आश्चर्यवत्पश्यति कश्चिदेन -
माश्चर्यवद्वदति तथैव चान्यः ।
आश्चर्यवच्चैनमन्यः शृणोति
श्रुत्वाप्येनं वेद न चैव कश्चित् ॥ २९ ॥
āśhcharya-vat paśhyati kaśhchid enan
āśhcharya-vad vadati tathaiva chānyaḥ
āśhcharya-vach chainam anyaḥ śhṛiṇoti
śhrutvāpyenaṁ veda na chaiva kaśhchit
कुछ मनुष्य इसे आश्चर्य के रूप में देखते हैं, कुछ अन्य इसका वर्णन असाधारण मानकर करते हैं और कुछ इसके बारे में आश्चर्य से सुनते हैं। और कुछ अन्य मनुष्य इसके बारे में सुनकर भी इसे समझ नहीं पाते।
Some perceive it as a marvel, others speak of it as extraordinary and many hear of it with wonder. Yet others, even after hearing about it, cannot understand it at all.
In verse 2.29 of the Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna concludes his discourse on the eternal nature of the soul with a profound observation about how different people perceive and comprehend this spiritual knowledge. The verse highlights that some see the soul as something amazing, some speak of it as amazing, some hear of it as amazing, while others, even after hearing about it, cannot understand it at all.
This verse comes at a crucial juncture where Krishna is addressing Arjuna's grief and confusion on the battlefield. Despite hearing Krishna's wisdom about the immortality of the soul, Arjuna remains troubled. Krishna acknowledges this difficulty by pointing out that knowledge of the soul (atman) is inherently astonishing or amazing (āścarya-vat) and not easily grasped by everyone equally.
The verse presents a progressive hierarchy of understanding. Some rare individuals directly perceive or "see" the soul through deep meditation or spiritual insight. Others, who may not directly perceive it, can still articulate its nature and qualities through their wisdom. A third group can hear and appreciate these teachings, recognizing their value. Finally, there are those who, despite exposure to the knowledge, cannot truly comprehend it.
Krishna is essentially conveying that spiritual knowledge isn't accessible uniformly to all people. The capacity to understand the eternal, indestructible nature of the soul varies based on one's spiritual evolution, past experiences, and inner purification. This is not a judgment but rather an acknowledgment of the different stages of spiritual development that souls undergo on their journey.
The repetition of "amazing" (āścarya-vat) three times in the verse emphasizes just how extraordinary this knowledge is. The soul, being beyond material perception and understanding, naturally appears wondrous to the materially conditioned mind. Its qualities—eternality, indestructibility, immeasurability—stand in stark contrast to our everyday experience of temporary material phenomena.
This verse also subtly prepares Arjuna (and the reader) for deeper teachings to come. By highlighting the exceptional nature of soul-knowledge, Krishna implies that what follows requires special attention and contemplation. It's as if he's saying, "What I'm about to teach you isn't commonplace wisdom—it's extraordinary and transformative when truly understood."
The beauty of this verse lies in its compassionate recognition of human diversity in spiritual capacity. Rather than demanding uniform understanding, Krishna acknowledges that people are at different stages of their spiritual journey. This creates space for growth and encourages patience—both with ourselves as we struggle to comprehend difficult spiritual concepts, and with others who may be at different points in their understanding. The verse thus carries a message of both wonder at the soul's nature and acceptance of the varying degrees to which this wonder can be appreciated.
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