bahir antaś ca bhūtānām acaraṁ caram eva ca sūkṣmatvāt tad avijñeyaṁ dūra-sthaṁ cāntike ca tat
"Outside and inside of beings, the unmoving and also the moving; because of Its subtlety, It is incomprehensible; far away and also near is That."
What This Means:
Brahman is both outside and inside all beings, both unmoving and moving. Because it's so subtle, it can't be grasped by ordinary understanding. It's infinitely far yet intimately near.
Going Deeper:
More paradoxes defining the indefinable: bahir-antaḥ (outside-inside), acaram-caram (unmoving-moving), dūra-stham-antike (far-near). 'Sūkṣmatvāt avijñeyam'—due to subtlety, not ordinarily knowable. Brahman is everywhere, so it can't be 'found' anywhere specific. It's closer than your own thoughts (antike) yet seems infinitely distant (dūra-stham) when sought outside.
How To Apply This:
What you're seeking is closer than your breath—it's the awareness that reads these words. The Divine isn't far away in some heaven; it's the very consciousness you're using right now. Stop searching outside.
Key Sanskrit Terms: