Questions from readers:

Question#1. "Neither the consumables (sound, touch, form, taste, smell etc.) nor the consumers (the 5 senses, animals, plants, humans etc.) existed."

What is the basis for this interpretation?

Answer#1. Basic text of the first verse says kim āvarīvaḥ kuha kasya śarmann ambhaḥ. Broad meaning of this --> Kasya = Was there any consumer, śarmann = were there any consumables? Of course, these are rhetorical questions, with the clear implication that there was neither.