Summary:
Chapter 3, Section 1, Verse 4: The wise one (vidvān) recognizes Īśvara as the sustaining life force manifesting in all beings and forms. This recognition transcends the need for debate since arguing implies duality when everything is seen as Īśvara's expression. The realized person lives with ātma-rati (reveling in the Self) and ātma-krīḍa (playing in the Self), engaging in activities without doership stress, like a football player who knows the game is play and remains free from the pressure of winning.
Chapter 3, Section 1, Verse 7: Brahman is limitless (bṛhat) – known as ever-available am-ness in the Self and non-negatable is-ness in all objects. As the all-pervading substance, Brahman accommodates and constitutes the world rather than being contained within it. Pure consciousness (divyam) means dropping all adjectives and attributes. Being beyond thought (acintya-rūpam), consciousness cannot be captured mentally but is understood as the is-ness substance of every thought. Nearer than near means not waiting for special experiences since Brahman illuminates present thoughts; farther than far encompasses all future knowledge and experiences. The buddhi acts like a mirror reflecting Brahman's awareness (cit), while objects reflect Brahman's existence (sat).
Chapter 3, Section 1, Verse 8: Brahman cannot be grasped by eyes since it is the very awareness in whose presence perceiving occurs – like a flashlight that illuminates objects but cannot illuminate itself. Words can only convey Brahman through intended meaning (lakṣyārtha) rather than literal meaning, such as understanding existence as the substance of time-space rather than something within time-space. Rituals and disciplines serve to purify the mind and create knowledge-friendly conditions but cannot attain what is already present. Through inquiry into the partless whole (niṣkalam), one recognizes Brahman as one's very awareness – not confined to any particular thing, like gold that isn't “inside” a necklace but is the very substance throughout it.
CH 3, SECTION 1, VERSE 4: Jnani has no Desire to Becoming Someone
प्राणः हि एषः यः सर्व-भूतैः विभाति
विजानन् विद्वान् भवते न अतिवादी
आत्म-क्रीडः आत्म-रतिः क्रियावान्
एषः ब्रह्म-विदाम् वरिष्ठः (३.१.४)
prāṇaḥ hi eṣaḥ yaḥ sarva-bhūtaiḥ vibhāti
vijānan vidvān bhavate na ativādī
ātma-krīḍaḥ ātma-ratiḥ kriyāvān
eṣaḥ brahma-vidām variṣṭhaḥ (3.1.4)
Indeed this Lord who sustains all life forms shines in the form of all things. Knowing this, the vidvān becomes one who does not cross the limits of discourse. He plays in himself, revels in himself and is engaged in activities. Such a person is the most exalted among the knowers of the Veda.
“Īśvara shines as the universal prāṇa (that which sustains all) – in all beings and elements.”
When you see your body-mind-sense complex and the world as Īśvara’s play, you stop identifying as a limited self. You realize you are the limitless source behind all forms.
“The vidvān (wise one) transcends debate by seeing ātman everywhere.”
Analogy: A son of a scholar who doesn’t study becomes a “fool” — mere lineage doesn’t grant wisdom. Similarly, you “become” a vidvān only by directly knowing śāstra (scripture) through a guru, not by birth.
When you argue, you imply duality — that something exists outside Ishvara. Knowing every form is Ishvara, debate becomes redundant, like arguing over waves while missing the ocean.
“The realized one revels in ātman (ātma-rati), plays in ātman (ātma-krīḍa), and acts without doership (kriyāvān).”
Metaphor: Imagine playing football: the player, ball, and game are all Self. The wise person knows it’s a “play” (as though hitting, as though scoring) – thus free from the stress of winning. Life becomes enjoyable. There's nowhere to get.
NEXT VERSE: Jnani appreciates Self as… (Defining words of pointers for Consciousness)
CH 3, SECTION 1, VERSE 7: Definitions of Consciousness
बृहत् च तत् दिव्यम् अचिन्त्य-रूपम्
सूक्ष्मात् च तत् सूक्ष्मतरम् विभाति
दूरात् सु-दूरे तत् इह अन्तिके च
पश्यत्सु इह एव निहितम् गुहायाम् (३.१.७)
bṛhat ca tat divyam acintya-rūpam
sūkṣmāt ca tat sūkṣmataram vibhāti
dūrāt su-dūre tat iha antike ca
paśyatsu iha eva nihitam guhāyām (3.1.7)
That Brahman is limitless, pure consciousness and is not available for a thought. It is subtler than the subtlest and reveals itself in many forms. It is very far from what is remote, and is very near here, right now in the body. In all conscious beings, it is present here in the buddhi.
