1. Some wise men, deluded, speak of Nature, and others of Time (as the cause of everything); but it is the greatness of God by which this Brahma-wheel is made to turn.
2. It is at the command of Him who always covers this world, the knower, the time of time, who assumes qualities and all knowledge, it is at His command that this work (creation) unfolds itself, which is called earth, water, fire, air, and ether;
3. He who, after He has done that work and rested again, and after He has brought together one essence (the self) with the other (matter), with one, two, three, or eight, with time also and with the subtile qualities of the mind,
4. Who, after starting the works endowed with (the three) qualities, can order all things, yet when, in the absence of all these, He has caused the destruction of the work, goes on, being in truth different (from all he has produced);
5. He is the beginning, producing the causes which unite (the soul with the body), and, being
2. It is at the command of Him who always covers this world, the knower, the time of time, who assumes qualities and all knowledge, it is at His command that this work (creation) unfolds itself, which is called earth, water, fire, air, and ether;
3. He who, after He has done that work and rested again, and after He has brought together one essence (the self) with the other (matter), with one, two, three, or eight, with time also and with the subtile qualities of the mind,
4. Who, after starting the works endowed with (the three) qualities, can order all things, yet when, in the absence of all these, He has caused the destruction of the work, goes on, being in truth different (from all he has produced);
5. He is the beginning, producing the causes which unite (the soul with the body), and, being
Vijñânâtman takes a different view. He says: ‘If a man has performed sacrifices, and has finished them, or has turned away from them again as vain, and if he has obtained union with that which is the real of the (apparently) real, &c.’ The commentator then asks what is that with which he obtains union, and replies, ‘the one, i.e. ignorance; the two, i.e. right and wrong; the three, i.e. the three colours, red, white, and black; and the eight, i.e. the five elements, with mind, thought, and personality; also with time, and with the subtle affections of the mind.’ He then goes on, ‘If that man, after having begun qualified works, should take on himself all states (resulting from ignorance), yet, when these states cease, there would be an end of the work, good or bad, done by him, and when his work has come to an end, he abides in truth (according to the Veda); while the other, who differs from the Veda, is wrong.’ Śaṅkarânanda, however, evidently feels that this is a doubtful interpretation, and he suggests another, viz. ‘If the Lord himself,’ he says, ‘determined these states (bhava), it would seem that there would be no end of saṃsāra. He therefore says, that when these states, ignorance &c., cease, the work done by man ceases; and when the work done ceases, the living soul gets free of saṃsāra, being in truth another, i.e. different from ignorance and its products.’
Viśvanâtman says: ‘If a man, having done work, turns away from it, and obtains union of one tattva (the tvam, or self) with the real tattva (the tat, or the Lord);—and how? By means of the one, i.e. the teaching of the Guru; the two, i.e. love of the Guru and of the Lord; the three, i.e. hearing, remembering, and meditating; the eight, i.e. restraint, penance, postures, regulation of the breath, abstraction, devotion, contemplation, and meditation (Yoga-sutras II, 29); by time, i.e. the right time for work; by the qualities of the self, i.e. pity, &c.; by the subtle ones, i.e. the good dispositions for knowledge, then (we must supply) he becomes free.’ And this he explains more fully in the next verse: ‘If, after having done qualified works, i.e. works to please the Lord, a Yati discards all things, and recognises the phenomenal character of all states, and traces them back to their real source in Mūlaprakṛti and, in the end, in the Saṃcidânanda, he becomes free. If they (the states) cease, i.e. are known in their real source, the work done ceases also in its effects, and when the work has been annihilated, he goes to freedom, being another in truth; or, if we read anyat, he goes to what is different from all these things, namely, to the Lord; or, he goes to a state of perfect lordship in truth, having discovered the highest truth, the oneness of the self with the Highest Self.’
I think that, judging from the context, the subject is really the same in both verses, viz. the Lord, as passing through different states, and at last knowing himself to be above them all. Yet, the other explanations may be defended, and if the subject were taken to be different in each verse, some difficulties would disappear.
6. He is beyond all the forms of the tree (of the world) and of time, he is the other, from whom this world moves round, when one has known Him who brings good and removes evil, the Lord of bliss, as dwelling within the self, the immortal, the support of all.
7. Let us know that highest great lord of lords, the highest deity of deities, the master of masters, the highest above, as God, the Lord of the world, the adorable.
8. There is no effect and no cause known of Him, no one is seen like unto Him or better; His high power is revealed as manifold, as inherent, acting as force and knowledge.
