Verse 17
Atma
शरीर्यप्यशरीर्येष परिच्छिन्नोऽपि सर्वगः ।
अशरीरं सदा सन्तमिदं ब्रह्मविदं क्वचित्॥
प्रियाप्रिये न स्पृशतस्तथैव च शुभाशुभे ।
तमसा ग्रस्तवद्भानादग्रस्तोऽपि रविर्जनैः॥
ग्रस्त इत्युच्यते भ्रान्त्या ह्यज्ञात्वा वस्तुलक्षणम् ।
तद्वद्देहादिबन्धेभ्यो विमुक्तं ब्रह्मवित्तमम्॥
पश्यन्ति देहिवन्मूढाः शरीराभासदर्शनात् ।
अहिनिर्ल्वयनीवायं मुक्तदेहस्तु तिष्ठति॥
शरीरी अपि । अशरीरी । एषः । परिच्छिन्नः अपि । सर्वगः ।
अशरीरम् । सदा । सन्तम् । इदम् । ब्रह्म-विदम् । क्वचित् ॥
प्रिया-अप्रिये । न । स्पृशतः । तथा एव । च । शुभ-अशुभे ।
तमसा । ग्रस्त-वत् । भानात् । अग्रस्तः अपि । रविः । जनैः ॥
ग्रस्तः । इति । उच्यते । भ्रान्त्या । हि । अज्ञात्वा । वस्तु-लक्षणम् ।
तद्वत् । देह-आदि-बन्धेभ्यः । विमुक्तम् । ब्रह्म-वित्-तमम् ॥
पश्यन्ति । देहिवत् । मूढाः । शरीर-आभास-दर्शनात् ।
अहि-निर्ल्वयनी-इव । अयम् । मुक्त-देहः । तु । तिष्ठति ॥
śarīry apy aśarīry eṣa paricchinno ’pi sarvagaḥ |
aśarīraṃ sadā santaṃ idaṃ brahmavidaṃ kvacit ||
priyāpriye na spṛśatas tathaiva ca śubhāśubhe |
tamasā grastavad bhānād agrasto ’pi ravir janaiḥ ||
grasta ity ucyate bhrāntyā hy ajñātvā vastu-lakṣaṇam |
tadvat dehādi-bandhebhyo vimuktaṃ brahmavittamam ||
paśyanti dehivam mūḍhāḥ śarīrābhāsa-darśanāt |
ahi-nirlvayanī ivāyaṃ mukta-dehas tu tiṣṭhati ||
Though appearing embodied, he is in truth disembodied; though seeming limited, he is all‑pervading. This knower of Brahman, ever abiding as bodiless, is by some perceived as if embodied. The pleasant and the unpleasant do not touch him; likewise the auspicious and the inauspicious. The sun is not truly eclipsed, yet people call it “eclipsed” because it appears as though seized by darkness. It is said to be “seized” through delusion, not knowing the real mark of the thing. So too the supreme knower of Brahman, freed from bonds such as the body, is seen by the deluded as if embodied, because they perceive only a bodily semblance. Like a snake’s cast‑off skin, he remains—his body as it were shed, liberated.
Though (appearing) embodied, this one is (in truth) disembodied; though limited, it is all-pervading. This knower of Brahman, ever existing as bodiless, is (seen) by some (as embodied). Pleasant and unpleasant do not touch him; likewise the auspicious and the inauspicious. Though the sun is not eclipsed, people speak of it as ‘eclipsed’ because of its appearance as if seized by darkness. It is called ‘seized’ due to delusion, not knowing the real characteristic of the thing. In the same way, the supreme knower of Brahman, freed from bonds such as the body, is seen by the deluded as if embodied because of the perception of a bodily appearance. Like a snake’s slough, he remains as one whose body is (as it were) cast off—liberated.