- Shri Shankaracharia commentary :

Everything made, as the result of apara vidya has already been stated. That entity known as Purusha from which samsara derives its strength, from which, as its immortal source, it proceeds and into which it is again absorbed is true; the subsequent portion of the book is begun for the purpose of explaining him, who being known, all will become known and who is the subject of ‘Brahinavidya.’ The satyam or truth which is the subject of the apara vidya and which is in the nature of the fruits of karma is only relatively true; but this which is the subject of para vidya is absolutely true, being defined as absolute existence. This satyam is real, being the subject of knowledge; the other mtyam is false, being the subject of ignorance. How could men directly cognize the immortal and real Purusha, seeing that it is altogether beyond the reach of direct perception. To this end, the Sruti gives an example: ‘As from the fire well-fed sparks, i.e., particles of fire issue forth by thousands like fire in their form; so, from the immortal abode described, diverse jivas, diverse because of the difference of conditions, i.e., in their various bodies, come into existence. Just as from akas, the spaces enclosed as it were within the limits of a pot, etc.’ As these spaces undergo varieties corresponding to the varieties of their conditions such as pot, etc., so also the jivas according to the varieties of their bodies created by names and forms. Th e jivas are absorbed into the immortal purusha when the bodies conditioning them cease to exist, as the various cavities cease to exist, when the pot, etc., cease to exist. As the origin and destruction of the various cavities in the akas are due to its being enclosed in a pot, etc., so also the cause and the absorption of the jiva are due to the akshara, being conditioned by bodies bearing names and forms. (Ⅴ)

- Shri Shankaracharia commentary :

With a view to describe the nature of that akshara, i.e., which is beyond what is known as avyakrita (the unmanifested), the seed of all name and form and transcending its own modifications which is devoid of all varieties of conditions and bereft of all forms like the akas and which is capable of being only negatively defined, the text says thus. ‘Divyah,’ bright, being self-resplendent, or born of itself or distinct from all that is wordly. ‘Hi’, because; ‘amurtah,’ having no form of any kind. ‘Parusha,’ all-pervading or seated in the city of the body. ‘Sabahyabhyantarah’ means ‘existing both without and within.’ ‘Unborn’ is ‘not born of anything,’ i.e., neither from itself nor from any other, there being no other, from which it could be born. As wind, etc., in the case of water bubbles, and as the pot, etc., in the case of the different cavities of akas, so modifications of things, have birth for their source, and all these modifications are denied when birth is denied. The drift is that he is both without and within, unborn and therefore undecaying, immortal, changeless, constant and fearless. Though he appears to be in the various bodies with prana, with mind, with senses and with their objects owing to the ignorance of those who perceive difference of conditions, such as bodies, etc., as they see in the akas the colour etc., of the surface; but still to those who see the reality, he is without prana, etc.; he is without prana, i.e., in whom the mind, which has various active powers and whose characteristic is motion, does not exist. He is without mind because in him the mind with its various powers of knowledge and with its characteristics of voltion, etc., does not exist. It should he understood that of him are denied the varieties of winds such as prana, the active sensory organs, their objects and accordingly intelligence, mind, the organs of knowledge and their objects. Accordingly, another Sruti says ‘It seems to think and move.’ He is suhhra or pure, because both these conditions are thus denied of him. The Akshara which is beyond all, the Avyakrita whose nature is indicated as the seed condition of all name and form, as it is known to be the seed of all effects and causes; ‘param’ because the akshara known as avyakrita is in its condition above all its modifications. The Purusha is beyond even this unmanifested akshara, i.e., not subject to any conditions. In whom is the akshara known as akas with all the objects of duality strung together as warp and woof. How then could it be said to be without prana, etc? It prana, etc., existed as such in their own forms before their creation like the purusha. then the purusha can be said to be with prana because of their then existence; but they, the prana, etc., do not, like the purusha, exist in their own forms, before their creation. So the highest purusha is without prana, etc. (Ⅴ)

