न विदः प्रतिबिम्बोऽस्ति दृश्याभावादृते क्वचित् । क्वचिन्नाऽप्रतिबिम्बेन किलाऽऽदर्शोऽवतिष्ठते ॥ ३० ॥
na vidaḥ pratibimbō’sti dṛśyābhāvādṛtē kvacit | kvacinnā’pratibimbēna kilā’’darśō’vatiṣṭhatē || 30 ||
Translation
Without the absence of the seen there is never a reflection of awareness; and a mirror never stands without some reflection.
Word by word
- na
- not
- vidaḥ
- of awareness
- pratibimbō
- (pratibimbaḥ) a reflection
- asti
- is
- dṛśya
- of the seen
- abhāvād
- (abhāvāt) the absence
- ṛtē
- without
- kvacit
- ever
- kvacin
- (kvacit) ever
- apratibimbēna
- without some reflection
- kila
- indeed
- ādarśō
- (ādarśaḥ) a mirror
- avatiṣṭhatē
- stands
Meaning
The commentary's image: Brahman, reflected in the intellect, destroys the ignorance that hides it and is known as it is. But in an intellect that takes the imagined duality as real, Brahman cannot be reflected; the non-dual cannot appear in what is filled with duality. Then let it be reflected when there is no reflection of duality? No: as a mirror is never without some reflection, the intellect is never without duality, unless the seen is known to be absent.