13. (The person) inside (the eye is Brahman) on account of (the attributes mentioned therein) being appropriate (only to Brahman).

“This person that is seen in the eye is the self. This is immortal and fearless; this is Brahman” (Chh. 4. 15. 1).

The question is whether the person referred to here is the reflection of a person in the eye, or the individual soul, or the sun, which helps sight, or Brahman. The Sutra says that this person in the eye is Brahman, because the qualities, ‘immortal’, ‘fearless’, etc., mentioned here with respect to that person can be true only of Brahman, and they cannot be otherwise explained away.

14. And because abode etc. (i.e. name and form) are attributed to It (Brahman) (by other scriptural texts also, for the sake of contemplation).

But, how can the all pervading Brahman be in a limited space like the eye? The assignation of a definite locality to the all pervading Brahman only serves the purpose of meditation (Upasana). In other scriptural texts, the disc of the sun, the cavity of the heart, even the eye itself (Brih. 3. 7. 18) and similar pure spots have been prescribed as places for the contemplation of Brahman. So here it is prescribed that Brahman should be contemplated in the eye. Not only abode, but even name and form are attributed to Brahman for the purpose of meditation, as Brahman without attributes cannot be an object of contemplation.

15. And verily on account of the reference (in the passage to Brahman) distinguished by bliss (mentioned at the beginning of the Prakarana).

“The vital energy is Brahman, bliss is Brahman, the ether is Brahman” (Chh. 4. 10. 5)—so taught the fires to Upakosala Kamalayana about Brahman, and this same Brahman is further elucidated by his teacher as “the person in the eye”.

16. Also on account of the statement of the way (after death) of those who have known the Truth of the Upanishads (i.e. knowers of Brahman) (with reference to the knower of the person in the eye).

The Devayana path or the path of the gods, by which a knower of Brahman travels after death and which is described in the Prasna Upanishad 1.10 and other scriptural texts, is referred to here. Since the knower of “the person in the eye” also goes by this path after death, and since it is known from scriptures that none other except the knower of Brahman goes by this path after death, “the person in the eye” must be Brahman.

17. (The person in the eye is the Supreme Self) and not any other (i.e. individual soul etc.) as these do not exist always; and on account of the impossibility of the qualities of the person in the eye being attributed to any of these.

The reflection in the eye, for example, does not exist always, nor can the qualities like immortality, fearlessness, etc., be appropriately ascribed to this reflection. So no other self except the Supreme Self is here spoken of as the person in the eye.