सर्वेन्द्रियगुणाभासं सर्वेन्द्रियविवर्जितम् | असक्तं सर्वभृच्चैव निर्गुणं गुणभोक्तृ च || १५ ||
sarvendriya-guṇābhāsaṁ sarvendriya-vivarjitam asaktan sarva-bhṛc caiva nirguṇaṁ guṇa-bhoktṛ ca
sarva-indriya—of all the senses; guṇa-ābhāsam—the illuminator of the functions; sarva-indriya—all senses; vivarjitam—being without; asaktam—without attachment; sarva-bhṛt—the maintainer of all; ca—also; eva—also; nirguṇam—without qualities; guṇa-bhoktṛ—master of the gunas; ca—also.
“Shining forth through the functions of all the senses, yet without any senses; unattached, yet the sustainer of all; devoid of qualities, yet the experiencer of the qualities —”
A series of profound paradoxes describes Brahman. It 'shines through all senses' — consciousness is what makes sensing possible — yet it has no senses of its own. It 'sustains all' yet is 'unattached' — like the sun that nourishes all life while remaining unmoved by any of it. It is 'nirgunam' (without qualities) yet 'guna-bhoktri' (the enjoyer of qualities). This is the reconciliation of transcendence and immanence that is the hallmark of Vedantic understanding.
The Absolute is described by paradoxes because ordinary logic is built for objects within experience, not for the ground of experience itself. Sit with one paradox from this verse — 'without senses, yet illumining all senses' — in meditation. Do not try to resolve it intellectually. Let the paradox open the mind beyond its ordinary categories.