Summary:

Atman Bodha, Verse 54: Brahman is the ultimate gain beyond which nothing more can be attained. As Awareness, it includes everything and can't be improved upon. Unlike relative happiness from temporary seeker-sought resolution, the jnani enjoys permanent resolution. Self-knowledge is knowledge of the whole, not parts, and remains unchanging unlike endless relative knowledge.

Atman Bodha, Verse 55: After recognizing Brahman, nothing remains to be seen. Additional pursuits become transactional rather than means of self-validation.

Atman Bodhna, Verse 56: Brahman pervades all directions like space, whose truth is Ishvara, whose truth is Brahman. While dvaita sees real differences (bheda) between jiva–jiva, jiva–jagat, and jiva–ishvara — Advaita resolves all into one reality from different standpoints. The apparent distinctions of the world dissolve, as they have their being in Consciousness.

Atman Bodha, Verse 57: Vedanta indicates Brahman through negation, using words not in their literal meaning (śabdārtha) but implied meaning (lakṣyārtha). “Existence” (sat) transcends time-space limitations, “Awareness” (cit) isn't confined to three bodies but is all-pervasive, and “Non-dual” (anantam/ananda) indicates that like space, nothing is outside sat–cit – everything is sat–cit.

What It Means to Be Free: Verse 54-68

Verse 54: Gain that which has no equal

यल्लाभात् न अपरः लाभः यत्सुखात् न अपरम् सुखम् ।
यज्ज्ञानात् न अपरम् ज्ञानम् तत् ब्रह्म इति अवधारयेत् ॥
yat lābhāt na aparaḥ lābhaḥ yat sukhāt na aparam sukham |
yat jñānāt na aparam jñānam tat brahma iti avadhārayet ||

Gaining which there is no other further gain; gaining which ānanda there is no other greater ānanda; gaining which knowledge there is no other further (craving for) knowledge; (therefore) may you understand clearly that is Brahman.

Gaining which there is no further gain:

What is relationship of Awareness and everything else (jagat)? Everything else depends on Awareness (which jivanmukta knows is his true nature). Awareness is the only reality which you can’t improve upon (because it already includes everything).

Gaining which has no greater Ananda (Happiness):

Relative happiness = seeker/sought resolving momentarily, and miniscule recreation of final reality. Whereas jnani's seeker/sought division is permanently resolved, thus can’t get higher happiness.

Knowledge which produces no further craving for knowledge:

Every other knowledge is limited to its scope (EG: Biologist doesn’t know Geologists knowledge). Relative knowledge is endless. Whereas self-knowledge isn’t knowledge of part, but of whole. You know Awareness permanently, because Awareness never changes into something new – unlike relative knowledge.

Verse 55: Gain that after which nothing remains

यद्दृष्ट्वा न अपरम् दृश्यम् यद्भूत्वा न पुनर्भवः ।
यज्ज्ञात्वा न अपरम् ज्ञेयम् तत् ब्रह्म इति अवधारयेत् ॥
yat dṛṣṭvā na aparam dṛśyam yat bhūtvā na punarbhavaḥ |
yat jñātvā na aparam jñeyam tat brahma iti avadhārayet ||

Having seen which, nothing more remains to be seen; having become which, there is no further becoming; and having known which, nothing remains to be known; understand clearly that is Brahman.

Nothing more remains to be seen:

Doesn’t mean jnani don’t want to participate in the world anymore. Rather recognizes any additional pursuits and knowledge-acquisition is for transactional or hobby reasons — not for making self bigger/better in eyes of oneself or others.

It says in Bhagavata Purana:

It’s as though your eyes were created to see glories of Ishwara. Ears created to hear that you and Ishwara are one. Mind was created to appreciate this reality. Until then, you remain unsatisfied because haven’t used the senses/mind for they were originally intended for.

Verse 56: Pervasive, non-dual Brahman

तिर्यक् ऊर्ध्वम् अधः पूर्णम् सच्चिदानन्दम् अद्वयम् ।
अखण्डम् नित्यम् एकम् यत् तत् ब्रह्म इति अवधारयेत् ॥
tiryak ūrdhvam adhaḥ pūrṇam saccidānandam advayam |
akhaṇḍam nityam ekam yat tat brahma iti avadhārayet ||

That which pervades all the quarters, above, horizontal and below, which is existence-consciousness-limitless, non dual; which is free from division, timeless, one alone, understand clearly that is Brahman.

That which pervades all quarters, and which is free from division:

All directions exist in one undivided space. And truth of space is Ishwara, whose truth is Brahman.

Ekam (non-dual):

1. Dvaita: There’s a real difference between:

   • Jiva-jiva-bheda: Individual different from another individual.
   • Jiva-jagat-bheda: Individual different from world. (Jagat includes time-space and objects, both sentient/insentient, in past-present-future, known and unknown).
   • Jiva-ishvara-bheda: Individual different from Ishvara.

2. Advaita:

   • Jagat (time-space and objects, both sentient & insentient, in past-present-future, known and unknown) – resolves into Iswara. And Ishwara's truth is Brahman. One reality from different standpoints.  Apparent distinctions of the world dissolve, as they have their being in Consciousness.

Verse 57: Brahman is beyond all negations

अतद्व्यावृत्तिरूपेण वेदान्तैः लक्ष्यते अद्वयम् ।
अखण्डानन्दम् एकम् यत् तत् ब्रह्म इति अवधारयेत् ॥
atad vyāvṛtti rūpeṇa vedāntaiḥ lakṣyate advayam |
akhaṇḍa ānandam ekam yat tat brahma iti avadhārayet ||

By the process of negating what it is not, indicated in Vedanta as the unchanging, which is indivisible, limitless and one, understand clearly that is Brahman.

So far we answered:

How can limited mind figure out limitlessness? Can’t on its own. Through methodology it’s led to recognize what lights up its conditions/states – is the final reality.

Now verse asks…

How can limited meaning-words convey limitlessness? Words carry two meanings:

Literal Meaning (śabdārtha / vācyārtha):

When look up Vedanta words in dictionary. Even word “Anantam (limitlessness)” won’t truly convey limitlessness.

Implied / Deeper Meaning (lakṣyārtha)

1. 1. Existence (sat) word is limited to time-space, so Vedanta has to take out limitation of time-space from word “Existence”.
      • Deeper meaning: “Existence upon which units of time are superimposed”. Won’t find this in dictionary.
   2. Awareness (cit) word is limited to states of mind. 
      • Deeper meaning: Not connected to 3 bodies, and not confined to 3 bodies but is all pervasive. It’s the truth of knower, object and means-of-knowledge. Awareness or Consciousness is the revealer of all states of mind. Choiceless awareness.
   3. Non-dual (anantam / ananda): Ananta (limitless/infinite) is limited to imagination. And Ananda (bliss) is interpreted as an unbroken blissful experience.
      • Deeper meaning: Like space, nothing is outside sat–cit, it’s all pervasive and everything is sat–cit.

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Recorded 16 Jan, 2025