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परमात्मनो मायया बहुरूपत्वमुपपद्यत एवेत्यर्थः ।श्रूयते च एकस्य मायया बहुरूपत्वम्—‘रूपं रूपं प्रतिरूपो बभूव’ ‘इन्द्रो मायाभिः पुरुरूप ईयते’ ‘एको देवः सर्वभूतेषु गूढः’ ‘एकं सद्विप्रा बहुधा वदन्ति’ ‘एकं सन्तं बहुधा कल्पयन्ति’ ‘एको देवो बहुधा निविष्टः’ ‘एकः सन् बहुधा विचारः’ ‘त्वमेकोऽसि बहूननुप्रविष्टः’ ‘अजायमानो बहुधा विजायते’ इति ।तथा च मोक्षधर्मे—‘एक एव हि भूतात्मा भूते भूते व्यवस्थितः ।एकधा बहुधा चैव दृश्यते जलचन्द्रवत्’ इति ।तथा च याज्ञवल्क्यः—‘आकाशमेकं हि यथा घटादिषु पृथग्भवेत् ।तथात्मैकोऽप्यनेकश्च जलाधारेष्विवांशुमान्’ इति ।तथा च कावषेयगीतासु—‘एकश्च सूर्यो बहुधा जलाधारेषु दृश्यते ।आभाति परमात्मापि सर्वोपाधिषु संस्थितः ॥ब्रह्म सर्वशरीरेषु बाह्ये चाभ्यन्तरे स्थितम् ।आकाशमिव कुम्भेषु बुद्धिगम्यो न चान्यथा’ इति ।तथा चाह परमेश्वरः—‘नित्यः सर्वगतो ह्यात्मा कूटस्थो दोषवर्जितः ।एकः सन्भिद्यते शक्त्या मायया सर्वभावतः’ इति ।यस्मादेकस्यैव मायया बहुरूपत्वम्, तस्मात्स एव कारणात्मा परमेश्वरः कार्यात्मानं जीवात्मानं नियुङ्क्ते कृतप्रयत्नापेक्षः सन्मायया, न परमार्थतः संसरति संसारयति वा ।तथा चोक्तं
In plain words
The supreme self assumes manifold forms solely through māyā—this is the settled meaning. Scripture declares this multiformity of the one: 'He became the reflection of every single form,' 'Indra wanders multiform through illusions,' 'The one god is hidden within all beings,' 'Sages speak of the one existent in various ways,' 'They imagine multiple forms in the one who exists,' 'The one god has entered in many ways,' 'Being one, he is viewed variously,' 'You alone have entered into many,' 'Unborn, he manifests in manifold ways.' So too in the Mokṣadharma: 'The elemental self is truly one, abiding in every single being; it is perceived both as one and as many, like the moon mirrored in water.' And Yājñavalkya says: 'Just as single space appears partitioned in pots and other vessels, so the self, though one, appears as many, like the sun reflected in water-basins.' And in the Kavāṣeya Gītās: 'The single sun is seen multiplied in water-basins; so too the supreme self shines forth, abiding in all conditioning adjuncts. Brahman resides in all bodies, both outside and within, like space enclosed in jars—comprehended through the intellect and in no other way.' The supreme Lord himself declares: 'Eternal, all-pervading, changeless, and flawless is the self; while remaining one, it appears divided through the power of māyā.' Since the one alone appears as many through illusion, the supreme Lord—the causal reality—directs the living soul, which is the effect, taking its accumulated efforts into account through māyā. In ultimate truth, however, the self neither transmigrates nor causes anyone to transmigrate. Thus it has been declared.
Close to the Sanskrit
Of the supreme self, by illusion, the assumption of manifold forms is indeed established, thus is the meaning. And it is heard that of the one, by illusion, is manifoldness: 'He became the counter-form of each form', 'Indra by illusions moves multiform', 'One god hidden in all beings', 'One truth wise speakers speak in many ways', 'They imagine one who exists in many ways', 'One god entered manifoldly', 'Being one, much deliberation', 'You alone have entered into many', 'Unborn, he is born in many ways', and so on. And similarly in the Mokṣadharma: 'One indeed is the elemental self situated in every single being. One and also many, it is seen like the moon in water', and so on. And similarly Yājñavalkya: 'Just as space, which is one, might be separate in pots and the like, so the self, though one, is also many, like the sun in water receptacles', and so on. And similarly in the Kavāṣeya Gītās: 'And one sun is seen in water receptacles; the supreme self also shines, situated in all conditioning adjuncts. Brahman is situated in all bodies, externally and internally, like space in pots, attainable by intellect, not otherwise', and so on. And the supreme Lord says: 'Eternal, all-pervading, surely the self is unchanging, devoid of flaws; being one, it is divided by power through illusion from every aspect', and so on. Since of the one indeed is manifoldness by illusion, therefore that very causal self, the supreme Lord, engages the effect-self, the living self, regarding its efforts through illusion, not in absolute reality does he transmigrate or cause transmigration. And thus it is said...