2.3.05

यथादर्शे तथाऽऽत्मनि यथा स्वप्ने तथा पितृलोके। यथाऽप्सु परीव दृश्यते तथा गन्धर्वलोके। छायातपयोरिव ब्रह्मलोके ॥५॥

yathādarśe tathā''tmani yathā svapne tathā pitṛloke। yathā'psu parīva dṛśyate tathā gandharvaloke। chāyātapayoriva brahmaloke ॥5॥

[यथा (yathā) - as; आदर्शे (adarśe) - in a mirror, by seers; तथा (tathā) - so; आत्मनि (ātmani) - is the Ātman; यथा (yathā) - as; स्वप्ने (svapne) - in a dream; तथा (tathā) - so; पितृलोके (pitṛloke) - in the world of ancestors; यथा (yathā) - as; अप्सु (apsu) - in water; परीव (parīva) - like a reflection; दृश्यते (dṛśyate) - is seen; तथा (tathā) - so; गन्धर्वलोके (gandharvaloke) - in the world of celestial beings; छायातपयोः (chāyātapayoḥ) - of shadow and light; इव (iva) - like; ब्रह्मलोके (brahmaloke) - in the world of Brahman;]

The Ātman is perceived like a reflection in a mirror by the seers, like a dream in the realm of the ancestors, like a reflection on water in the realm of celestial beings, and like an interplay of shadow and light in the realm of Brahman.

Bhāṣya 2.3.05

The clarity of how we perceive Brahman varies, with lowest visibility in the realm of ancestors, like a dream, and gradually moving towards higher clarity, celestial realm like a reflection in a water, seers see like a reflection in a mirror, and finally with highest clarity in the realm of Brahma like a daylight.

जीवे स्थितस्तु भगवान् दृश्यते ज्ञानदृष्टिभिः। आदर्शे मुखवत् सम्यक् न तथा पितृलोकगः॥

jīve sthitastu bhagavān dṛśyate jñānadṛṣṭibhiḥ। ādarśe mukhavat samyak na tathā pitṛlokagaḥ॥

[जीवे (jīve) - in the living being; स्थितः (sthitaḥ) - situated; तु (tu) - but; भगवान् (bhagavān) - the Lord; दृश्यते (dṛśyate) - is seen; ज्ञानदृष्टिभिः (jñānadṛṣṭibhiḥ) - by the eyes of knowledge; आदर्शे (ādarśe) - in a mirror; मुखवत् (mukhavat) - like the face; सम्यक् (samyak) - perfectly; न (na) - not; तथा (tathā) - so; पितृलोकगः (pitṛlokagaḥ) - one who has gone to the world of the forefathers;]

The Lord lives within the living beings and can be perceived through the eyes of wisdom, much like seeing one's reflection in a mirror. However, this perception is not possible for those who have departed to the realm of the ancestors.

ततः किंङचित् स्पष्टतया गान्धर्वे दृश्यते हरिः। नात्यातपे न छायायां यथैवाहनि दृश्यते। स्पष्टं तथा ब्रह्मलोके दृश्यते पुरुषोत्तमः॥

tataḥ kiṁṅcit spaṣṭatayā gāndharve dṛśyate hariḥ। nātyātape na chāyāyāṁ yathaivāhani dṛśyate। spaṣṭaṁ tathā brahmaloke dṛśyate puruṣottamaḥ॥

[ततः (tataḥ) - then; किंङचित् (kiṁṅcit) - something; स्पष्टतया (spaṣṭatayā) - clearly; गान्धर्वे (gāndharve) - in the celestial realm; दृश्यते (dṛśyate) - is seen; हरिः (hariḥ) - Hari (Vishnu); न (na) - not; अत्यातपे (atyātape) - in excessive heat; न (na) - not; छायायाम् (chāyāyām) - in shadow; यथा (yathā) - as; एव (eva) - indeed; अहनि (ahani) - in the day; दृश्यते (dṛśyate) - is seen; स्पष्टं (spaṣṭaṁ) - clearly; तथा (tathā) - so; ब्रह्मलोके (brahmaloke) - in the realm of Brahma; दृश्यते (dṛśyate) - is seen; पुरुषोत्तमः (puruṣottamaḥ) - the Supreme Person;]

Then, in the celestial realm, Hari is seen clearly. Not in excessive heat or shadow, just as one sees in daylight. Similarly, in the realm of Brahma, the Supreme Person is seen clearly.

इति च ॥३-५॥

iti ca ॥3-5॥

[इति (iti) - thus; च (ca) - and;]

- stated thus, as well.