Katha Upanishad 5.15Famous
intermediate
न तत्र सूर्यो भाति न चन्द्रतारकं नेमा विद्युतो भान्ति कुतोऽयमग्निः। तमेव भान्तमनुभाति सर्वं तस्य भासा सर्वमिदं विभाति॥
na tatra sūryo bhāti na candratārakaṃ nemā vidyuto bhānti kuto'yamagniḥ | tameva bhāntamanubhāti sarvaṃ tasya bhāsā sarvamidaṃ vibhāti ||
""The sun does not shine there, nor the moon and stars, nor these lightnings, much less this fire. When He shines, everything shines after Him; by His light all this is illumined.""
What This Means:
The Self is the source of all light. Sun, moon, stars, lightning, fire - they all shine because of the Self's light. It illuminates everything.
Going Deeper:
This famous verse appears in multiple Upanishads and the Gita. The Self is the light of lights, the source of all illumination.
How To Apply This:
Every light you see - sun, moon, fire - shines by the light of consciousness. Know that original light.
#light of lights#self-luminous#source