“Brahman is limitless (bṛhat)”
- Understanding 1 of “Limitless”: Self alone is. Meaning you’ll never find or know Self more then you know Self now. Directly self is known as ever-available am-ness. And in objects, self is recognized as the non-negatable is-ness that’s always present in every changing name-form.
- Understanding 2 of “Limitless”: All-pervading space isn’t bound by the size of the jar; it accommodates the jar. Brahman isn’t in the world — but accommodates the world and is the very substance of the world. Even the listener of this statement is Brahman.
- Divyam (pure consciousness): “Pure” is another word for “no attributes (nirguna)”. Meaning, drop all adjectives. Brahman isn’t “divine” or “love” — it’s the Awareness prior to labels.
“Acintya-rūpam (not available for thought)”
Reminds you not to turn consciousness into mental images. You can’t capture limitlessness in a thought – because thought is time bound, and only imagined in one mind (thus it’s not limitless).
Consciousness is to be understood as the substance, or the is-ness of every thought. You can’t know it as a given thing, but that which is in every experience.
“Nearer than near, farther than far (dūrāt sudūre, iha antike ca)”
Nearer then the near: Don’t wait for “Brahman-experience.” The thought “I’m waiting” is lit up by Brahman.
Farther then far: All the things yet to be known in the future, are also Brahman.
“Hidden in plain sight / It is present here in the buddhi (nihitaṁ guhāyām)”
Mirror doesn’t “hold” your face, but reflects it. Similarly, your buddhi (like a mirror) doesn’t hold “Brahman”, but reflects Brahman’s cit (Awareness).
Whereas an object only reflects Brahman’s sat (is-ness).
NEXT VERSE: More defining words or pointers for Consciousness…
CH 3, SECTION 1, VERSE 8: Definitions of Brahman
न चक्षुषा गृह्यते न अपि वाचा
न अन्यैः देवैः तपसा कर्मणा वा
ज्ञान-प्रसादेन विशुद्ध-सत्त्वः
ततः तु तम् पश्यते निष्कलम् ध्यायमानः (३.१.८)
na cakṣuṣā gṛhyate na api vācā
na anyaiḥ devaiḥ tapasā karmaṇā vā
jñāna-prasādena viśuddha-sattvaḥ
tataḥ tu tam paśyate niṣkalam dhyāyamānaḥ (3.1.8)
(The self) is not grasped by the eyes, or by words, by other sense organs, by religious disciplines or rituals. A person of pure mind enquiring into the partless Brahman gains it through knowledge.
“Brahman not seen by eyes, not described by words, not attained by rituals (na cakṣuṣā gṛhyate, nāpi vācā, na karmaṇā)”
- Can’t be seen by eyes: Because Brahman is your very awareness — the subject in whose presence the perceiving, speaking, and acting is taking place. You can’t “grasp” it like an object. Just how a flashlight can’t illuminate itself, yet in it's presence, objects are illumined — you can’t “see” awareness because you are it.
- Can’t be described by words [without a Pramana]: Teacher conveys the meaning that’s meant to be conveyed via lakṣyārtha – where you retain the intended meaning of the word, and discard the limitation or literal meaning (vācyārtha) of the word. EG: Literal meaning of word sat (existence) is “existence within time-space”, but intended meaning is – existence is the very substance of time-space. Time-exists, space-exists — both depend on existence.
- Can’t be attained by Rituals (disciplines) / Tapas (self-mastery):
- Rituals (karma) give results (wealth, heaven), but Brahman is already here.
- Action is used to: (1) Clean up something (eg: emotional makeup) (2) modify – eg: your stories (3) reach (4) produce – eg: connection to Ishvara. These 4 factors are crucial to make a knowledge-friendly mind to “reach” that which is beyond those 4 factors.
“Inquiry reveals the partless whole – attributeless (niṣkalaṁ dhyāyamānaḥ)”
Brahman has no “parts,” like space, so you can’t find it as any one confined thing — thus stop imagining you’re separate from it. Example: Gold isn’t “inside” a necklace. There's no place throughout the necklace where gold is not. Similarly, there's no part about you (ornament) that isn't Brahman.
Brahman isn’t attained — it’s recognized as your very awareness, prior to thoughts, and through all thoughts.
Conclusion:
All this, the wise person sees (paśyate) – in other words, directly and unceasingly appreciates.
NEXT VERSE: Inside the mind of a wise person…
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Recorded 13 July, 2025