousness is nothing but pure intelligence which reflects itself in the states of avidya (ignorance).