Verse 29
āścaryavat paśyati kaścid enam āścaryavat vadati tathaiva cānyaḥ
āścaryavat cainam anyaḥ śṛṇoti śrutvā api enam veda na caiva kaścit
Word-by-Word Meaning:
| Sanskrit | Meaning |
|---|---|
| āścaryavat | as a wonder / with amazement |
| paśyati | sees |
| kaścit | someone / a person |
| enam | this (Self / soul) |
| āścaryavat | as a wonder |
| vadati | speaks / describes |
| tathā eva | likewise / in the same way |
| ca | and |
| anyaḥ | another |
| āścaryavat | as a wonder |
| śṛṇoti | hears |
| śrutvā | having heard |
| api | even |
| enam | this (soul / Self) |
| veda | knows / understands |
| na | not |
| ca | and |
| eva | truly |
| kaścit | anyone / someone |
One sees the Self as a wonder; another speaks of it as a wonder; another hears of it as a wonder. Even after hearing about it, no one truly understands it.
Expanded Commentary:
This verse is a poetic expression of the profound mystery of the Ātman — the eternal Self. Krishna reveals to Arjuna how elusive and enigmatic the Self is to most people. It is not something that can be grasped through casual hearing, superficial analysis, or mundane perception.
Krishna’s Message:
The Self is not an object, not something tangible or measurable. It is wonderous — beyond conception, beyond ordinary logic.
- Seer as amazed – The rare person who perceives the Self sees it with awe.
- Speaker as amazed – The one who speaks of it finds it difficult to articulate.
- Listener as amazed – The one who hears of it is intrigued, yet often confused.
- Knower is rare – Even after all this, true understanding is exceedingly rare.
Symbolic Meaning:
| Term | Symbolizes |
|---|---|
| Āścaryavat (Wonder) | The indescribable, divine mystery of the Self |
| Paśyati (Sees) | The intuitive vision of a realized sage |
| Vadati (Speaks) | Spiritual discourses, scriptures, or teachers attempting to describe the Self |
| Śṛṇoti (Hears) | The disciple or seeker receiving teachings |
| Veda na (Does not understand) | The inability of the intellect to comprehend the infinite |
Philosophical Insights:
- The Self is Beyond Sense Perception:
- It cannot be seen like an object or measured like a quantity.
- The true Self is formless, infinite, and beyond birth and death.
- Rare Realization:
- While many read, listen, or speak about the Self, only rare beings truly realize it.
- Intellectual knowledge ≠ Self-realization.
- Intuitive, Not Intellectual:
- The Self is known through deep meditation, purity, grace, and inner experience, not by logic alone.
- Mystery of Existence:
- The wonder mentioned here is not confusion but divine awe — like seeing the ocean for the first time after reading about it.
Practical Application:
- Approach the Self with Reverence: The spiritual journey is not academic; it’s sacred. Treat it with humility and openness.
- Deep Listening (Śravaṇa): Hearing the teachings of the Self is the first step. Listen with your heart, not just your intellect.
- Consistent Reflection (Manana): Think deeply about what you hear — internalize it, don’t just memorize it.
- Meditative Experience (Nididhyāsana): The true understanding of the Self comes in stillness, silence, and inner focus.
Reflection Questions:
Do I regard the Self as a mystery to be discovered, or an idea to be debated?
Am I listening deeply to the teachings of the Self with the intent to transform?
Can I move beyond theoretical knowledge and seek direct experience of the Self?
Conclusion:
Krishna lovingly reminds Arjuna that the soul — the Self — is not a concept to master but a mystery to realize. It is not a subject of analysis but a divine truth to be experienced. The journey to that realization is marked by awe, humility, and wonder.
In a world busy with the seen and the known, the Self remains the greatest unknown — ever-present, yet elusive. To know it, we must become silent, pure, and surrendered. Then the wonder becomes wisdom, and we come home to our eternal Self.