Bhagavad Gita Chapter 15 Verse 6 भगवद् गीता अध्याय 15 श्लोक 6 न तद्भासयते सूर्यो न शशाङ्को न पावकः। यद्गत्वा न निवर्तन्ते तद्धाम परमं मम।।15.6।। English Translation - Swami Gambirananda 15.6 Neither the sun nor the moon nor fire illumines That. That is My supreme Abode, reaching which they do not return. English Translation - Swami Sivananda 15.6 Neither doth the sun illumine there nor the moon, nor the fire; having gone thither they return not; that is My supreme abode. English Translation - Dr. S. Sankaranarayan 15.6. The sun does not illumine That; nor the moon and nor the fire; That is My Abode Supreme, having gone to Which they (Yogins) never return. English Commentary - Swami Sivananda 15.6 न not? तत् that? भासयते illumines? सूर्यः the sun? न not? शशाङ्कः the moon? न not? पावकः fire? यत् to which? गत्वा having gone? न not? निवर्तन्ते (they) return? तत् that? धाम Abode? परमम् Supreme? मम My.Commentary That supreme abode is selfillumined for Brahman is selfluminous. It existed before the sun? the moon and the fire came into existence during creation. It remains even after they dissolve into the Unmanifested during the dissolution of the world.This verse is taken from the Kathopanishad The sun does not shine there? nor do the moon and the stars? nor does this lightning shine and much less this fire. When It shines? everything shines after It? by Its light? all these shine (Chap.II?5.15). The same idea occurs in the Svetasvatara Upanishad (6.14) and the Mundaka Upanishad (II.2.10). The sun? the moon? etc.? derive their light from Para Brahman. Nothing else is needed for illuminating the Supreme Being because It is selfluminous.Dhama paramam Supreme abode or superexcellent seat or Para Brahman.Though the sun is endowed with the power of illumining all? it cannot illumine the Supreme Being.यत् धाम वैष्णवं पदं गत्वा प्राप्य न निवर्तन्ते यत् च सूर्यादिभिः न भासयते तत् धाम पदं परमं मम विष्णोः।That abode? to which having gone? none returns? and which the sun? moon? stars? lightning and fire do not illumine? is the highest abode of Vishnu.(Cf.VIII.21) English Translation of Sanskrit Commentary By Sri Shankaracharya's 15.6 Na suryah, niether the sun-though possessed of the power of illumining everything; so also, na sasankah, nor the moon; na pavakah, nor even fire; bhasayate, illumines; tat, That [-this (word) refers to the remote word dhama (Abode) at the end of the verse-], that Abode which is of the nature of light. That abode, the State of Visnu, gatva, reaching, attaining; yat, which; they na, do not; nivartante, return, and which the sun etc. do not illumine; tat, that; is mama, My, Visnus; paramam, supreme; dhama, Abode, State. Objection: It has been said, reaching which they do not return. Is it not well known that all goings end, verily, in returning, and unions are followed by separations? How is it said that there is no return for those who come to that Abode? Reply: As to that, listen to the reason: English Translation of Commentary - Dr. S. Sankaranarayan 15.6 Na tat etc. There is no scope for the sun etc., in [illumining] That. For, they are conditioned by time etc., because they are objects of knowledge, [and] because they are the helpers of the sense organs. On the other hand, That [Absolute] is unrestricted by space, time etc. It is the knower, the one inducer of the sense organs and also the one transcending them. English Translation of Ramanuja's Sanskrit Commentary 15.6 The sun cannot illumine the light of the self, nor moon, nor fire. For, knowledge is indeed that which illumines them all. External lights, however, are helpful only in removing the darkness which hinders the contact between the senses and the objects. It is the intelligence of the self that reveals such external lights. What reveals this (i.e., the self) is Yoga (i.e., meditation) only. Beginningless Karma is the hindrance. It has been taught that the way for the erasing of Karma is self-surrender to the Lord through detachment etc. That supreme light, reaching which they do not return any more is the self, which is My glory (Vibhuti) and therefore belongs to Me and is a part of Myself. Such is the meaning. The supremacy of this light (i.e., individual self) consists in its capacity to illumine the light of knowledge. Knowledge alone can illuminate all things (including the light of the sun which sheds only physical light on objects.). Commentary - Chakravarthi Ji What are the qualities of that object which is attained? The words “Sun, moon and fire do not light it” means that it is self-revealing, self-dependent, self-sufficient, and devoid of miseries such