distinct from being either the effect or the cause
स्वयंsvayaṃ
the self–evident
ब्रह्मbrahma
Brahman
तत् त्वम् असिtat tvam asi
That you are
भावय आत्मनिbhāvaya ātmani
meditate thus in your mind
Translation
By being one, it is the cause for many. It is the cause to refute any other cause. It is distinct from being either the effect or the cause. You are That self–evident Brahman. Meditate thus in your mind.
Annotation
1) Brahman is the substratum for all superimpositions. Thus it is the cause for many. It is the witness (knower) of all and hence there is no other cause than this. 2) The ‘effect’ is the jagat and the ‘cause’ is māyā. Brahman is distinct from both these. The attribution of causality to Brahman (that it is the cause for the universe) is merely an incidental definition of Brahman but not the definition showing its intrinsic nature (Jagadguru). Also see glossary for taṭastha lakṣaṇam.