In these two verses Sri Krishna gives Arjuna exhaustive guidance that will help in undertaking meditation by all. The meaning of the various terms used here is as follows.
Omniscient (Kavi) – Just as the sun is said to be seeing everything because it illuminates all the objects of the world, so too is the Principle of Awareness without which no knowledge whatsoever is possible. Thus, in terms of the limited knowledge we presently experience, the Self is considered as the Supreme Knower who knows everything i.e. Omniscient and without whom no knowledge is ever possible.
Ancient (Puranam) – The Self is considered as the most ancient because the Eternal Truth which was there before all creation remains the same always.
The ruler of the whole world (Anushaasitaaram) – It indicates that if the principle of awareness were not present in our faculties of perception, feeling and comprehension, harmonization of our physical, mental and intellectual experiences would not have been possible to lead a meaningful existence. Hence the Knowing Principle or Consciousness is the very essence of life just as without the mud the mud-pot cannot exist. The mud is the ruler in the world of mud pots so too is the Self the over-ruler of the Universe.
Minuter than the Atom (Anoraneeyaam) – The smallest divisible particle of any element maintaining the properties of that element is called its atom. It indicates that the Self is the subtlest of the subtle.
The more a thing is subtle the more is its pervasiveness. Water is subtler than the ice and hence water is said to be more pervasive than the ice and similarly steam is more pervasive than water. So also, the Self is the subtlest of the subtle which pervades all but nothing pervades it.
The nourisher of all (Sarvasya Dhaataram) – Nourishment here means the support which sustains everything. Just like the canvas supports ever so many different paintings of an artist, the Consciousness illuminates constantly the ever changing things and happenings, around and within us, from birth to death, through all situations which results in homogeneous oneness of life.
Of inconceivable form (Achintyaroopam) – Various descriptions of the Self given above should not lead to the wrong conclusion that It can be thought about and understood as any finite object or idea. We should be clear that the Infinite cannot be comprehended by the finite instruments of perception, feeling or understanding. Although the Self is in the form inconceivable, It is not inexperienceable since an individual can apprehend It to be of his own real nature during the process of Divine awakening.
Effulgent like the sun (Aadityavarnam) – So long as a man identifies himself with his limited auxiliaries in his body he lives in the external world of multiplicities wherein the Self is in-conceivable, inexperienceable and in-comprehensible. Once these auxiliaries are crossed through a process of contemplation of the Self, he realizes his own nature of Pure Being.
To see the sun no other light is necessary or a dreamer cannot know the waker, because to know the waker the dreamer has to end his dream state and become the waker. So too, on ending the egocentric existence during spiritual awakening, one realizes that he is nothing but the Self at all times.
Beyond all the darkness (Tamasah parastaat) – The sun is variable in nature like its brightness during the day with various degrees of intensity and its total absence during the night. It may be erroneously concluded that the Self is also variable in its intensity or there are times when It is totally absent. To remove this possible misunderstanding The Lord says that the Self is beyond darkness of ignorance.
Thus, the one who meditates upon the Self as omniscient, ancient, over-ruler, subtlest of the subtle, nourisher of all, of in-conceivable form, self illuminating as the sun and beyond all.
