His form does not remain within the range of vision. No one sees Him with the eye. By the heart, by the rational mind, by the mind established—those who know this become immortal.

The Ātman is adarśya (invisible), not because it is dark, but because it is light itself. As the eye cannot see itself, the Ātman cannot be made an object of perception. It is not a rūpa (form) among forms, but that in which all forms appear.

Yet it can be known by hṛdā (the heart), manīṣā (the rational mind, discernment), and manas (the mind), when these are purified and established in silence. It is not that the mental instruments perceive the Ātman as an object, but that, when their fluctuations cease, the nature of the Ātman is revealed as the ever-present background.

In yoga practice, this guides us beyond techniques. No matter how sophisticated our āsana or prāṇāyāma practice, if the hṛdaya (heart, the seat of inner feeling) is not open, the vision does not dawn. True vision is an awakening of the heart, not an achievement of the mind.