Verse 62
स्वयमन्तर्बहिर्व्याप्य भासयन्नखिलं जगत् ।
ब्रह्म प्रकाशते वह्निप्रतप्तायसपिण्डवत् ॥ ६२॥
SVAYAM ANTARBAHIRVYAAPYA
BHAASAYANN AKHILAM JAGATH
BRAHMA PRAKAASHATE VANHI
PRA TAPTAA YASA PINDAVAT
[Pervading the entire
universe outwardly and inwardly the Supreme Brahman shines of Itself like the
fire that permeates a red-hot iron-ball and glows by itself.]
In
the previous sloka, Acharya explained Brahman as devoid of all qualities, such
nirvishesha Brahman is described here as Self illumining. It is that because of
which even the sun and moon are illumined. That is to be known as Brahman.
Brahman
is Consciousness absolute, and it is only because of
Hence
Acharya is here explaining that everything derives their power from Brahman
while Brahman is independent of everything and needs no external illumination.
That
which illumines all others cannot be illuminated by anything other than itself.
Brahman is ever the illuminator and illumines itself. As we learnt from the
examples in previous slokas, unattached and unaffected like the street lamp,
Brahman is the light of all lights and the illuminator of all illuminations.
The
famous sloka of Mundaka Upanishad 2.2.10 proclaims this as:
NA TATRA SUURYO BHAATI
NA CHANDRATAARAKAM
NEMAA VIDYUTO BHAANTI
KUTO.AYAMAGNIH
TAMEVA BHAANTAMANUBHAATI
SARVAM
TASYA BHAASAA SARVAMIDAM
VIBHAATI
There the sun does not shine,
nor the moon or the stars; nor do these flashes of lightning shine there. How
can this fire do so? Everything shines according as He does so; by His light
all this shines diversely.
The
same is also explained by Lord in many places in Gita such as in 15.6:
NA TADBHAASAYATE SUURYO
NA SHASHAAN^KO NA PAAVAKAH .
YADGATVAA NA NIVARTANTE
TADDHAAMA PARAMAM MAMA ..
That the sun illumines
not, nor the moon, nor fire; That is My Supreme Abode, to which having gone
none return.
Thus
Brahman is that truth which shines of itself and penetrates the entire world of
creation. It is not something other than the world of creation, for it exists
in and through all as the Consciousness. Acharya gives the example of a fire
ball to state this.
Brahman
is infinite, all pervading and self illumining while the objects of the world
are insentient, dependent and illusory, thus opposite in nature.
Gita
says the same in 15.12 as:
YADAADITYAGATAM TEJO
JAGADBHAASAYATE.AKHILAM.H .
YACHCHANDRAMASI
YACHCHAAGNAU TATTEJO VIDDHI MAAMAKAM.H
That light which
residing in the sun illumines the whole world, that which is in the moon and in
the fire, that light do thou know to be Mine.
How
then can one perceive existence - consciousness which is verily Brahman in
these?
Answer is given with the simile - “Vanhi Prataptayah Pindavat”,
The Red-hot Iron Ball.
A cold iron ball is a dull, unattractive object. However, in the
presence of great heat, it cannot help but glow. We cannot see heat but we see
its effect on a ball of iron.
An
iron ball when in contact with fire for a long time comes to glow as fire
itself, similarly, even though the insentient objects seem to exist only due to
Brahman.
Iron
though black in color and cold to touch, acquire the redness and heat due to
fire. So too the inert and insentient matter like the sun and moon also acquire
their illuminating power only due to Brahman.
The iron ball represents creation, and the heat represents the
Self. It is the Self that imparts vibrancy and a glow in all creation.
