अथाध्यात्मम्—इदमेव मूर्तं यदन्यत्प्राणाच्च, यश्चायमन्तरात्मन्नाकाशः; एतन्मर्त्यम्, एतत्स्थितम्, एतत्सत्; तस्यैतस्य मूर्तस्य, एतस्य मर्त्यस्य, एतस्य स्थितस्य, एतस्य सत एष रसो यच्चक्षुह्, सतो ह्येष रसः ॥ ४ ॥
athādhyātmam—idameva mūrtaṃ yadanyatprāṇācca, yaścāyamantarātmannākāśaḥ; etanmartyam, etatsthitam, etatsat; tasyaitasya mūrtasya, etasya martyasya, etasya sthitasya, etasya sata eṣa raso yaccakṣuh, sato hyeṣa rasaḥ || 4 ||
4. Now with reference to the body: The gross form is but this—what is other than (the corporeal) air and the ether that is in the body. It is mortal, it is limited, and it is defined. The essence of that which is gross, mortal, limited and defined is the eye, for it is the essence of the defined.
Now the division of the gross and subtle with reference to the body is being set forth. What is that gross form? It is but this. What is it? What is other than (the corporeal) air and the ether that is in the body, i.e. the three constituent elements of tbo body other than these two. It is mortal, etc.—to be explained as in the preceding paragraphs. The essence of that which is defined is the eye. The eye is the essence of the (three gross) materials that build up the body, for it is that which lends importance to the (three gross elements in the whole) body, just as the solar orb does with reference to the gods. Also because of their priority in point of time. (We have it in the Brāhmaṇa) that in the embryo it is the eyes that are first formed (Ś. IV. ii. i. 28). The Śruti too hints at this: ‘His essence, or lustre, came forth. This was Fire’[9] (I. ii. 2). And the eyes possess lustre. The three elements in the body have the eyes as their essence. For it is the essence of the defined: The meaning of the reason is that the eye is gross and is also the essence (of the three gross elements in the body).