Question: Isvara is an illusion and appearance of Brahman taken as a whole, but it is an appearance only since it appears on contact, it is a reflection of Brahman in all the minds, bodies.m (maya). Could one then say that Isvara is Witnessed?
Sri Prabhuji:
Jiva is reflection of Sakshi in mind (antakarana). This reflection is called chidabhasa. Jiva is limited due to Avidya. Ishvara on the otherhand is reflection of Brahman in Maya.
In reality Jiva is sakshi who is nothing but Brahman. Similarly Ishvara is also Brahman.
Brahman is the only light of awareness and everything else is reflection. Hence Brahman illuminates (witnesses) Ishvara and Jiva.
Please note that the term sakshi (witness) indicates there is sakshyam (witnessed). The duality of witness and witnessed is not there in Brahman. Hence from Brahman point of view, there is nothing to be witnessed. On the otherhand from manifest reality, Jiva and Ishvara are reflections of Brahman in mind and maya respectively. The witness of these is Brahman only. Brahman is also called kutastha chaitanya.