विचारवान्विचारोऽपि आत्मानमवगच्छति । यदा तदा निरुल्लेखं परमेवाऽवशिष्यते ॥ २४ ॥
vicāravānvicārō’pi ātmānamavagacchati | yadā tadā nirullēkhaṁ paramēvā’vaśiṣyatē || 24 ||
Translation
When the inquirer comes to know the Self, inquiry too ceases; then the supreme alone remains, beyond all description.
Word by word
- vicāravān
- the inquirer
- vicārō
- (vicāraḥ) inquiry
- api
- too
- ātmānam
- the Self
- avagacchati
- comes to know
- yadā
- when
- tadā
- then
- nirullēkhaṁ
- beyond all description
- param
- the supreme
- ēva
- alone
- avaśiṣyatē
- remains
Meaning
The commentary raises the doubt this verse answers: will not inquiry, or the final state of realisation, still remain in liberation? And if something else must destroy it, what destroys that, without end? The answer: when the inquirer becomes one with the Self, inquiry ends of itself, and Brahman alone remains, which no word or sign can reach. Another commentary says the same: the state cannot be told in words. The stick that stirs the fire is burnt with the fire; nothing further is needed to remove it.