Summary:

Atmabodha, Verse 64: Whatever is seen or heard cannot exist apart from Brahman. Even when thinking of forms, one is thinking of Brahman, as both subject and object borrow existence from it – like dream objects borrowing from the same mind. Through knowledge, what was seen as world is recognized as non-dual existence-consciousness-limitless (sat-cit-ananda).

Atmabodha, Verse 65: Though Atma is ever-present like the sun, it's seen only through the eye of wisdom (jnana-cakshu). It never gets displaced as it's the truth of time/space/objects. If one feels they must “hold onto it,” further notions need removal.

Atmabodha, Verse 66: Through listening to scriptures (śravaṇa), the fire of knowledge purifies the jiva. Like gold ornament recognizing its true nature, jivatvam (status of being limited to body-mind) falls away while jiva continues. 

Atmabodha, Verse 67-68: Self-knowledge moves from mind to heart, transforming one's entire life. Unlike philosophical knowledge where knower remains intact, Vedantic knowledge leads to major transformation – stronger connection to Ishvara, changed decisions, truth permeating all aspects. The wise person effortlessly appreciates the presence of Ishvara and Brahman, while playing roles temporarily.

Verse 64: All is Brahman, the non-dual reality

दृश्यते श्रूयते यद्यत् ब्रह्मणः अन्यत् न तत् भवेत् ।
तत्त्वज्ञानात् च तत् ब्रह्म सच्चिदानन्दम् अद्वयम् ॥
dṛśyate śrūyate yadyat brahmaṇaḥ anyat na tat bhavet |
tattva-jñānāt ca tat brahma saccidānandam advayam ||

Whatever is seen or heard in this universe does not exist apart from Brahman. Gaining the knowledge of reality, (what was earlier seen as the world), that (same world) is only Brahman, the non-dual, existence, consciousness, which is limitless.

Suppose you say “I’m thinking of some form, thus I’m not thinking of Brahman”…

Correction: The very form you’re thinking is Brahman. No matter what I think of… I nor any object, can ever be away from Brahman. Brahman is the content of I (subject) and objects. EG: All objects in a dream are borrowing from the same mind.

Verse 65: Self is seen only by the eye of wisdom

सर्वगम् सच्चिदात्मानम् ज्ञानचक्षुः निरीक्षते ।
अज्ञानचक्षुः न ईक्षेत भास्वन्तम् भानुम् अन्धवत् ॥
sarvagam saccidātmānam jñāna-cakṣuḥ nirīkṣate |
ajñāna-cakṣuḥ na īkṣeta bhāsvantam bhānum andhavat ||

Paramarthananda Translation: Though Ᾱtman is of the nature of pure Consciousness and ever-present everywhere, yet it can only be perceived by the eye of wisdom, just as the blind do not see the resplendent sun, so too, one whose vision is obscured by ignorance does not see the Self. 
Dayananda Translation: The eye of wisdom (the wise) sees existence, consciousness, which is limitless and all pervading. The eye obscured by ignorance (the unwise) does not see it.  Just as a blind man does not see the sun during daytime (however resplendent it shines).

Sun is always shining, but if blind, one won’t see it. Similarly, Atma is presence which never gets displaced because it’s the truth of time/space/objects. But if it seems you have to hold onto it, further notions need to be removed.

Verse 66: Jiva shines like purified gold

श्रवणादिभिः उद्दीप्तज्ञानाग्निपरितापितः ।
जीवः सर्वमलान् मुक्तः स्वर्णवत् द्योतते स्वयम् ॥
śravaṇa ādibhiḥ uddīpta jñāna agni paritāpitaḥ |
jīvaḥ sarva malān muktaḥ svarṇavat dyotate svayam ||

Lit up and kindled by listening to the scriptures, and so on, totally heated by the fire of knowledge, having dropped all impurities, the jīva shines by itself like gold.

When ornament knows it’s true nature of gold, the status of “I am as good as this ornament” goes away. Ornament remains for next few years. Only ornament-hood goes away.

During ignorance, the ring’s “I” was isolated to being washed under the soap, dirtied by the mud and sweat of the finger. After knowledge, the ring’s “I” is still the same, but it extends beyond the boundaries of the life of the ring, thus all the unfair treatments the ring was receiving. So the notion that “I am as good as this ring” falls away.

Similarly, upon dawn of knowledge, jiva doesn’t go away (still has to live out it’s life). Just like the ring doesn’t go away. Only jivatvam (status of being a jiva who is confined to one body-mind) goes away.

What makes jivatvam go away? Knowledge that Jiva (3 bodies) is mithya. So when a wise person says “I am Brahman”, it is the body-mind saying it, but understanding is, “The truth of this mithya body-mind saying this, is Brahman”.

Verse 67: Self destroys darkness and sustains all

हृदाकाशोदितः हि आत्मा बोधभानुः तमः अपहृत् ।
सर्वव्यापी सर्वधारी भाति भासयते अखिलम् ॥
hṛd ākāśa uditaḥ hi ātmā bodha bhānuḥ tamaḥ apahṛt |
sarva vyāpī sarva dhārī bhāti bhāsayate akhilam ||

The self has risen in the ‘heart space’, it is the sun of knowledge that destroys all darkness. It pervades everything. It sustains everything. It shines by itself and illumines everything else.

So far we’ve seen buddhi was called upalabdhi sthanam (place where “I am” is known). Now that same upalabdhi-sthanam is called “heart space”. Meaning moksha is a unique kind of cognitive knowledge, unlike philosophical cognitive knowledge.

In philosophy, the knower is intact. Whereas in Vedanta, you undergo major transformation. Your connection to Ishvara gets stronger. Decisions undergo change. Truth percolates every aspect of your life, and you no longer say “I know Brahman”, but “I am Brahman”. Thus knowledge moves from mind to heart. Or from “I know this reality” to “I am this reality”.

Verse 68: Worship the self, attain immortality

दिक् देश काल आदि अनपेक्ष्य सर्वगम्
शीत आदि हृत् नित्य सुखम् निरञ्जनम् ।
यः स्व आत्म तीर्थम् भजते विनिष्क्रियः
सः सर्ववित् सर्वगतः अमृतः भवेत् ॥
dik deśa kāla ādi anapekṣya sarvagam
śīta ādi hṛt nitya sukham nirañjanam |
yaḥ sva ātma tīrtham bhajate viniṣkriyaḥ
saḥ sarvavit sarvagataḥ amṛtaḥ bhavet ||

One who renounces all activities, who is free of all the limitations of direction, space and time, who worships his own Ᾱtman – which is present everywhere, which is the destroyer of heat and cold, which is stainless and eternal happiness – becomes all knowing and all-pervading, and thereafter, attains immortality.

Before knowledge, there is only Ishvara and Brahman, the jivatvam is an addition of ignorance. After knowledge, there is only Ishvara and Brahman. Jnani appreciates this continuously, while still playing roles for a little while longer.

— This completes the Atmabodha course.
See next final session for revision of the whole text —

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Recorded 17 Jan, 2025