Verse 3

The light of Jnana can only eradicate the darkness of ignorance. Person focused on doing karma alone, not taking any effort to attain jnana remains ignorant and in bondage irrespective of whether the karma is self serving or selfless. Selfless actions might remove impurities ( chit shudi). Any amout of selfless service, achievements in life and accomplishments are not of any importance if one hasn’t attained jnana.

Jnana obtained from a sadguru can only free one from bondage. There is no atmabodh without jnana;

And there is no liberation/ moksha without atmabodh.

When ignorance doesn’t distress and doesn’t create a throbbing pang in one’s heart, simply listening to the talks on jnana wouldn’t change anything. Only a hungry person would value food,a starving person wouldn’t care about the flavour or aroma of the food being served. Likewise a person with intense desire and yearning would go to any lengths to attain Jnana. Their life would change dramatically after listening to the words of wisdom, it would destroy all the bondages of attachment, fear and suffering. It is Jnana which liberated Arjuna, also made a Kabir, a Ravidas, a Ramanuj, a Dadu Dayal - transformed them to a saint

Verse 4

Atman is self illuminating. It is infinite, limitless and boundless.

That which appears FINITE (parichhinna), becomes INFINITE (avachinna) once the veil of ignorance has been removed by the light of jnana. There is no ignorance in the Atman; it arises only in the mind-Intellect. This means that an enlightened being’s Atman is as self-illuminating (essence of jnana), as that of an ignorant being.There is no difference at the plane of Atman.

One identifies his/ her body or the form as - I.

The second identification is with the mind ( feelings like happiness /sadness, sinner, greediness etc...)

When the SENSE of I gets linked with the mind it gets the name Jiva.

The reflection of Atman in the mind is called jiva.

The real “I” the Atman and its reflection in A UNIT of mind-intellect is the jiva.

Simply put jiva is - mind + reflection of Atman + Atman.

The entire universe is made up of one Atman but many individual mind-intellect(jivas) units. Atman is singular, jiva plural.

Jiva takes birth again and again. And the “I” of jiva continues.

The third one is real identity.

Shankarachary refers to this real “I” as the real Self, the Atman; one that is not linked to the body and the “I” that is not linked to the jiva.

The whole journey is moving from ignorance, to knowing this real Self and once that happens one would attain Self-realisation and Liberation.