The works of Ādi Śaṅkarācārya

Chāndogyopaniṣadbhāṣyam

Bhashya

Bhashya

यस्माच्च पाप्मकार्यमान्ध्यादि शरीरवतः स्यात् न त्व-शरीरस्य, तस्माद्वा एतमात्मानं सेतुं तीर्त्वा प्राप्य अनन्धोभवति देहवत्त्वे पूर्वमन्धोऽपि सन् ।तथा विद्धः सन् देह-वत्त्वे स देहवियोगे सेतुं प्राप्य अविद्धो भवति ।तथोपता-पी रोगानुपतापवान्सन् अनुपतापी भवति ।किंच यस्माद-होरात्रे न स्तः सेतौ, तस्माद्वा एतं सेतुं तीर्त्वा प्राप्य नक्त-मपि तमोरूपं रात्रिरपि सर्वमहरेवाभिनिष्पद्यते ; विज्ञेया-त्मज्योतिःस्वरूपमहरिवाहः सदैकरूपं विदुषः संपद्यत इत्य-र्थः ।सकृद्विभातः सदा विभातः सदैकरूपः स्वेन रूपेण एष ब्रह्मलोकः ॥

In plain words

Because bodily limitations like blindness belong to the embodied state and not to the unembodied Self, a person who crosses the bridge of the Self leaves blindness behind, even if he was previously blind in the body. Likewise, physical wounds and torments are left behind when the body falls away and this bridge is reached. Furthermore, because day and night do not exist in that bridge, even the darkness of night becomes pure daylight upon reaching it. For the wise, the luminous nature of the Self shines ever-uniformly as day. This world of Brahman is eternally radiant, forever of one unchanging nature.

Close to the Sanskrit

Because sinful acts, blindness, etc., belong to one who has a body, not to the bodiless one, therefore having crossed and attained this Self as a bridge, one becomes free from blindness, even though previously blind while possessing a body. Similarly, being wounded while possessing a body, upon body-separation and attaining the bridge, he becomes free from wounds. Likewise, one afflicted with diseases becomes free from affliction. Moreover, because day and night do not exist in the bridge, therefore having crossed and attained this bridge, even night, which has the form of darkness, fully emerges as day; the meaning is that for the wise person, the knowable luminous nature of the Self is attained as day, ever uniform. This world of Brahman is ever shining, always shining, ever uniform by its own nature.