The knowers of the self discover, by their wisdom, that the individual soul, [**] besmeared by illusion, is only a ray of the omnipotent Supreme Self reflected in the ocean of consciousness. This Brahman is variously reflected in accordance with the form and measure of the medium reflecting it, in the same way that the face is variously reflected corresponding

to the mirror in hand; but it is at all times what it ever is. [**] (51).

Just as the one sun, independent of other objects, yet, by virtue of reflection in several waters, becomes [*+] many and has the same stability or motion as the medium reflecting it; so does the Supreme Self seem to be affected by properties [*++] by virtue of its reflection in all beings, high and low, but, when clearly realised, shines unaffected by those properties. (52)

Just as the rays of the sun reflected by the moon or focussed by a metallic reflector dispel the utter darkness of the night or of the (interior of the) house as the case may be, so do the rays of the Supreme Self reflected by the consciousness and streaming forth through the outlets of the senses, immediately reveal to us the objects of perception around us, such as forms, etc. (53)

The Supreme Self has three aspects, namely, the full, the self and the not-self, the first being the unconditioned Self, the second being that which is conditioned [**] by the consciousness,

and the third being a mere reflection, in the same way as space has three aspects in respect of water, namely, that which is (everywhere) inside and outside of the water, that Which is conterminous with the water, and that which is reflected therein. When the conditioned self is merged in the unconditioned, then the condition [**] together with its consequences [*+] vanishes altogether. (54)

Just as countless wooden figures of women, acted upon by means of posts and strings, simultaneously exhibit music and all other activities of common occurrence [*++], so does the world, including the regions of bhur, bhuvar, svar and mahar, carry on all its activities by the inspiration of what is known as the

sutra-atman [**], which pervades everything, whose potency is unique and whose inspiration is in proportion to the end to be achieved. (55).

That is real which is unaffected at all times. [*+] Such are the unembodied things like life, space, ether. Even these ultimately resolve themselves [*++] into Brahman; hence is Brahman the reality of the real. There is naught else which excels it in its transcendentality or its infinitude; therefore is it termed the reality of the real. The lower [* section] that is conditioned by embodied and unembodied things is called satya [***], because it is both sat and tyat. [*] Of this too, Brahman is the reality. (56).