- Shri Shankaracharia commentary :

As Devadatta is said to be ‘aputra’ when a ‘putra’ is not born to him, so it is explained how it is said in this connection that in the case of the purusha the prana, etc., do not exist; because from this purusha alone viewed as conditioned by the seed of name and form is born the prana, the modification of the object of ignorance, a mere name and in its nature a non-entity; for, another Sruti says ‘The name is mere speech, a modification and a falsehood’; by prana, which is an object of ignorance and a falsehood, the highest cannot be said to be possessed of it (prana), as a sonless man cannot be said to have a son, by a son seen in dreams; similarly the mind, all the sensory organs and their objects are born of this. Therefore, that he is really without prana, etc., is established. It should be known that just as these prana, etc., did not really exist before the creation, so, even after absorption as the organs, the mind and the senses, so the bhutas which are the causes of the bodies and objects. ‘Kham,’ the aka s, the air internal and external, o various kinds such as avaha, etc.; ‘Jotihi’, fire. ‘Apah’, water. ‘Prithivi,’ earth. ‘Visvasya,’ o all. All these whose attributes are sound, touch, form, taste and smell and which are respectively formed by the combination of the latter with the previous attributes are born of him. Having briefly stated the immortal, unconditioned, eternal Purusha, the object of para vidya, by the text ‘Bright, formless, etc.,’ the Sruti next proceeded to explain his nature in detail and at length. It is only when a thing is explained briefly and at length it becomes capable of being easily understood as if explained by Sutras and by their commentaries. (Ⅴ)

- Shri Shankaracharia commentary :

This text is intended to show that the virat purusha within the globe, who is born of Hiranyagarbha the first born, is born only and a modification, of this purusha, though apparently distanced by an intermediate principle. The text also describes him. ‘Agnihi,’ the devaloka or svarga, from the Sruti ‘This loka verily is Agni, O Gautama.’ ‘Murdha,’ head; whose eyes are the sun and the moon. The word ‘yasya’ (of whom) should be read in every clause. The word ‘asya’ subsequently occurring being converted into ‘yasya’ whose speech are the opened, i.e., celebrated Vedas. ‘Hridayam’ heart. ‘Visvam,’ the whole universe. The whole universe is only a modification of the mind for it is absorbed into the mind during sleep and because it issues from the mind when waking, like sparks of fire and from whose feet the earth was born; this deity, all-pervading, endless, the first embodied existence having for its body the three lokas is the interior atman of all created things; for, it is he who, in all created things, is the seer, the hearer, the thinker, the knower and who is the cause of all. It is next stated that all living beings who come into samsara through the five fires are also born of the same purusha. (Ⅴ)

- Shri Shankaracharia commentary :

‘From him,’ from the Purusha. ‘Agni,’ the Dyu loka, a kind of abode for man. That Agni is described. ‘Samidhah’ fuel; for which the sun is. as it were, a fuel; for, it is by the sun that the Dyu loka is lighted. From the moon emerging out of the Dyu loka parjanya, the second fire, is produced; and from the parjanya, the medicinal plants proceed, grow on earth: and from the medicinal plants offered to the purusha fire serving as the material cause the man (fire) sheds semen on the woman (fire). Thus gradually from the purusha are produced many living beings such as Brahmins, etc.; moreover, the helps to karma and their fruits also proceed from the Purusha. (Ⅴ)

- Shri Shankaracharia commentary :

