योऽन्त:सुखोऽन्तरारामस्तथान्तज्र्योतिरेव य: ।
स योगी ब्रह्मनिर्वाणं ब्रह्मभूतोऽधिगच्छति ।। 24।।
yo ‘ntaḥ-sukho ‘ntar-ārāmas tathāntar-jyotir eva yaḥ
sa yogī brahma-nirvāṇaṁ brahma-bhūto ‘dhigachchhati
yaḥ—who; antaḥ-sukhaḥ—happy within the self; antaḥ-ārāmaḥ—enjoying within the self; ; tathā—as well as; antaḥ-jyotiḥ—illumined by the inner light; eva—certainly; yaḥ—who; ; saḥ—he; yogī—yogi; brahma-nirvāṇam—liberation from material existence; brahmabhūtaḥ— united with the Lord; adhigachchhati—attains
Translation:
He who finds happiness within, delights within, and illumined within, that sage becoming Brahman attains absolute perfection.
Commentary:
The highest state of Brahmanubhuti and Moksha is mentioned here. It is evident from the previous verses that all outgoing impulses should be restricted, all external pleasures given up, and all sense-enjoyments discorded before Brahman is realised. The outgoing mind should be turned inwards. Introspection, and exploration of the inner regions of the mind and its source should be cultivated and developed. This is possible only when the windows of the senses are closed, and the mind is not in contact which sense-objects. If one gives up desires, the impulses of the mind for sensual enjoyments, possessions and all external things, then will he acquire the inner vision to see the Self and abide in it.
Finds happiness within: The common man cannot find the happiness of the Self within. He imagines that he is deriving happiness from external objects. The truth is that all happiness is only in the Self, and what one thinks as happiness coming from outside is only the reflected happiness (Ananda) of the Self. The pleasures of the senses are short-lived, and contain in themselves the germs of pain and sorrow. To know this is very difficult, and man errs repeatedly. And yet the time should come when he realises the foolishness of running after silly sensual pleasures, and then the march back to his original state begins. When he finds the inner source of untainted happiness, he never again enters the sense-world.
Rejoices within: The world is the playground of the senses and the mind. But the wise finds that the so-called enjoyments and pleasures are unreal and short-lived. So he goes into himself and is delighted with the pure joy of the Self. There he finds the full realisation of all conceivable pleasures in the one joy of the Self. He forever delights within himself.
Illuminated within: The senses function by the external light of the Sun and the Moon. Without it, the world is a dark mass. But the Sun himself shines by the light of Atma.
The whole universe shines by the light of Atma. The eye is illumined by the intellect, and the intellect is illumined by Atma. It is Atma that is revealing itself as the diverse manifestations of light in the universe. Knowing this, the sage is illumined by Atma, the source of all light everywhere. He is light, and the light is within.
In this way, abandoning all the deluded attachment for the objective world, realising Atma as the foundation of all bliss, and the source of all light, meditating on That, the wise man becomes one with Brahman and attains Moksha.
Question: Who can attain Brahman?
Answer: He who gives up attachment to the objective world, and finds all happiness and light in Atma within, attains union with Brahman.