Knowing the subtle nature of one's separate existence is knowing Brahman

Standing at the border between the transcendental inner essence and its manifestation outside Vamadeva tries to look inwards to know the nature of the inner essence.

Om kolyamaatmeti vayamupasamahe katarah sa atma
Yena va pashyati yena va shrunoti yena va gandhanajikhrati
Yena va vacham vyakaroti yena va svadu chasvadu cha vijaniti

Vamadeva asks himself: ‘What is this essence of me, with which I am trying to maintain company always? Is it the subtle presence by which my sense organs operate, which gives form to my will and which shapes my likes and dislikes?’

Yatetathrudayam manaschaitat samjnanamajnanam
Vijnanam prajnanam medha drushtidhrutirmaneesha
Jootih smrutih sankalpah kraturasuh kamo vasha iti
Sarvanyevaitani prajnanasya namdheyani bhavanti

The reflection of Vamadeva reveals that the fundamental awareness of being a separate entity, which is in essence the inner heart and mind, expresses itself as categorical knowledge bound by names and forms, abstract knowledge which is not bound by names and forms, domain specific knowledge, the awareness of being different, awareness of belonging to a larger whole, perspective, positive engagement, power of reflection, intelligence, fatigue, memory, imagination, define action plans, vitality, desire and attachment.

Esha brahmaisha indra esha prajapatirete sarve deva imani cha
Panchamahabhootani pruthvee vayurakasha apo
Jyotimsheetyetaneemani cha kshudramishraneeva beejani
Itarani chetarani chandajani cha jarajani cha svedajani chodbhijani chashva gavah
Purusha hastino yat kinchedam prani jangamam cha patatri cha yat stavaram sarvam tat
Prajnanetram prajnane pratishthitam
Prajnanetro lokah prajna pratishtha
Prajnanam brahmah

The awareness of one’s separateness is the fountainhead of everything in the manifested universe. It is the master of all ideals to which everything in this world converge. It is the propelling force behind all movements. It is the principle that nurtures all passions. Everything in the manifested universe exists because of this differentiation. The five fundamental elements (earthiness, airiness, emptiness, moistness and brilliance), the causal body that sustains the lower and middle level life forms, all classes of life forms (life forms emanating from eggs, life forms emanating from placenta, life forms emanating from sweat and life forms sprouting spontaneously), the processes of interaction, the processes of production…all these came from the awareness of being separate. Virility, accumulation of resources, the lively things that moves briskly and flutter around in the sky, the stationery objects…all these are led by the awareness of their separateness. Similarly each of the domains is established in the concept of its separateness from the rest of the universe. This awareness specific to a separate existence is verily Brahman.

Sa etena prajnanatmanasmallokadukramya
Amushmin svarge loke sarvan kamanaptva
Amrutah samabhavat amrutah samabhavat

The subtle knowledge related to what sets one apart from others is to be used for transcending this world. The reflection on one’s identity is to be used for elevating one to a state of total belonging. It is not to be used for alienating oneself from this world. One who realizes this and act accordingly is able to satisfy all the longings associated with his ideals. He overcomes death in the domain of this world as well as in the heavenly domain of ideals.