The works of Ādi Śaṅkarācārya

Bṛhadāraṇyakopaniṣadbhāṣyam

Bhashya

Bhashya

आत्मेति—प्राणादीनि विशेषणानि यान्युक्तानि तानि यस्य सः—आप्नुवंस्तान्यात्मेत्युच्यते ।स तथा कृत्स्नविशेषोपसंहारी सन्कृत्स्नो भवति ।वस्तुमात्ररूपेण हि प्राणाद्युपाधिविशेषक्रियाजनितानि विशेषणानि व्याप्नोति ।तथा च वक्ष्यति—‘ध्यायतीवपयोगः ।'नेति नेति' 'अस्थूलम्' 'एकमेवाद्वितीयम्' 'अशनायाद्यतीतः' इत्येवमादिवाक्यानामुपास्यात्मस्वरूपविशेषसमर्पणेनोपयोगः ।फलं च मोक्षोऽविद्यानिवृत्तिर्वा ॥

In plain words

The text says: 'As the Self.' Whatever specific attributes, such as the vital breath, are declared—he who pervades them all is spoken of as the Self. Embracing every particular within itself, such a person becomes whole. Indeed, by its mere existence, it pervades all those attributes born of limiting adjuncts and specific functions. Scripture will likewise declare: 'It meditates as it were,' 'not this, not this,' 'not gross,' 'one alone without a second,' 'transcending hunger and the like.' The purpose of such passages is to reveal the true nature of the Self, and their fruit is liberation, which is the eradication of ignorance.

Close to the Sanskrit

As the self - whatever specific attributes like prāṇa have been spoken, he who obtains those is spoken of as the self. He being thus the subsumer of all particulars becomes whole. For in the form of mere reality he pervades the specific attributes generated by special actions and adjuncts like prāṇa. And so it will speak - 'meditates as it were'... 'not this not this', 'not gross', 'one only without a second', 'beyond hunger and the like' - the utility of sentences beginning thus is by revealing the specific nature of the self to be meditated upon. And the fruit is liberation or the cessation of ignorance.