The opponent says that because material element akasa is origin of everything because all the other elements appear from it.
The verse in our present discussion too says that
sarvāṇi ha vā imāni bhūtāni ākāśād eva samutpadyante
From ākāśa only, all beings and everything else come into existence
But here is the twist.
This verse cannot refer to material element ether or space because the material element ether is not the final cause of everything else, as we know from the Vedic scriptures as well as from the Sankhaya philosophy of Kapila Muni that the element akasa itself comes from subtle element.. mind, intelligence and ego
SB 3.26.32
tāmasāc ca vikurvāṇād
bhagavad-vīrya-coditāt
śabda-mātram abhūt tasmān
nabhaḥ śrotraṁ tu śabdagam
Translation:
When egoism in ignorance is agitated by the sex energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the subtle element sound is manifested, and from sound come the ethereal sky and the sense of hearing.
From this verse we can conclude that
material element ether is not the final cause of creation rather a part of creation thus it is concluded that the above verse of Chandogya upanishad doesn't refer to material element ether, but to someone else
In the Taittarya upanishad it is said
(3.1): yato va imani bhutani jayante, yena jatani jivanti, yat prayanty abhisamvisanti, tad vijijnasasva tad brahma
Which means that it is from Brahman everything comes from, it is from him everything subsits and at the end everything merges back into him
Thus it can be concluded that akasa here refers to Brahman
Furthermore in Vednata Sutra it is said Sūtra 1.4.28
etena sarve vyākhyātā vyākhyātāḥ
All [words in the scriptures] should be interpreted to agree with the explanation [that the Supreme Brahman is the original cause
By this sutra too we can conclude that akasa here refers to Brahman or Vishnu
Here is the answer of the challenge:
The opponent says that because material element akasa is origin of everything because all the other elements appear from it.
The verse in our present discussion too says that
sarvāṇi ha vā imāni bhūtāni ākāśād eva samutpadyante
From ākāśa only, all beings and everything else come into existence
But here is the twist.
This verse cannot refer to material element ether or space because the material element ether is not the final cause of everything else, as we know from the Vedic scriptures as well as from the Sankhaya philosophy of Kapila Muni that the element akasa itself comes from subtle element.. mind, intelligence and ego
SB 3.26.32
tāmasāc ca vikurvāṇād
bhagavad-vīrya-coditāt
śabda-mātram abhūt tasmān
nabhaḥ śrotraṁ tu śabdagam
Translation:
When egoism in ignorance is agitated by the sex energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the subtle element sound is manifested, and from sound come the ethereal sky and the sense of hearing.
From this verse we can conclude that
material element ether is not the final cause of creation rather a part of creation thus it is concluded that the above verse of Chandogya upanishad doesn't refer to material element ether, but to someone else
In the Taittarya upanishad it is said
(3.1): yato va imani bhutani jayante, yena jatani jivanti, yat prayanty abhisamvisanti, tad vijijnasasva tad brahma
Which means that it is from Brahman everything comes from, it is from him everything subsits and at the end everything merges back into him
Thus it can be concluded that akasa here refers to Brahman
Furthermore in Vednata Sutra it is said Sūtra 1.4.28
etena sarve vyākhyātā vyākhyātāḥ
All [words in the scriptures] should be interpreted to agree with the explanation [that the Supreme Brahman is the original cause
By this sutra too we can conclude that akasa here refers to Brahman or Vishnu
Very good, thank you :-)