Word meanings
- yathā
- as
- sarva-gatam
- all-pervading
- saukṣmyāt
- due to subtlety
- ākāśam
- the space
- na
- not
- upalipyate
- is contaminated
- sarvatra
- everywhere
- avasthitaḥ
- situated
- dehe
- the body
- tathā
- similarly
- ātmā
- the soul
- na
- not
- upalipyate
- is contaminated
Translations
As the all-pervading ether is not tainted, due to its subtlety, so the Self seated everywhere in the body is not tainted either.
As space, though present everywhere, remains unaffected due to its subtlety, so too the Self, though present in all forms, retains its purity unalloyed.
As the all-pervading space is not defiled, due to its subtlety, similarly the Self, present everywhere in bodies, is not defiled.
जैसे सब जगह व्याप्त आकाश अत्यन्त सूक्ष्म होनेसे कहीं भी लिप्त नहीं होता, ऐसे ही सब जगह परिपूर्ण आत्मा किसी भी देहमें लिप्त नहीं होता।Commentary
Ether pervades everything. All are immersed in it. There is no point whereunto ether does not penetrate and pervade and yet it is not tainted by anything. Even so the Self pervades the whole body and the whole world. Being subtler than the body the Self is never tainted by it or anything else. It is unattached and actionless. It has no parts or limbs. So virtuous and vicious actions cannot contaminate the Self. It is ever pure and stainless.