The Ātman is described as nirvikalpa, śuddha, and sat-cid-ānanda — free from conceptual divisions, pure, and of the nature of existence, consciousness, and bliss. Knowing this, the sage is free from all fear and longing. In chapter 16, where the topic is the natural behavior of the jñānin, this verse supplies the inner reason for that fearlessness: the Self has no boundaries to defend, no lacks to fill, and no conditions to fulfill.