The works of Ramaṇa Maharṣi

Upadeśa Sāram

Verse 23

सत्त्वभासिका चित्क्ववेतरा ।सत्तया हि चि च्चित्तया ह्यहम् ॥

सत्त्वभासिका चित् क्व वा इतरा सत्तया हि चित् चित्तया हि अहम्

In plain words

To know a thing you need something standing outside it. Fine. Now try that with what is. There is no outside. There is nowhere to put the second thing. So being is not something that gets known. It is the knowing. And that is not something you have. It is what is here, saying I.

Word for word

Where is another consciousness that illumines Being? By being itself, Being is consciousness; and by consciousness-ness, indeed, I am.