Na Thathra Suryo Bhathi

About this stotra

This verse found in the Katha Upanishad (2.2.15) and Mundaka Upanishad (2.2.10) articulates the nature of Brahman as self-luminous pure consciousness. The core meaning is that the Ultimate Reality (Brahman) is the source of all light (consciousness) in the universe. The verse uses examples of luminous objects like the sun, moon, stars, lightning and fire, to point out that even though we consider them as sources of light, they are themselves illuminated by a higher principle. It suggests that consciousness itself is what makes all perception and knowing possible, including luminous objects and light itself.
The opening lines "na tatra sūryo bhāti na candratārakaṃ" declare that in that supreme Reality, neither the sun (suryo), nor moon and stars (candratārakam) shine. It then continues to say that even lightning doesn't shine there, so what to speak of earthly fire – "nemā vidyuto bhānti kuto'yamagniḥ." This is not a description of darkness but rather points to that consciousness which is the source of all illumination - that by which even these luminous objects are known. Just as all objects (dark and bright) in a dream, are illumined by the dreamer's awareness only.
The following line two lines reveal the fundamental truth of all existence. "tam eva bhāntam anubhāti sarvaṃ" – everything (sarvaṃ) shines (anubhāti) only after that supreme light (tam). And "tasya bhāsā sarvam idaṃ vibhāti". By its light (bhāsā) alone does all this (sarvam idaṃ) shine forth (vibhati). Essentially what these two lines are saying is that there is something which brings to light everything, meaning that something makes everything KNOWN. And whatever is known, is known only because of that something. Let us call that something the "KNOWER." Without that Knower, nothing can ever be known. Let us apply this sacred truth to our lived experience and see what we find.
If we try to list everything that is known, it can be brought down to three things: Body, Mind, and World. Try and find anything outside these three. The shloka says that all these are known only because of some Knower. Let’s start with the world. It appears that the world is known because of the body-mind. I open my eyes, and the world appears. I close my eyes, it disappears. So, one might think the world is known by the body-mind which is the Knower. Moving deeper, let us examine this body-mind. If the physical body-mind were the Knower of the world, a dead body would be conscious of the world. So, we must classify the body-mind as "known" and not the Knower. And this is completely verifiable in our own experience. What we call body-mind is essentially comprised of three aspects: the 5 sense perceptions, thoughts, and feelings. Sense perceptions themselves are not conscious - the sight of a room or the noise of traffic are themselves not aware that they are sights and sounds. Thoughts are not themselves conscious either. For example, when you close your eyes and think of the numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, slowly, one at a time, you can observe directly that each thought of a number arises and passes away. The thought "1" appears, then vanishes. Then "2" appears, then vanishes. Each number-thought is a distinct, temporary mental event. If thoughts could know themselves, then the thought "1" would somehow have to persist and be aware of itself even as it's disappearing and being replaced by "2". But we can observe directly that it doesn't - it simply appears as content, in consciousness and then disappears. If each thought were aware of itself, it would never disappear. So, thoughts are not the Knower. It is Consciousness that is aware of thoughts appearing and disappearing. Similarly, feelings too are not conscious - there is something that knows both the feeling of happiness and the feeling of sadness. Thus, we arrive at the only conclusion that the entire field of experience – body, mind, world, is "known" by a "Knower" that is Conscious of it. The word for this Knower is "Consciousness."
This consciousness being described here is not some abstract metaphysical entity or state. It is the very awareness that is aware of these words right now. It is that which is aware of the world, aware of the body, and aware of all thoughts and feelings. It is also aware of dreams while they happen during sleep. Interestingly, while it is aware of ALL experience, nothing in experience affects it. An endless stream of sights, sounds, smells, tastes, touches, thoughts, feelings, sensations come to "its" awareness and yet nothing leaves an imprint on it. It remains ever-present, unchanging.
Now, this Awareness or Consciousness by which all experience is known – How is IT known? Does IT have a Knower? This can easily be verified experientially. Close your eyes and in a totally relaxed state, tell yourself 'What is my next thought going to be...' and wait. In that silent space before thought arises, a clear, knowing presence is revealed. That is Consciousness or Awareness! Now thoughts arise. You are aware. Notice them arising and disappearing in the field of Consciousness. How do you "know" this Consciousness? Do you need to create a thought to know it? No. Without having to think about it, Consciousness is known to itself. It is self-aware, self-luminous.
This ever-present, unchanging, self-aware Consciousness, by which everything is known, is who I AM. That is what this verse points out so beautifully.