9. There is no master of his in the world, no ruler of His, not even a sign of Him. He is the cause, the lord of the lords of the organs, and there is of Him neither parent nor lord.
10. That only God who spontaneously covered himself, like a spider, with threads drawn from the first cause (pradhana), grant us entrance into Brahman.
6. He is beyond all the forms of the tree (of the world) and of time, he is the other, from whom this world moves round, when one has known Him who brings good and removes evil, the Lord of bliss, as dwelling within the self, the immortal, the support of all.
7. Let us know that highest great lord of lords, the highest deity of deities, the master of masters, the highest above, as God, the Lord of the world, the adorable.
8. There is no effect and no cause known of Him, no one is seen like unto Him or better; His high power is revealed as manifold, as inherent, acting as force and knowledge.
9. There is no master of his in the world, no ruler of His, not even a sign of Him. He is the cause, the lord of the lords of the organs, and there is of Him neither parent nor lord.
10. That only God who spontaneously covered himself, like a spider, with threads drawn from the first cause (pradhana), grant us entrance into Brahman.
11. He is the one God, hidden in all beings, all-pervading, the self within all beings, watching over all works, dwelling in all beings, the witness, the perceiver, the only one, free from qualities.
12. He is the one ruler of many who (seem to act, but really do) not act; he makes the one seed manifold. The wise who perceive him within their self, to them belongs eternal happiness, not to others.
13. He is the eternal among eternals, the thinker among thinkers, who, though one, fulfils the desires of many. He who has known that cause which is to be apprehended by Sânkhya (philosophy) and Yoga (religious discipline), he is freed from all fetters.
14. The sun does not shine there, nor the moon and the stars, nor these lightnings, and much less this fire. When he shines, everything shines after him; by his light all this is lightened.
15. He is the one bird in the midst of the world; he is also (like) the fire (of the sun) that has set in the ocean. A man who knows him truly, passes over death; there is no other path to go.
16. He makes all, he knows all, the self-caused, the knower, the time of time (destroyer of time), who assumes qualities and knows everything, the master of nature and of man, the lord of the three qualities (guna), the cause of the bondage, the existence, and the liberation of the world.
12. He is the one ruler of many who (seem to act, but really do) not act; he makes the one seed manifold. The wise who perceive him within their self, to them belongs eternal happiness, not to others.
13. He is the eternal among eternals, the thinker among thinkers, who, though one, fulfils the desires of many. He who has known that cause which is to be apprehended by Sânkhya (philosophy) and Yoga (religious discipline), he is freed from all fetters.
14. The sun does not shine there, nor the moon and the stars, nor these lightnings, and much less this fire. When he shines, everything shines after him; by his light all this is lightened.
15. He is the one bird in the midst of the world; he is also (like) the fire (of the sun) that has set in the ocean. A man who knows him truly, passes over death; there is no other path to go.
16. He makes all, he knows all, the self-caused, the knower, the time of time (destroyer of time), who assumes qualities and knows everything, the master of nature and of man, the lord of the three qualities (guna), the cause of the bondage, the existence, and the liberation of the world.
17. He who has become that, he is the immortal, remaining the Lord, the knower, the ever-present guardian of this world, who rules this world for ever, for no one else is able to rule it.
18. Seeking for freedom I go for refuge to that God who is the light of His own thoughts, He who first creates Brahman (m.) and delivers the Vedas to him;
19. Who is without parts, without actions, tranquil, without fault, without taint, the highest bridge to immortality—like a fire that has consumed its fuel.
20. Only when men shall roll up the sky like a hide, will there be an end of misery, unless God has first been known.
21. Through the power of His penance and through the grace of God has the wise Svetasvatara truly proclaimed Brahman, the highest and holiest, to the best of ascetics, as approved by the company of Rishis.
22. This highest mystery in the Vedanta, delivered in a former age, should not be given to one whose passions have not been subdued, nor to one who is not a son, or who is not a pupil.
18. Seeking for freedom I go for refuge to that God who is the light of His own thoughts, He who first creates Brahman (m.) and delivers the Vedas to him;
19. Who is without parts, without actions, tranquil, without fault, without taint, the highest bridge to immortality—like a fire that has consumed its fuel.
20. Only when men shall roll up the sky like a hide, will there be an end of misery, unless God has first been known.
21. Through the power of His penance and through the grace of God has the wise Svetasvatara truly proclaimed Brahman, the highest and holiest, to the best of ascetics, as approved by the company of Rishis.
22. This highest mystery in the Vedanta, delivered in a former age, should not be given to one whose passions have not been subdued, nor to one who is not a son, or who is not a pupil.