Bhashya
शृणुत— तत्र यद्ब्रूथ पुण्डरीकान्तःस्थस्य खस्याल्पत्वात्तत्स्थमल्पतरं स्यादिति, तदसत् ।न हि खं पुण्डरीकवेश्मगतं पुण्डरीकादल्पतरं मत्वा अवोचं दहरोऽस्मिन्नन्तराकाश इति ।किं तर्हि, पुण्डरीकमल्पं तदनुविधायि तत्स्थमन्तःकरणं पुण्डरीकाकाशपरिच्छिन्नं तस्मिन्विशुद्धे संहृतकरणानां योगिनां स्वच्छ इवोदके प्रतिबिम्बरूपमादर्श इव च शुद्धे स्वच्छं विज्ञानज्योतिःस्वरूपावभासं तावन्मात्रं ब्रह्मोपलभ्यत इति दहरोऽस्मिन्नन्तराकाश इत्यवोचाम अन्तःकरणोपाधिनिमित्तम् ।स्वतस्तु यावान्वै प्रसिद्धः परिमाणतोऽयमाकाशःभौतिकः, तावानेषोऽन्तर्हृदये आकाशः यस्मिन्नन्वेष्टव्यंविजिज्ञासितव्यं च अवोचाम ।नाप्याकाशतुल्यपरि-माणत्वमभिप्रेत्य तावानित्युच्यते ।किं तर्हि, ब्रह्मणो-ऽनुरूपस्य दृष्टान्तान्तरस्याभावात् ।कथं पुनर्न आका-शसममेव ब्रह्मेत्यवगम्यते, 'येनावृतं खं च दिवं महीं च','तस्माद्वा एतस्मादात्मन आकाशः संभूतः,' 'एतस्मिन्नुखल्वक्षरे गार्ग्याकाशः' इत्यादिश्रुतिभ्यः ।किं च उभेअस्मिन्द्यावापृथिवी ब्रह्माकाशे बुद्धयुपाधिविशिष्टे अन्तरेवसमाहिते सम्यगाहिते स्थिते ।'यथा वा अरा नाभौ' इत्युक्तंहि; तथा उभावग्निश्च वायुश्चेत्यादि समानम् ।यच्च अस्यआत्मन आत्मीयत्वेन देहवतोऽस्ति विद्यते इह लोके ।तथायच्च आत्मीयत्वेन न विद्यते ।नष्टं भविष्यच्च नास्तीत्यु-च्यते ।न तु अत्यन्तमेवासत्, तस्य हृद्याकाशे समाधाना-नुपपत्तेः ॥
In plain words
Listen. When you object that the space within the heart-lotus must be tiny because the lotus itself is small, that is incorrect. We did not mean that the infinite ether is physically reduced in size to fit inside the heart. What is actually happening is this: the heart-lotus is small, and the mind residing within it conforms to that limitation. When that mind is purified through meditation—just like clear water or a clean mirror reflecting an image—the luminous light of consciousness is apprehended only to that limited extent. That is why we described the inner space as 'small,' using the mind as a conditioning adjunct. In its true nature, however, this inner space is just as vast as the physical ether of the universe. That infinite space is precisely what we pointed to as the true object of inquiry. We do not mean it is merely the size of the heart; rather, space is used as a comparison simply because no other adequate illustration for Brahman exists. How do we know Brahman is not limited to physical space? From shruti texts which declare: 'By whom space, heaven, and earth are enveloped,' 'From this very Self space is born,' and 'In this very imperishable, O Gargi, space is woven.' Furthermore, heaven and earth are held securely within this Brahman-space just as spokes are fixed in the nave of a wheel, and the same holds true for fire, wind, and all else. Whatever an embodied being possesses here in this world, and whatever it does not possess—things past or future are spoken of as 'not existing' only in a relative sense, not as absolute nothingness, for absolute non-existence could never be contained within the space of the heart.
Close to the Sanskrit
Listen. Regarding what you say—that because of the smallness of the space situated within the lotus, the space residing there would be smaller—that is untrue. For we did not speak of the space within the heart as being smaller by thinking that the space situated in the lotus abode is smaller than the lotus. What then? The lotus is small; conforming to that, the inner instrument residing therein, delimited by the lotus space, when purified like a clear mirror or water for yogis whose senses are withdrawn, apprehends the luminous light of consciousness in its essential form merely to that extent—such is the sense in which we spoke of the small space within the heart, on account of the adjunct of the inner instrument. But inherently, as great as this physical space is, known by dimension, so great is this space within the heart, in which we spoke of what is to be sought out and inquired about. Nor is it meant that it has a dimension equal to space; what then? Due to the absence of another illustrative example suited to Brahman. And how is it understood that Brahman is not merely equal to space? From shruti passages such as 'By which space, heaven, and earth are enveloped,' 'From this very Self space originated,' 'In this very imperishable, O Gargi, space is woven.' And furthermore, both heaven and earth, conditioned by the mental adjunct, are firmly contained right within the Brahman-space, just as spokes are in the nave of a wheel; similarly, both fire and wind and so forth are the same. And whatever belongs to this embodied self here in the world as its property, and whatever does not belong to it as property—past and future are spoken of as not existing, but not as being utterly non-existent, because of the impossibility of such non-existent things being contained in the space of the heart.