How? ‘Tasmat,’ from the Purasha; ‘Richah the mantras whose letters, feet and endings are determined and which are marked by Chhandas (metre) like the gayatri. Sama with its fivefold and sevenfold classification characterized by sthoba and other gita (music). ‘Yajus,’ mantras in the form of sentences, whose letters, feet and endings are determined by no rules. Thus the threefold mantras. ‘Diksha’, restrictions such as the wearing of a mounjee (a kind of cord), etc., imposed upon the performer (of a sacrifice). ‘Yajnas,’ all sacrifices such as Agnihotra, etc. ‘Kratu’ sacrifices which require a yupa (i.e., sacrificial post). ‘Dakshinah,’ rewards distributed in sacrifice from a single cow up to unbounded whole wealth. ‘Year,’ stated time as a necessary adjunct of karma. ‘Yajamano’ the performer, i.e., the sacrificer. The worlds which are the fruits of his karma are next described “which the moon renders sacred and where the sun shines”; these are attainable by the northern and southern routes and are the fruits of the karma performed by the knowing and the ignorant. (Ⅴ)

- Shri Shankaracharia commentary :

Tasmat, “from him also, from the purusha. ‘Variously,’ in various groups such as vasus, etc. Samprasutah, well born. Sadhyas, a species of Devas. Men those that are entitled to perforin karma; cattle, both of the village and the forest. Vayamsi, birds. The food of men, etc., The Prana and the Apana; corn and yava, to be used for making havis (oblations). Tapas, both as an indispensable adjunct to karma whose efficacy lies in the purification of the performer and as an independent means of attaining the fruits of karma. Devotion, that state of mind which precedes the mental calm and a belief in a future state necessary to the accomplishment of all human ends. Similarly, truth, i.e., avoiding falsehood and speaking out what has really happened, without harm to others. Brahmacharyam, absence of sexual intercourse. Injunction, the statement of what ought to be done. (Ⅴ)

- Shri Shankaracharia commentary :

Again the seven pranas, i.e., (organs of sense) in the head are born of this purusha alone. ‘Their seven flames,’ their light which enlightens their objects. Similarly, the sevenfold fuel, their sevenfold objects; for, it is by these objects that the pranas, i.e., organs of sense are fed. ‘The sevenfold oblations’, the perceptions of the sevenfold objects; for, another Sruti says: “He offers the oblation which consists in the perception of the objects by the senses.” The seven lokas, i.e., the seats of the senses where the pranas move. The clause “where the pranas move” is intended to exclude the vital airs, i.e., prana, apana and the rest. ‘Lying in the cave,’ lying during sleep in the body or the heart. ‘Fixed,’ fixed by the creator. ‘Seven and seven’, in every living thing. The meaning of the context is that all karma performed by knowing men who propitiate their Atman and the fruits of such karma as well as the karma performed by the ignorant and their means and fruits; all these proceed only from the highest and the omniscient purusha. (Ⅴ)

- Shri Shankaracharia commentary :

‘From him,’ from the purusha. ‘The oceans’, all, the salt ocean, etc. ‘Mountains’, the Himalayas and the rest are all from this purusha. ‘Syandante,’ flow. ‘Rivers’, such as the Granges. ‘Sarvarupah,’ of many forms. From this purusha, also proceed, the medicinal plants, such as corn, yava paddy, etc. ‘Taste,’ sixfold such as sweetness, etc. ‘By which’, by which taste. ‘Bhutaih,’ by the five gross bhutas. ‘Pariveshtitah’, encircled. ‘Tishthate’, is seated. ‘The internal Atman’, the subtle body, so called, because it is the Atman, as it were, intermediate between the gross body and the soul proper. (Ⅴ)

- Shri Shankaracharia commentary :

Thus, out of purusha, all this is born; therefore, as the Sruti says “The name is mere speech, a modification and a falsehood and the purusha alone is true.” Therefore all this is only purusha. The universe has no separate existence apart from purusha. Hence to the question propounded “O Bhagavan, by knowing whom, all this becomes known,” the answer has been given, i.e., when this purusha, the supreme Atman, the first cause is known, it becomes clear that all this universe is purusha and nothing else exists except him. What then is this “all,” it is thus explained. Karma is of the nature of Agnihotra and the rest. Tapas, knowledge and the fruit due to it. By ‘all’ this much is meant. And all this is evolved out of Brahman. Therefore everything is Brahman. He who knows that lie himself is this Brahman the highest and the immortal placed in the hearts of all living beings, destroys the dense tendencies of ignorance. Iha, even while living and not merely after death. Soumya, good looking. (Ⅴ)

