Acharya Prashant explains that the two eyes everyone has can only see the world (sansar). They are representatives of duality (dvaita). Whatever one sees with these two eyes, at most, one can see the world. When you only see the world, all your desires, your biggest intentions, and your highest achievements will be of the world. Seeing means understanding the world, and if you only have these two eyes, only the world will occupy your mind. We become slaves to our senses because these two eyes, given by nature (Prakriti), only show us matter (padarth) and material things. Thus, the two eyes represent the world, all the senses, duality, and nature. The two eyes symbolize our entire natural existence, from birth, which is metaphorically called "opening the eyes," to death, which is called "closing the eyes." However, there is a problem with seeing only with these two eyes: you find no peace. Whatever you see, no matter how much you attain it, the desire to attain more remains. Most importantly, in this seeing, the seer (you) is left out. The seen object is always separate from the seer, and this separation causes great suffering. Even peaceful scenes like a sunrise or a waterfall ultimately make you restless because you know they are transient. Peace comes with the fear of it being snatched away. If the two eyes represent duality, then the third eye symbolizes non-duality (advaita). It is a symbol that tells you that something beyond what is seen with the two eyes is necessary in your life. Shiva's third eye is a symbol of our own highest potential. We are being told to rise so high that we too have a third eye. The opening of the third eye means to start seeing beyond what is visible; it means to see both the seen (drishya) and the seer (drashta) simultaneously. This is also called witnessing (sakshitva). The one who starts doing this comes close to Shiva; this is 'Shivatva' (the state of being Shiva). When it is said that the third eye's opening turns everything to ashes, it doesn't mean the world is destroyed. It means the world's hold and dominance over your mind are turned to ashes. For instance, if a sweet is in front of you and your two eyes are fixated on it, you are a slave to it. When the third eye opens, you see yourself and your slavery. Instantly, the sweet becomes unimportant, and its power over you is turned to ashes. The purpose of life is to transcend the limitations of the two eyes. While nature (Prakriti) gives us life, it also keeps us captive. To live a meaningful life is to go beyond nature's confines by opening the third eye of self-awareness.