Shloka 1936
Adhyāya 240: Indriya–Manas–Buddhi–Ātman — The Inner Hierarchy and Restraint (इन्द्रिय-मनस्-बुद्धि-आत्म-क्रमः)
वैद्युतो अग्निरिवाकाशे दृश्यते55त्मा तथा55त्मनि । वह योगी अपने अन्तःकरणमें धूमरहित प्रज्वलित अग्नि, दीप्तिमान् सूर्य तथा आकाशमें चमकती हुई बिजलीकी ज्योतिके समान प्रकाशस्वरूप आत्माका दर्शन करता है
vaidyuto 'gnir ivākāśe dṛśyate ātmā tathātmani |
Sebagaimana kilat atau nyala api tampak berkelebat di langit terbuka, demikian pula Sang Diri (Ātman) disaksikan di dalam Diri itu sendiri. Dalam perenungan yogis, sang yogin memandang Ātman sebagai cahaya murni—laksana api menyala tanpa asap, laksana matahari yang gemilang, dan laksana kilat yang berkilau di angkasa.
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
The Self is luminous and can be directly realized through yoga: when the mind is purified and concentrated, awareness turns inward and the yogin experiences the Ātman as self-revealing light—independent of external objects—symbolized by fire, sunlike brilliance, and lightning.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on peace and liberation, Vyāsa describes the contemplative experience of a yogin. The verse uses vivid natural images (fire/lightning in the sky) to convey how the inner Self becomes perceptible in deep meditation.