- Shri Shankaracharia commentary :

It is now explained how the akshara which is formless, could be known. Avihi, bright, shining as the percipient of sound, etc., according to the Sruti, “It shines through its conditions of speech, etc.” It is seen in the heart of all living beings appearing there with the attributes of seeing, hearing, thinking, knowing, etc. This Brahman shining is Sannihita, i.e., well seated in the heart. It is celebrated as guhacha- ran because it moves in the cavity in modes of seeing, hearing, etc. ‘Great’, because it is greater than all. Padam, reached by all, because it is the seat of all objects. How is it said to be great, etc? Because in the Brahman all this universe is centred as the various spokes are in the wheel-ring of the chariot. Ejat, moving, i.e., birds, etc; pranet, breathes, i.e., men, cattle, etc., having prana, a puna, etc; and ‘winks’, all that winks and all that winks not, from the force of the particle cha; this in which all is centred, know, O disciple, that that is your own atman; both sat and asat; for without it, sat and asat, that which has form and that which has not, i.e., the gross and subtle do not exist. Varenyam, covetable; because of all objects it is the only eternal entity. Param, distinct from, or, beyond; this is connected with the expression “knowledge of men” though remote; the meaning is that it is beyond the reach of wordly knowledge. Varishtham, the highest of all; because of all that is high, the Brahman is pre-eminently high, being free from all faults. (Ⅴ)

- Shri Shankaracharia commentary :

Besides it is archimat, bright, because it is by the light of the Brahman that the sun, etc., shine; again it is subtler than the subtlest (i.e.,) grain, etc. From the particle cha, it is suggested that it is bigger than the biggest, such as earth, etc. In whom all the worlds such as earth, etc., are fixed and men and the rest, inhabitants of those worlds; for all are well-known to depend upon “Intelligence”, i. e., Brahman; this immortal Brahman on which all depend is prana, speech, mind and all the instruments. It is their internal intelligence for the whole combination of prana, senses, etc., is dependent upon that intelligence, according to the Sruti ‘It is the prana of prana, etc. This immortal Brahman which is the internal intelligence of prana, etc., is true and, therefore, endless. Veddhavyam, should he seized by the mind. The meaning is that the mind should be concentrated upon the Brahman. This being so, O good looking youth, strike that, i.e., concentrate your mind upon that Brahman. (Ⅴ)

- Shri Shankaracharia commentary :

How that is hit is now explained. Dhanuh. the bow. Grihitva, having taken. Upanishadam horn in, i.e., well-known in the Upanishads. Mahastram, great weapon, i.e., the arrow; fix the arrow; of what quality is stated. Upasauisltam, rendered pointed by constant meditation, i.e., purified; after fixing it and drawing it, i.e., having drawn the mind and the senses from their external objects and bending, i.e., concentrating them on the mark, for the bow here cannot be bent as by the hand; hit the mark—the immortal Brahman—above defined with thy mind, Oh good looking youth, engrossed by meditation upon the Brahman. (Ⅴ)

- Shri Shankaracharia commentary :

What the bow and the rest above referred to are, is explained. The Pranava, i.e., the syllable “Om” is the bow; as the bow is the cause of the arrow entering into the mark, so the syllable “Om” is the cause of the Atman entering into the Brahman; for it is only when purified, by the repetition of Pranava, that the Atman supported by it becomes fixed in the Brahman without obstruction, as the arrow by the force of the bow is fixed in the mark. Therefore the Pranava is like a bow. The arrow is the Paramatman itself conditioned as the Atman having entered the body here, as the sun enters the water, as the witness of all states of consciousness. That, like an arrow, is discharged towards itself—the immortal Brahman. Therefore the Brahman is said to be its mark, because it is seen to be the Atman itself by those who fix their mind upon it as on a mark. This being so, the Brahman which is the mark should be hit by one who is self-collected, i. e., who is free from the excitement caused by a thirst to get at external objects, who is disgusted with everything, who has conquered his senses and whose mind is concentrated. When that is hit, the Atman becomes like the arrow, one with the mark, i.e., the Brahman. Just as the success of the arrow is its becoming one with the mark, so the fruit here achieved is the Atman becoming one with the immortal Brahman by the dispelling of the notion that the body, etc., is the Atman. (Ⅴ)

