For Eternal Beginners
न तत् भासयते सूर्यो न शशांको न पावकः ।
यत् गत्वा न निवर्तन्ते तत् धाम परमम् मम ॥ ६ ॥
na tat bhAsayate sUryo na zazAMko na pAvakaH |
yat gatvA na nivartante tat dhAma paramam mama || 6 ||
सूर्यः [sUryaH] The sun न भासयते [na bhAsayate] cannot throw light तत् [tat] to reveal it, न शशांको [na zazAMko] nor can the moon, न पावकः [na pAvakaH] nor can any source of light such as fire. यत् गत्वा [yat gatvA] After reaching this, न निवर्तन्ते [na nivartante] they do not return. तत् धाम [tat dhAma] That abode परमम् मम [paramam mama] is My supreme attribute.
The Self is a part of the Lord, the source of awareness.
The sun and moon cannot illuminate and reveal the Self, nor can fire or any other source of light. Knowledge itself is the one that illuminates everything!
Light merely helps us by removing darkness. Darkness blocks contact between our sense organs and the environment. When it is removed, we perceive the illuminated environment.
The Self, on the other hand, is illuminated by yoga . All deeds we committed stand opposed to that illumination. Freedom from attachment, which comes from surrendering to the Lord, removes the effects of past deeds. This was described before .
In this Shloka, the Lord has said: ‘After reaching this goal, they do not return. That abode is My supreme attribute’. That abode is supreme knowledge - the Self. It belongs to the Lord and is a part of Him.
This Self is ‘supreme’ by virtue of illuminating the Sun itself. The sun and other sources of light do not illuminate knowledge. Indeed, it is knowledge that lets us recognize the sun and everything else!