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Dream is the State of Consciousness when the Self functions exclusively. In the waking-condition Consciousness expresses through the subtle and the gross-bodies. Naturally, therefore, Sankara here, wanting to demonstrate for the students what exactly is the subtle-body indicates that its exclusive expression is available to us in our dream State of Consciousness. In short, the subtle-body is the body in which we are during our dreams.
Describing the dream, the Acharya continues that it is the mind recognising its own agitations, at a time when the discriminating intellect is partially doped with its fatigue and sleep. What we see in our dreams are the expressions of the latent impressions (Väsnnās) gathered as suppressions and repression during the waking-condition and the vivid experiences lived therein by us.
In this great inner drama where the mind tickled by its own memories, projects out a world-of-objects wherein the dreamer lives Its joys and sorrows, and the Self, the Pure Consciousness, stands apart, as it were a mere Witness, illumining everything. This Light of Consciousness, apparently thus conditioned by the intellect is the "dreamer" seeing its own dream. Since It is ever a Witness, It is not contaminated by the activities and agitations of the mind-intellect equipment.
The Atman is thus untouched in all states of our experiences. In waking, dream and deep-sleep conditions, Consciousness is an unattached Witness of all that is happening within and without us. Since, He is thus a mere "onlooker", He is not involved in the joys and sorrows in any one of these levels of Consciousness.
To summarise, Sankara indicates that none of the activities of the equipments—body, mind and intellect-can ever bring about any contamination upon the immaculate Reality, the Self. The Atman though lends Its Existence and Energy to the whirls of matter around it for their a vities, Itself is never involved in the imperfect pantings of the inert matter-conditionings.