- Shri Shankaracharia commentary :

As the “Immortal” cannot be easily grasped by the mind, the repetition is for the purpose of making it more easily cognisable. He, the immortal Brahman, in whom Dyouh, earth, and antariksha are centred, as also the mind with the other instruments; know him, O disciples as “the one,” the support of all; the Atman, i.e., the internal principle of yourselves and all living beings; having known that, leave off all other speech of the nature of “Apara vidya” as also all Kar ma with their aids elucidated by it; for, this, i.e., the knowledge of the Atman is the road to the attaintment of emancipation, the bridge as it were by which the great ocean of Samsara is crossed, as another Sruti says “having known him thus, one travels beyond death; there is no other road to emancipation.” (Ⅴ)

- Shri Shankaracharia commentary :

Within the heart where all nerves running through the body meet together, as the spokes in the nave of the wheel, this Atman, spoken of, dwells within, as the witness of the states of consciousness, seeing, hearing, thinking, knowing and as it were, being variously born by the modifications of the mind, such as anger, joy, etc; men in the world say ‘He has become angry, he has become “joyful”, according to the conditions of the internal sense (mind); meditate upon Atman having the syllable “Om” as your support and imagining as stated. And it has been said “the preceptor who knows must instruct the disciples.” The disciples are those who being desirous to acquire the knowledge of the Brahman, have renounced Karma and taken the road to emancipation. The preceptor gives his benediction that they may attain the Brahman without hindrance; svasti vah paraya, let Him be without hindrance to your reaching the other shore. Parastat, beyond; beyond what? Beyond the darkness of ignorance, i. e., for the realisation of the true nature of the Atman devoid of ignorance. He who should be reached after crossing the ocean of Samsara and who is the subject of the Para vidya. (Ⅴ)

- Shri Shankaracharia commentary :

Where He is, is now explained; the terms ‘sarvajna’ and ‘sarvavit’ have already been explained. He is again described; by the expression “whose glory is this” is meant “whose glory is celebrated.” What is that glory? By whose commands stand supported the earth and the sky, by whose command, the sun and the moon always rotate as the flaming fire-brand. By whose command the rivers and the seas do not overstep their limits, whose command all that is moveable and immoveable likewise obey, whose commands in the same way, the seasons, the solstices, and the years do not transgress; by whose commands all karma, their performers and their fruits do not likewise go beyond their appointed time; that is his glory. Bhuvi, in the world. This Deva whose is all this glory and who is omniscient. Divye, bright, i. e., illuminated by all the states of consciousness. Brahmapure, in the lotus of the heart, so called because the Brahman is always manifesting himself there, in the form of intelligence. Vyomni, in the akas, within the cavity of the heart. He is perceived as if seated there because, otherwise, motion to or from, or fixity in a place is not possible for him who is all-pervading like the akas. Manomaya, because seated in the heart, he is perceived only by the modifications of the mind. (Thus) conditioned by the mind. Leader of the prana and the body, because lie leads the prana and the body from one gross body into another body. Pratishthitah, fixed. Anne, in the food, i.e., in the body which is a modification of the food eaten and which grows and decays day by day. Hridayam, intellect, Sannidhaya, fixing—in the cavity of the lotus; for, the Atman is really seated in the heart and not in the food. Tat, the entity of the Atman. Vijnanena, by knowledge, thorough, produced by the teachings of the sastras and the preceptor, and arising from control of the mind, control of the senses, meditation, complete renunciation and freedom from desire. Paripasyanti, see on all sides full. Dhirah, the discerning. A’nandarupam, free from all dangers, miseries and troubles. Vibhati, shines much in one-self always. (Ⅴ)

