56 VIVEKACHUDAMANI
Atman transcends all the three bodies — in fact the whole sphere of duality and materiality. The word 'Akasa' often occurs in the Sruti in the sense of Atman or Brahman. The Vedanta Sutras (I. i. 22) discuss this question and decide in favour of this meaning.]
[TRANSCRIBE ME]
133. — The knower of the modifications of mind and egoism, and of the activities of the body, the organs, and Pranas, apparently taking their forms, like the fire in a ball of iron; It neither acts nor is subject to change in the least.
[Like the fire … iron — Just as fire has no form of its own, but seems to take on the form of the iron ball which it turns red-hot, so the Atman though without form seems to appear as Buddhi and so forth.
Compare Katha II. ii. 9.]
[TRANSCRIBE ME]
134. It is neither born nor dies, It neither grows nor decays, nor does It
