अङ्गलग्नेऽपि वातादौ स्पर्शाद्यनुभवं विना । जीवतश्चेतसो रूपं यत्तद्वै परमात्मनः ॥ ४२ ॥
aṅgalagnē’pi vātādau sparśādyanubhavaṁ vinā | jīvataścētasō rūpaṁ yattadvai paramātmanaḥ || 42 ||
Translation
When, though wind and the like touch the limbs, there is no experience of touch and the rest, the form of the mind then, still living: that indeed is the Supreme Self's.
Word by word
- aṅga
- the limbs
- lagnē
- when (it) touches
- api
- though
- vāta
- wind
- ādau
- and the like
- sparśa
- of touch
- ādi
- and the rest
- anubhavaṁ
- the experience
- vinā
- without
- jīvataś
- (jīvataḥ) still living
- cētasō
- (cetasaḥ) of the mind
- rūpaṁ
- the form
- yat
- which
- tad
- that
- vai
- indeed
- parama
- of the Supreme
- ātmanaḥ
- Self
Meaning
The fourth pointer. Wind on the skin is felt as touch only when the mind attends to it. The commentary: even when wind and the rest touch the body, while the mind is still alive, but one in flavour with Brahman like water mixed in milk, so that, hidden, it takes no account of them, the form that shines without the experience of touch and the rest is the form of the Supreme Self. Everyone has known a weak form of it, in deep absorption, when the breeze was on the skin and was not felt.