- Shri Shankaracharia commentary :

The fruit of the knowledge of the Paramatman is stated to be the following. Loosened is “the knot of the heart,” i.e., the group of tendencies in the mind due to ignorance, the desire which clings to the intellect according to the Sruti “The desires which lie imbedded in the heart, etc.” This is attached to the heart (intellect) not to the Atman. Biddyate. undergoes destruction; doubts regarding all knowable things have their solution—doubts which perplex worldly men up to their death, being (continuous) like the stream of the Granges; of the man whose doubts have been solved and whose ignorance has been dispelled, such karma as was anterior to the birth of knowledge in this life, such as was performed by him in previous births and had not begun to bear fruit and such as was existing at the birth of knowledge come to an end; but not that karma which brought about this birth, for it had begun to bear fruit. He, “the omniscient”, not subject to samsara; ‘both high and low,’ high as being the cause and low as being the effect; when he is seen directly as “I am he”, one attains emancipation, the cause of samsara being up-rooted. (Ⅴ)

- Shri Shankaracharia commentary :

The three following texts briefly elucidate the meaning already expressed. Hiranmaye, golden, i.e., full of light, or bright with intelligence and knowledge. ‘The highest sheath’, sheath, as it were, of a sword; highest, because it is the place where “the Atman is realised as located” and because it is the innermost of all. Virajam, free from the taint of ignorance and all other faults. Brahma, because it is the greatest of all and Atman of all. Nishkalam, that from which the kalas had proceeded, i.e., devoid of parts; because it is untainted and devoid of parts, therefore it is subhram or pure. The light of all lights, whose light enlightens even those that illumine all other things such as fire, etc. The meaning is that the brightness of even the fire, etc., is due to the splendour of the intelligence of the Brahman within; the light of the Atman is the highest light which is not illumined by other lights. ‘The knowers of the atman’, those discerning men who know the Self as the witness of the objective states of consciousness regarding sound and the rest; as it is the highest light, it is only those who follow (are in) the subjective state of consciousness, not others, who follow (are in) the perceptions of external objects, that know it. (Ⅴ)

- Shri Shankaracharia commentary :

How that is the light of all lights is explained. The sun, though enlightening all. does not shine in, i.e., does not illumine the Brahman which is his Atman; for, the sun illumines the whole universe other than the Atman with the light of the Brahman, but has not in himself the capacity to illuminate. Similarly neither the moon and the stars nor the lightning shines. How could this file which is in the range of our vision? Why dilate? This universe which shines, shines with the light of Him, the Lord of all, who shines being himself luminosity. Just as water and the rest by their contact with fire, heat with the heat of the fire, but not by their own inherent power, so all this universe, the sun and the rest shine with the light of the Brahman. As it is the Brahman alone that thus shines and shines with varying light in its diverse manifestations, itself luminosity, is inferred; for, that which is not itself light cannot illumine others as we see that pots, etc., do not illumine others and that the sun and the rest having light, illumine others. (Ⅴ)

- Shri Shankaracharia commentary :

The statement, Brahman alone the light of lights is true and that all else is only its modification, a matter of speech is a mere name and falsehood first made and logically demonstrated at length (afterwards) is affirmed again as a conclusion by this mantra. That which is before us and which, in the eyes of the ignorant, appears to be not Brahman is certainly Brahman. Similarly what is behind us; so, that to the south; so, that to the north; so, that below, and that above and all that is extended everywhere in the form of effect, appearing otherwise than Brahman and possessed of name and form. Why say much? All this vast universe is Brahman certainly. All perception otherwise than as Brahman is mere ignorance, just as the perception of a serpent in a rope. The declaration of the Vedas is that the one Brahman alone is really true. (Ⅴ)