As in a mirror, so in one’s own Self; as in a dream, so in the world of the ancestors; as something near is seen in water, so in the world of the Gandharvas; as light and shadow, so in the world of Brahmā.

This sequence of similes describes how the reality of the Ātman is experienced in different states and worlds. In ādarśa (the mirror) of the purified mind, the vision is clear and distinct. In the svapna (dream) of pitṛloka (world of the ancestors), perception is veiled by the residues of karma.

The reflection in apsu (water) is blurry, rippling; so is the vision of the Ātman in gandharvaloka (celestial world of the divine musicians). Only in brahmaloka, the highest world of creation, does the vision approach the clarity of chāyā-ātapayoḥ (light and shadow)—clear but still with duality.

The message for the yogi is clear: we must realize the Ātman here, in this body, while we are alive. Meditation practice gives us access to the “mirror vision”—the clear reflection of our true nature—without waiting for other worlds or states. Svādhyāya (self-inquiry) is the most reliable mirror.