as heat and cold (caused by the sun, moon and fire), tad dhama paramam mama means that light (dhama) which is non-material, beyond the material senses (paramam), which illuminates or reveals everything else, and which belongs to me. The Hari Vamsa says: tat param paramam brahma sarvam vibhajate jagat mamaiva tad ghanam tejo jnatum arhasi bharata That supreme brahman lights up this whole universe. You should know that this intense light belongs to me, O Bharata. HariVamsa 2.114.12 The sruti says: na tatra suryo bhati na candra-tarakam nema vidyuto bhanti kuto’yam agnih tam eva bhantam anubhati sarvam tasya bhasa sarvam idam vibhati The sun does not shine there, nor do the moon or stars. Nor does lightning shine. How, then, can fire burn? When he shines, all of these shine. Through his light, all things shine. Katha Upanisad 2.2.15 Rudra Vaishnava Sampradaya - Commentary The attributes of the spiritual worlds are briefly delineated by Lord Krishna. The sun, moon, fire are not required to illuminate it as it is naturally self-lluminating. Once attained a jiva or embodied being never returns to the transitory material existence and is no longer enslaved by the bondage of samsara or the perpetual cycle of birth and death. As the Supreme Lords abode is transcendental and beyond the scope of material existence it is not subject to the dualities and defects of material nature and is eternally perfect in every way. Brahma Vaishnava Sampradaya - Commentary Shri Vaishnava Sampradaya - Commentary The light of illumination which manifests from the atma or immortal soul is what Lord Krishna is referring to here as well. As His transcendntal spiritual body consists of the atmas of all jivas or embodied beings, He, His name, His abode and His pastimes are all illuminating. No sun or moon or fire can illuminate this; for it is spiritual wisdom that gives the light of consciousness. External luminiousity is only able to dissolve the obscurity that intervenes between the senses perceiving their objects.What reveals the atma is called yoga or the individual conciousness attaining communion with the ultimate consciousness. Antagonistic to yoga is karma which are subsequent reactions to previous actions and to conquer this formidable opponent which gains strength from every action performed; one must fully surrender unto the Supreme Lord and accept Him as ones only refuge. That all illuminating light emanates from Him, it is a part of His splendour as a power from Him. The sublime supremacy of this all illuminating light consists of its potency and efficiency in lighting the consciousness by spiritual wisdom. Sunlight no matter how bright, although capable of travelling for millions and billions of miles through space is never able to internally effect illumination in the consciousness as it is only an external phenomena. Kumara Vaishnava Sampradaya - Commentary The light of illumination which manifests from the atma or immortal soul is what Lord Krishna is referring to here as well. As His transcendntal spiritual body consists of the atmas of all jivas or embodied beings, He, His name, His abode and His pastimes are all illuminating. No sun or moon or fire can illuminate this; for it is spiritual wisdom that gives the light of consciousness. External luminiousity is only able to dissolve the obscurity that intervenes between the senses perceiving their objects.What reveals the atma is called yoga or the individual conciousness attaining communion with the ultimate consciousness. Antagonistic to yoga is karma which are subsequent reactions to previous actions and to conquer this formidable opponent which gains strength from every action performed; one must fully surrender unto the Supreme Lord and accept Him as ones only refuge. That all illuminating light emanates from Him, it is a part of His splendour as a power from Him. The sublime supremacy of this all illuminating light consists of its potency and efficiency in lighting the consciousness by spiritual wisdom. Sunlight no matter how bright, although capable of travelling for millions and billions of miles through space is never able to internally effect illumination in the consciousness as it is only an external phenomena. Transliteration Bhagavad Gita 15.6Na tadbhaasayate sooryo na shashaangko na paavakah; Yadgatwaa na nivartante taddhaama paramam mama. Word Meanings Bhagavad Gita 15.6na—neither; tat—that; bhāsayate—illumine; sūryaḥ—the sun; na—nor; śhaśhāṅkaḥ—the moon; na—nor; pāvakaḥ—fire; yat—where; gatvā—having gone; na—never; nivartante—they return; tat—that; dhāma—Abode; paramam—supreme; mama—Mine