Editors Note

According to Nataraja Guru, this verse serves as a contemplative hymn guiding seekers toward Self-realization. It emphasizes a transcendental reality that surpasses ordinary knowledge and is simultaneously present both within the knower and in the external world. This core reality, which the Guru refers to as the “Self,” is not confined by subjective or objective distinctions but exists as an all-encompassing luminosity beyond dualistic limitations. The phrase “rising even above knowledge” alludes to the necessity of surpassing intellectual understanding to attain true wisdom. Nataraja Guru connects this with the Platonic distinction between the visible and intelligible realms, as well as with Kantian categories such as the immanent and transcendent, a priori and a posteriori. He also references Upanishadic classifications of knowledge—para-vidya (higher knowledge) and apara-vidya (lower knowledge of the empirical world). The Guru suggests that as one approaches wisdom, the apparent division between the knower and the known dissolves, much like how light and its source merge into a single effulgence. The phrase “as equally without” highlights the unitive nature of this reality, which neither exists solely within nor without but rather permeates all existence. This echoes modern philosophical discussions, such as those of Bertrand Russell’s neutral monism and Spinoza’s idea of a thinking substance that does not depend on external validation. In Vedantic traditions, this unitive understanding finds parallels in Ramanuja’s Visishta-Advaita and in the concept of para-apara, which recognizes an ultimate reality transcending dualistic classifications. “To that Core” refers to the very essence of existence, which in Malayalam is termed karu. Nataraja Guru associates it with Aristotle’s “unmoved mover,” the fundamental source of all activity. This core is not a mere biological or material nucleus but the functional basis of consciousness itself. It is the point where outward-directed impulses meet inward contemplation, representing the synthesis of horizontal (empirical) and vertical (transcendental) aspects of reality. “With the eyes five restrained within” suggests a withdrawal of sensory distractions to attain higher contemplation. The five senses, when engaged outwardly, create a cycle of desires and activities that prevent true introspection. The Guru compares this to the discipline required in pure mathematics, where emotional or external influences must be set aside to maintain clarity of thought. This disciplined withdrawal aligns with the classical yogic approach to Self-realization, reinforcing the importance of directing one’s awareness inward.

“One should chant” does not imply an obligatory religious act but rather a method of attunement to the Absolute. Nataraja Guru clarifies that true philosophy, as found in the Upanishads and Bhagavad Gita, is free from the constraints of ritualistic obligation. Yet, in this verse, the Guru unifies philosophy and religious practice, much like the integration of Vedantic wisdom with Vedic traditions. Chanting, in this context, is not mere recitation but a dynamic engagement with the Absolute, where exaltation and understanding merge.

Ultimately, this verse establishes the foundational principle that Self-realization is not an intellectual pursuit alone but requires wholehearted devotion, discipline, and a unitive perspective that dissolves dualities. By prostrating in adoration—not as an act of submission, but as an alignment with the highest human value—one attains the transcendental Self beyond the paradoxes of logic and perception.