ब्रह्मण्येवाऽस्त्यनन्तात्म यथास्थितमिदं जगत् । न जगच्छब्दकार्थेऽस्ति हेम्नीव कटकात्मता ॥ १८ ॥
brahmaṇyēvā’styanantātma yathāsthitamidaṁ jagat | na jagacchabdakārthē’sti hēmnīva kaṭakātmatā || 18 ||
Translation
This world, endless in its nature, is in Brahman alone, as it is; the meaning of the word "world" is not in itself, as being a bracelet is in the gold.
Word by word
- brahmaṇi
- in Brahman
- ēva
- alone
- asti
- is
- ananta
- endless
- ātma
- in its nature
- yathāsthitam
- as it is
- idaṁ
- this
- jagat
- world
- na
- not
- jagac
- (jagat) "world"
- śabdaka
- of the word
- arthē
- in the meaning
- hēmni
- in the gold
- iva
- as
- kaṭaka
- a bracelet
- ātmatā
- being
Meaning
The commentary: as being a bracelet lies within the nature of gold and not within the nature of the bracelet, so this world, free of all limits, lies within the nature of endless Brahman, and not within its own perishable nature. The world has no nature of its own to stand in. What it is, it is in Brahman, as the bracelet's whole being is gold.