695.  Antaratmanudarsini is explained by the commentator as “that which has the Antaratman for its anudarsin or witness.  The Burdwan translator is incorrect in rendering the second line.

696.  The first ‘knowledge’ refers to the perception of the true connection between the Soul and the not-Soul.  ‘Fruits’ mean the physical forms that are gained in new births.  The destruction of the understanding takes place when the senses and the mind are withdrawn into it all of them, united together, are directed towards the Soul.  Jneyapratishthitam Jnanam means, of course, knowledge of Brahma.

697.  The commentator explains that sorrow arises from the relation of the knower and the known.  All things that depend upon that relation are transitory.  They can form no part of What is eternal and what transcends that relation.

698.  I take the obvious meaning, instead of the learned explanation offered by Nilakantha.

699.  The very Yogins, if led away by the desire of acquiring extraordinary powers and the beatitude of the highest heaven do not behold the Supreme.

700.  Gunam, literally, attributes; hence objects possessed of attributes.

701.  That which is called the external world has no objective existence.  It is purely subjective.  Hence, it is the mind that sees and hears and touches the mind itself.

702.  This verse is a cruce.  There can be no doubt that Nilakantha’s explanation is correct.  Only, as regards budhyavara I am disposed to differ from him very slightly.  The grammar of the first line is this; ‘Gunadane manah sada budhiyaraya; viprayoge cha tesham budhyavaraya.’  Now ‘Gunadana’ means the ‘adana’ (destruction) of ‘guna’. (This root da means to cut).  What is meant by the destruction of ‘guna’ or attribute or earthly objects is merging them in the buddhi by yoga; in other words, a withdrawal of the senses into the mind, and the senses and the mind into the understanding.  “Viprayoga cha tesham” means ‘in their separation,’ i.e., when these objects are believed to be real and as existing independently of the mind.  The result of this would be the acquisition of ‘budhyavara,’ implying the acquisition of those very objects.  In the case of yogins, whose minds may be in such a frame, the powers called ‘asiswaryya’ are acquired.  There is no especial necessity, however, for taking the case of yogins.

703.  What is said here is that Happiness and Sorrow have an end, though it may not be seen, and the Soul will surely come to its final resting place.  This accords with the doctrine of infinite spiritual improvement.

704.  Rishavam sarvattwam literally means ‘the bull of Sattwatas’.  Ordinarily, it is an appellation of Krishna, the prince of the Sattwatas or Yadavas.  Here, however, the word is used to signify persons prizing the attribute of Goodness; hence righteous persons.

705.  Prajapati literally means ‘lord of creatures.’  It is a name applied to those sons of Brahman who begat children.