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न एतत् ब्रह्म शुक्लादिरूपत्वेन अवभासते, अरूपत्वाद्ब्रह्मणः ।श्रूयते च—‘ततो यदुत्तरतरं तदरूपमनामयम्’ इति, ‘अशब्दमस्पर्शमरूपम्’ इति च ।तथा न पृथिव्यां तिष्ठति नान्तरिक्षे ।तथा च श्रुतिरन्यत्रानवस्थानं दर्शयति—‘स भगवः कस्मिन् प्रतिष्ठित इति स्वे महिम्नि’ इति ।कस्मात्पुनः कारणात्पृथिव्यादिषु न तिष्ठतीति? तत्राह—नैतत्समुद्रे सलिलं बिभर्ति पञ्चभूतात्मकं देहं बिभर्ति ।सलिलशब्दो भूतपञ्चकोपलक्षणार्थः, यथा—‘अप एव ससर्जादौ तासु वीर्यमपासृजत्’ इत्यत्र अपशब्दो भूतपञ्चकोपलक्षणार्थः ।श्रूयते च—‘पञ्चम्यामाहुतावापः पुरुषवचसो भवन्ति’ इति अपामेव पुरुषशब्दवाच्यत्वम् ।एतदुक्तं भवति—यदि ब्रह्मणः संसारान्तर्वर्तित्वं भवेत्, तदा संसारानुप्रविष्टत्वात् घटादिवदीदृग्रूपादिमत्त्वमन्यस्मिंश्चावस्थानं भवेत् ।इदं पुनरपूर्वादिलक्षणत्वात्संसाराननुप्रविष्टमेव ब्रह्म ।
In plain words
This Brahman does not manifest as white or any other color, for it is entirely formless. Scripture declares: 'That which is higher than the manifest is formless and free from sorrow,' and 'Deals with that which is soundless, intangible, and formless.' Nor does it reside on earth or in mid-space. Scripture reveals its lack of ordinary location when it replies: 'O revered one, upon what is it established? Upon its own majesty.' Why does it not rest in the earth and other elements? Because it does not sustain a body made of the five elements as water does in an ocean. The word 'water' here serves to indicate all five elements collectively, just as in the text 'Water indeed he created first, and into it he cast his energy,' where 'water' stands for the entire group of elements. Scripture also notes: 'In the fifth oblation, the waters come to be called a person.' The point is this: if Brahman belonged within the realm of relative existence, it would be penetrated by change and possess visible forms like a pot, abiding in some external support. But because Brahman is characterized as unprecedented and beyond all relative attributes, it remains utterly untouched by worldly existence.
Close to the Sanskrit
This Brahman does not manifest through white and other forms, because of the formlessness of Brahman. And scripture is heard: 'That which is higher than that is formless and free from disease,' and 'Soundless, intangible, formless.' And similarly it does not stand on earth, nor in mid-space. And thus scripture shows non-abiding elsewhere: 'O revered one, in what is that established? In its own glory.' From what cause does it not stand in earth and the rest? To that he says: this does not bear water in the ocean, it bears the body composed of the five elements. The word 'water' is for the purpose of indicating the five elements, as in the passage: 'He created water first, in that he discharged energy,' here the word 'water' is for the purpose of indicating the five elements. And scripture is heard: 'In the fifth oblation waters become designated by the term person,' the expressibility by the term person belongs to waters alone. This is what is said: if the inclusion of Brahman within transmigration were to be, then due to being penetrated by transmigration, the possession of such forms like a pot and abiding in something else would be. This Brahman, however, due to being characterized as unprecedented and the like, is indeed not penetrated by transmigration.