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VIVEKACUDAMANI
The wise know it to be devoid of the trichotomy of the knower, knowledge and the known; limitless; without variety; as pure infinite intelligence; as the supreme Truth.
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It can be neither thrown away nor taken up; it is beyond mind and speech, immeasurable without beginning or end; it is Brahman which is superlatively full, the Light of all lights.
As the world has no separate reality, as it is only a name by virtue of its being a super-imposition, therefore, the supreme Brahman is unsublatable not having a second of a different kind. It is pure knowledge without an object, untouched by ajñāna. It is without change having neither birth nor destruction. It is without form being all compacted of limitless bliss.
nirastamāyākṛtasarvabhedam: That from which, or that in which all differences wrought by māyā have been cast off. Therefore, without difference i.e., devoid of like or internal differences.
nityam: permanent having no beginning or end. Being actionless, it is permanent, unchanging; firm; taintless; partless; beyond (ordinary) knowledge; devoid of anything being needed to illumine It; formless (Vide the śruti: aśabdam asparśam arupam avyayam (Katha.) "not liable to sound or touch, formless, and undecaying" and also the teaching: "it is not apprehended by sight" (na cakṣuṣā grhyate): therefore subtle. By the word anakhyam, it is conveyed that It is beyond speech: devoid of name; for a genus (jāti), a quality (guna) or an action (karma) or relation (sambandha) cannot be predicated of It to warrant any activity respecting It (and to justify Its being given a name).
avyayam: undecaying.
jyotiḥ svayam: self-effulgent; not illuminable by any other
thing.
This something which cannot be spoken of in words shines.
In order to firmly establish the conviction of the śisya in It, the guru repeats Brahman's characteristics quoting śruti. It is devoid of the trinity of the knower, knowledge and the object of knowledge. That is because It is limitless, without the three kinds of limitation of time, space, and object. It is nirvikalpa, that is, not admitting varying conceptions. It is pure limitless intelligence only, free from association with all kinds of upādhis, unlimited, pure jñāna only. The wise know It as such a supreme truth. As It is one's own ātman, It can neither be discarded nor taken up. It is
