Peace is the true nature of the Self; difficulty is something external. There is nothing distinct from the Self; therefore, take refuge in peace.

The ātman is defined by its svabhāva—its own essential nature—which is śānti, peace. Suffering (kaṣṭa) is paratra—outside, external—not to the ātman itself, but to its nature. There is no separate entity that suffers; there is only one ātman which, through confusion with the external, appears to lose its peace. The final phrase is pure advaita: ātmanaḥ anyaṃ na vidyeta—there is nothing distinct from the Self. Suffering is not an entity but an appearance, just as the rippling of water is not an entity distinct from the water itself. Taking refuge in peace (śāntim upāśrayet) is not an act of will but a recognition: not “I make peace” but “I am peace recognizing itself.” The instruction is formally imperative but essentially indicative: it describes what occurs when one sees clearly, not what one must do to achieve it.

The ātman is defined by its svabhāva—its own essential nature—which is śānti, peace. Suffering (kaṣṭa) is paratra—outside, external—not to the ātman itself, but to its nature. There is no separate entity that suffers; there is only one ātman which, through confusion with what is external, appears to lose its peace. The final phrase is pure advaita: ātmanaḥ anyaṃ na vidyeta—there is nothing distinct from the Self. Suffering is not an entity but an appearance, just as the rippling of water is not an entity distinct from the water itself. Taking refuge in peace (śāntim upāśrayet) is not an act of will but a recognition: not “I make peace,” but “I am peace recognizing itself.” The instruction is formally imperative but essentially indicative: it describes what happens when one sees clearly, not what one must do to achieve it.