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VIVEKACŪDAMANI
mano'hamkṛti-vikriyānām jñātā: The knower of the changes of the mind and the ahaṁkāra. The changes of the mind are kāma and samkalpa: desire and purpose. The changes of ahaṁkāra are pride, arrogance, etc. The ātmān is the knower of all these changes which take place internally. Similarly also of the external changes wrought in the body, the sense-organs, the breath etc. By the word 'deha' the karmendriyas (organs of action) are indicated. Of these and of the activities of the eye and those of the jñānendriyas connected with seeing, hearing, etc., and of the activities of the praņa like inhaling and exhaling, the atman is the knower. The atman is the witness of all the internal and external transformations. But like the fire in the hot iron itself, it undergoes no change. The heated piece of iron may undergo change of form as round, long, etc., but the fire in the iron which now appears long and now round as such undergoes no change. The atman reflected in these organs remains by itself unchanging at any time and in any manner though diversely spoken of by their respective functions. The ātman is like the sun in whose presence the inanimate world undergoes change, but the sun remains unchanging. So is the atman.
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The same idea is explained here with reason therefor.
न जायते नो म्रियते न वर्धते
न क्षीयते नो विकरोति नित्यः ।
facìumsfq agougfon?
न लीयते कुम्भ इवाम्बरं स्वयम् ॥ १३६ ॥ na jāyate no mriyate na vardhate na kṣiyate no vikaroti nityaḥ | viliyamāne'pi vapuşyamusmin
na liyate kumbha ivāmbaram svayam ||
It (the atman) is not born; it does not die; it does not grow or decline; it does not change. It is eternal. Even if this body is destroyed, it does not become extinct even as space does not become extinct on the destruction of the pot which enclosed it.
Birth, being (existence), change, growth, decline, and extinction are the six transformations seen in the body etc. This Paramātman is eternal, is bereft of origination and extinction. Therefore, He is not born, He is not originated. He does not die, He does not become non-existent. As He has neither origination nor death,
