15th Chapter of Gita-- 12th sloka

Hare Krishna,

We have seen in earlier slokas that the jnaani’s see the sat chit ananda no different from their self. Glimpses of which are experienced by the seekers with focused mind. While the people lacking the focused mind, with lack of self control cannot experience it. Lord Krishna further explains the consciousness pervading everywhere.


15.12 – yat aditya gatam tejo, jagat bhasayithee akhilam
Yat Chandramasi yat cha agnau tat tejo viddhi mamakam

Meaning of words:
Yat – that which is
Aditya-gatam – that abides in the sun
Tejo – the power of illumination
Jagat – the world
Bhasayithee – illumines
Akhilam --- the whole
Yat – that which is
Chandramasi – in the moon
Yat cha – that which is in the
Agnau – fire
Tat tejo – that illumination
Viddhi – know that
Mamakam – to be me


Meaning of sloka
The power in the sun , the moon and the fire which illumine other objects in the world, know that to be me(the consciousness).

Lord Krishna in the 6th sloka has spoken about the light behind the sun, moon and the fire at the paramathika level, saying that all the power is brahman, and everything derives the power from brahman. Now he explains the 12th sloka at the vyavaharika level, after explaining that the self of the nature of sat chit ananda is seen as not different from their self by the yogi’s and the jnaani’s and that the self alone existing in all entities in the world.
Here an objection can be raised that is not the consciousness prevailing in all moving and non-moving, hence why is the special mention of the sun and the moon. This question doesn’t arise as based on the abundance of the sattva guna present in a body ,the body illumines. As there is abundance of it in the sun, moon and the fire , they illumine other objects around them. This doesn’t mean that abundance of sattva guna is prevalent only in the these objects. The face reflected in the wood and the face reflected in the mirror are different depending on the transparency of the object. Similarly depending on the degree of the sattva guna the objects illumine.


Hare Krishna

Thanks,
Aparna