Devanagari
उभयं स्मरत: पुंस: प्रस्वापप्रतिबोधयो: ।
अन्वेति व्यतिरिच्येत तज्ज्ञानं ब्रह्म तत्परम् ॥ ५६ ॥
Verse text
ubhayaṁ smarataḥ puṁsaḥ
prasvāpa-pratibodhayoḥ
anveti vyatiricyeta
taj jṣānaṁ brahma tat param
Synonyms
ubhayam
—
both types of consciousness (sleep and wakefulness)
;
smarataḥ
—
remembering
;
puṁsaḥ
—
of the person
;
prasvāpa
—
of consciousness during sleep
;
pratibodhayoḥ
—
and of consciousness while awake
;
anveti
—
extends through
;
vyatiricyeta
—
may reach beyond
;
tat
—
that
;
jṣānam
—
knowledge
;
brahma
—
the Supreme Brahman
;
tat
—
that
;
param
—
transcendental .
Translation
If one’s dreams during sleep are merely subject matters witnessed by the Supersoul, how can the living entity, who is different from the Supersoul, remember the activities of dreams? The experiences of one person cannot be understood by another. Therefore the knower of the facts, the living entity who inquires into the incidents manifested in dreams and wakefulness, is different from the circumstantial activities. That knowing factor is Brahman. In other words, the quality of knowing belongs to the living entities and to the Supreme Soul. Thus the living entity can also experience the activities of dreams and wakefulness. In both stages the knower is unchanged, but is qualitatively one with the Supreme Brahman.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
That which remains during the waking and deep sleep states of the person observing those states, and which is different from them, is the jīva. Superior to the jīva is Brahman.
“How does the person in waking state remember what was observed by the witness during sleep, and thus say ‘I slept happily.’ One person cannot remember what was experienced by another person.” That which is present during the deep sleep and waking states of the man who investigates those states, and which is different from them, which continues while these states appear and disappear, is the jīva (jṣānam). Just as one remembers during youth what was seen during childhood, even though the conditions are different, one remembers the bliss of deep sleep on waking. Superior to the jīva is Brahman. The jīva is not Brahman. Though the jīva is also the Lord because of being his taṭastha-śakti, the jīva does not belong to the Lord’s svarūpa-śakti. Thus it is different from Brahman.
Purport
In knowledge the living entity is qualitatively one with the Supreme Brahman, but the quantity of the Supreme Brahman is not the same as that of the living entity, who is part of Brahman. Because the living entity is Brahman in quality, he can remember the past activities of dreams and also know the present activities of wakefulness.