1039.  Atmanam in the first line is the Jiva-soul, and atmani is the Supreme Soul.  In the second line also, the same distinction is observed between the two words.

1040.  Brahmanas, who having completed the study of the Vedas have betaken themselves to the domestic mode of life, are so called.  Here, probably, the reference is to persons having faith in the Vedas and of pure conduct.

1041.  Adhyatma is topic bearing on the Soul.  Here it signifies the seven and twenty usual topics of philosophical discourse, viz., the five organs of action, the five organs of knowledge, the mind and three others called Chitta, etc., the five vital breaths, the five elementary substances, Desire.  Acts, and Avidya.

1042.  The second clause of the second line is explained by the commentator as yasmin kamani nimitte sati yat anupasyati.

1043.  The grammatical construction is Gunebhyah paramagatah gunan na ativartante.  The meaning is this:  Mind, Understanding, and Nature (or individual disposition of man or animal or vegetable, etc) are all due to their own previous states.  Nature in particular being the result of the desires of a past state of existence.  Such being their origin, they too are due to the five entities named.  As regards their functions, it is said that having reached to that which is Gunebhyah parama, i.e., Srotradikaryam swarupam, they do not transcend the gunas themselves; or in other words having become endued with the faculty or power of seizing particular attributes (such as scent, form, etc)., they actually seize or apprehend them.

1044.  In other words, the senses and the mind are nothing but the understanding displayed in a particular shape or form.  The principal function of the mind is to cherish and discard impressions.  The understanding is nischayatmika or engaged in arriving at certainty of conclusions.

1045.  Everything above the soles of, the feet and below the crown of the head, is, of course, the whole body or self or the person.  Asmin kritye is, aham iti yat darsanam tasmin karaniye.  There can be no doubt that the commentator correctly explains the meaning.

1046.  Neniyate is as the commentator explains, an instance of karmakartari prayogah.  Hence, the meaning is that both the attributes of form etc., and the senses with mind which apprehend those attributes, are the understanding itself, so that when the understanding is not, these also are not.  The object of this verse is to establish the identity of the understanding with the senses, the mind, and the attribute with the senses and the mind apprehend.  Both the vernacular versions are inaccurate.

1047.  The three attributes of Rajas, Tamas, and Sattwa do not spring front any different thing but from their own counterparts existing in a previous state of existence or life.  They arise from their respective states as they existed with the Chitta or understanding in a previous life.  Hence Chitta, and the objects of the senses and the senses also arising from it, are all affected by these three Gunas.