अशेषदृश्योज्झितदृङ्मयानाम्
अवस्थितानामिह राजयोगे ।
न जागरो नापि सुषुप्तिभावो
न जीवितं नो मरणं विचित्रम् ॥१५॥

Verse 15 is a natural continuation of Verse 14.

In Verse 14, Shankara said:

When Rāja Yoga is fully established, all techniques fall away.

Now he describes the condition of those established in that state.

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Literal Translation

"For those established in Rāja Yoga, who have become of the nature of the Seer after abandoning all that is seen, there is neither waking, nor the state of deep sleep; neither life nor death—wonder indeed!"

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1️⃣ अशेषदृश्योज्झित

Let's begin with the first compound.

Aśeṣa

• without remainder
• entire
• complete

Dṛśya

• the seen
• everything that can be known as an object

Ujjhita

• abandoned
• cast aside
• transcended

Thus:

"having abandoned all objects whatsoever."

This is much deeper than merely closing the eyes.

"Dṛśya" includes:

• physical objects,
• thoughts,
• emotions,
• memories,
• visions,
• mystical experiences,
• even subtle yogic phenomena.

Anything that can be observed is dṛśya.

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2️⃣ दृङ्मयानाम्

A profound Advaitic expression.

Dṛk

• the Seer
• the Witness

Maya (from root word Mayat मयट्)

• consisting of
• made of

Thus:

"those who are of the nature of the Seer alone."

This echoes the famous Advaitic distinction:

The verse says:

After abandoning all dṛśya,

one remains as dṛk alone.

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3️⃣ अवस्थितानामिह राजयोगे

"Established in Rāja Yoga."

Notice the progression.

Verse 14:
Rāja Yoga becomes established.

Verse 15:
The yogin is established in it.

This is no longer a temporary state.

It is abiding.

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4️⃣ न जागरः

"No waking state."

This statement sounds shocking at first.

Obviously the yogin appears awake.

So what does it mean?

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Waking State in Vedanta

The waking state (jāgrat) is not merely having open eyes.

It is:

identification with the waking world.

The realized yogin may function in the world,

but is no longer confined by the waking-state identity.

Thus:

"not waking" means not bound by the waking condition.

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5️⃣ नापि सुषुप्तिभावः

"Nor the state of deep sleep."

Again, this does not mean inability to sleep.

Rather:

The yogin is not identified with deep sleep either.

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Why mention waking and deep sleep but not dream?

An excellent question.

Dream is often omitted because:

• waking and deep sleep are the two apparent opposites,
• dream lies between them.

Or:

By transcending waking and deep sleep,

dream is automatically included.

Many Advaitic texts use this style.

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6️⃣ The Hidden Reference: Turīya

This verse strongly recalls the teaching of the Mandukya Upanishad.

The Upanishad speaks of:

1. Waking (Jāgrat)
2. Dream (Svapna)
3. Deep Sleep (Suṣupti)

and then:

4. Turīya

which is:

• not waking,
• not dreaming,
• not sleeping,
• yet the ground of all three.

Shankara's language here is remarkably close to that vision.

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7️⃣ न जीवितं नो मरणम्

"Neither life nor death."

This is even more radical.

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On the Relative Level

The body:

• lives,
• ages,
• dies.

Nothing unusual there.

Shankara is not denying biological reality.

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On the Level of Awareness

The Self:

• is not born,
• does not die.

As the Bhagavad Gita famously says:

"It is not born, nor does it die."

When identity shifts from body-mind to pure awareness,

life and death lose their absolute significance.

Thus:

neither life nor death.

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8️⃣ विचित्रम्

A beautiful ending.

Vicitram

• wonderful
• astonishing
• marvelous

Almost as if Shankara pauses and says:

"What a remarkable state this is!"

The verse is not merely analytical.

There is wonder in it.

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9️⃣ Connection with the Previous Verses

Observe the flow:

Verse 13

Prāṇa dissolves.

Verse 14

Practices fall away.

Verse 15

Identity shifts from the seen to the Seer.

Then:

• waking loses its hold,
• sleep loses its hold,
• life loses its hold,
• death loses its hold.

This is no longer primarily Hatha Yoga.

We are now standing squarely in Advaita.

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🔟 A Very Subtle Point

The verse does not say:

"There is no waking, no sleep, no life, no death."

Instead it says:

For those established as the Seer,

these categories no longer define reality.

The categories still appear.

But they no longer imprison consciousness.

This distinction is crucial.

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Connection between Yoga & Advaita

Notice how elegantly Shankara has connected:

Yogic Language

• Kevala Kumbhaka
• Kuṇḍalinī
• Sushumnā
• Prāṇa-laya

with

Advaitic Language

• Dṛk (the Seer)
• Dṛśya (the Seen)
• Beyond waking and sleep
• Beyond life and death

This shows that for Shankara, the culmination of yoga is not merely control of prāṇa but recognition of one's identity as pure awareness.

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Essence of the Verse

Those established in Rāja Yoga have abandoned all objects of experience and abide as the pure Seer alone. For them, the ordinary distinctions of waking, sleeping, living, and dying no longer define reality. They stand in the wondrous state that Advaita calls the Witness beyond all changing conditions.