Summary:

Chapter 3, Section 1, Verse 2: Guru takes you through systematic process to discover your nature, with step 1 being neti-neti to negate false identification with the three bodies, step 2 pointing out Awareness as your true identity through logic showing you can't be the doer since Awareness remains constant regardless of bodily activity, and step 3 demonstrating satya-mithya relationship where all forms reduce to Intelligence (Ishvara) then to Consciousness. After Vedanta, you see forms as manifestations of Ishvara whose truth is Consciousness, like water appearing as both ocean and wave.

CH 3, SECTION 1, VERSE 2: Two Birds Metaphor Explained

समाने वृक्षे पुरुषः निमग्नः
अनीशया शोचति मुह्यमानः
जुष्टम् यथा पश्यति अन्यम् ईशम्
अस्य महिमानम् इति वीत-शोकः (३.१.२)
samāne vṛkṣe puruṣaḥ nimagnaḥ
anīśayā śocati muhyamānaḥ
juṣṭam yathā paśyati anyam īśam
asya mahimānam iti vīta-śokaḥ (3.1.2)

Being deluded and lost in the very same tree, the person comes to grief due to helplessness. When one recognises the other [bird], which is worshipful, which is the Lord of all, and knows (all this as) his glory – he becomes free from grief.

How the Methodology/Guru Show You the Ultimate Reality

The ultimate reality in the verse is called “juṣṭaḥ” – that which is MOST sought after – freedom from all forms of limitation.

Step 1: Neti-Neti

We've seen this in previous lesson. First guru has to show you those objects you put your “I” in, being the 3 bodies. Then he says, you are none of them. In other words, guru can't just say “You're not the body”, he needs to define what body constitutes, what it's made of. 

Next step is to point out your true self by defining it…

Step 2: Point out What Awareness is

1. Logic showing why you’re not the doer: Awareness (you) can't be the doer (body-mind), otherwise the more your body does, the more aware you'll be. The less your mind thinks (does), the less aware you'll be. But that's not your experience. You're equally Aware all the time. Also you can’t be the roles (ego/ahamkara) of the waking state, such as “I’m a king”, else you’d be afraid to dream “I’m a beggar”.
2. Who are you? Your identity is Awareness. You (Awareness) are self-evident to yourself all the time. Is your self-evident-existence a thought? No. You don't have to think “I am, I am, I am”. You just are, irrespective of thoughts. The only principle that’s EFFORTLESSLY and COMPLETELY evident right now is that “I am”. 
3. Awareness is same in all: This Awareness isn’t restricted to you. It pervades everything. It’s the same awareness for everyone because it doesn’t have attributes. Analogy: Glass-space seems to be different from room-space, but there’s only one space. Glass/room doesn’t divide undividable space. Why do we give space many names? To distinguish it from other forms it assumes (such as house-space, bottle-space). Additionally, glass-space isn’t changed by contents of what’s inside. In same way, mind's contents don't contaminate Awareness, thus awareness always remains attributeless. 

Step 3: Show that Body-Mind and Consciousness are Not Two

Now that there are two things, body-mind and Consciousness, we have to show their relationship via satya-mithya. If one thing reduces to Intelligence and Consciousness, as we've seen previously, then that logic applies to your body-mind also.

For example…

1. 1. Form: Table > wood (cellulose + lignin molecules) > cellulose is nothing but C₆H₁₀O₅ atoms > subatomic particles > probabilities > depends on space-time > depends on that which came before big-bang (Intelligence) > depends on presence of Awareness (which is known to you right now as self-revealing am-ness).
   2. Thought: Cow > made of 5 elements (subtle matter, more flexible then matter seen under the microscope) > Intelligence > Awareness.

Order: Consciousness > power to manifest (annam/maya) > when manifests, Consciousness is called Ishvara or Brahmā > Manifests times-space-object and laws for jivas to work out their stuff.  

So where do you find Ishvara/Brahmā (God)? Everywhere, as everything.  Thus don’t call anything an illusion, but manifestation of Ishvara whose truth is Consciousness.

Comparing Ishvara (Intelligence) & Consciousness:

1. Ishvara is Pravaha-nityatvam: Survives time-space-objects, laws because it’s cause of them, and not an effect. It’s in flux in terms of going from unmanifest <-> manifest. When in manifest, Intelligence constantly reshuffles to account for the movements, causes-effects in the universe.
2. Consciousness is Kutastha-nityatvam: Doesn’t undergo change, as it’s attributeless. Meaning even now it’s available exactly as it always was, is and will be.

Before & After Vedanta:

Before coming to Vedanta: You only saw names-forms.

After Vedanta Has Worked It's Magic on You: Right now I’m seeing the gold which happens to look like a “bangle”.  Similarly, when you see a form, you understand “behind” that form is Ishvara (intelligence). Don’t say “I see form AND Ishvara”. You also understand truth of Ishvara is Consciousness – known to you as self-evident self.

Wave-Ocean Example To Demonstrate Before & After Difference:

Suppose wave is given eyes programmed to see other waves. Comparison and smallness for that wave is normal.

Then a wise-wave comes and says “We are all manifestations of one Ocean, whose truth is H2O”.

Additionally, you (the wave) can’t see the Ocean/Ishvara (the total manifestation) – else Ishvara becomes another effect (imagined in your mind).

The life of a seeker-wave turns from comparison to becoming noble, knowing it’s within the Ocean for a time being.

Eventually the seeker-waves comes to recognize that right now — water is appearing as Ocean and wave. Sameness is not between name-form, but the water-ness of both.

NEXT VERSE: The jnani, having understood self is the cause of everything, he is no longer in competition with the world, trying to stand out…

—

Recorded 12 July, 2025