ब्रह्मण्ययं प्रकाशो हि न संभवति भूतजः । सूर्यानलेन्दुतारादिः कुतस्तत्र किलाऽव्यये ॥ १५ ॥
brahmaṇyayaṁ prakāśō hi na saṁbhavati bhūtajaḥ | sūryānalēndutārādiḥ kutastatra kilā’vyayē || 15 ||
Translation
In Brahman this light born of the elements is not possible; how could sun, fire, moon, stars and the rest be there, in the imperishable?
Word by word
- brahmaṇi
- in Brahman
- ayaṁ
- this
- prakāśō
- (prakāśaḥ) light
- hi
- indeed
- na
- not
- saṁbhavati
- is possible
- bhūta
- the elements
- jaḥ
- born of
- sūrya
- sun
- anala
- fire
- indu
- moon
- tārā
- stars
- ādiḥ
- and the rest
- kutas
- (kutaḥ) how
- tatra
- there
- kila
- indeed
- avyayē
- in the imperishable
Meaning
The answer to the second question: why it is not light. The commentary: the light of the physical sun, fire, moon and stars is possible only through the using up of fuel, watery or earthy; how could such light be in Brahman, which never wastes away (avyaya)? That is why the last sarga said "not light". And this answers the question "how is it not radiant" too. The light that is denied is the light that burns something; the light that Brahman is will be named in v. 17.