BHAGAVAD-GITA 2:29

[Guest guest]

BHAGAVAD-GITA 2:29

 

ascarya-vat pasyati kascid enam

ascarya-vad vadati tathaiva canyah.

ascarya-vac cainam anyah srnoti

srutvapy enam veda na caiva kascit

 

WORD FOR WORD

 

ascarya-vat--as amazing; pasyati--sees; kascit--someone; enam--this

soul; ascarya-vat--as amazing; vadati--speaks of; tatha--thus;

eva--certainly; ca--also; anyah--another; ascarya-vat--similarly

amazing; ca--also; enam--this soul; anyah--another; srnoti--hears of;

srutva--having heard; api--even; enam--this soul; veda--knows;

na--never; ca--and; eva--certainly; kascit--someone.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Some look on the soul as amazing, some describe him as amazing, and

some hear of him as amazing, while others, even after hearing about

him, cannot understand him at all.

 

PURPORT

 

Since Gitopanisad is largely based on the principles of the Upanisads,

it is not surprising to also find this passage in the Katha Upanisad

(1.2.7):

 

sravanayapi bahubhir yo na labhyah

srnvanto 'pi bahavo yam na vidyuh

ascaryo vakta kusalo 'sya labdha

ascaryo 'syajnata kusalanusistah

 

The fact that the atomic soul is within the body of a gigantic animal,

in the body of a gigantic banyan tree, and also in the microbic germs,

millions and billions of which occupy only an inch of space, is

certainly very amazing. Men with a poor fund of knowledge and men who

are not austere cannot understand the wonders of the individual atomic

spark of spirit, even though it is explained by the greatest authority

of knowledge, who imparted lessons even to Brahma, the first living

being in the universe. Owing to a gross material conception of things,

most men in this age cannot imagine how such a small particle can

become both so great and so small. So men look at the soul proper as

wonderful either by constitution or by description. Illusioned by the

material energy, people are so engrossed in subject matters for sense

gratification that they have very little time to understand the

question of self-understanding, even though it is a fact that without

this self-understanding all activities result in ultimate defeat in

the struggle for existence. Perhaps they have no idea that one must

think of the soul, and thus make a solution to the material miseries.

 

Some people who are inclined to hear about the soul may be attending

lectures, in good association, but sometimes, owing to ignorance, they

are misguided by acceptance of the Supersoul and the atomic soul as

one without distinction of magnitude. It is very difficult to find a

man who perfectly understands the position of the Supersoul, the

atomic soul, their respective functions and relationships and all

other major and minor details. And it is still more difficult to find

a man who has actually derived full benefit from knowledge of the

soul, and who is able to describe the position of the soul in

different aspects. But if, somehow or other, one is able to understand

the subject matter of the soul, then one's life is successful.

 

The easiest process for understanding the subject matter of self,

however, is to accept the statements of the Bhagavad-gita spoken by

the greatest authority, Lord Krsna, without being deviated by other

theories. But it also requires a great deal of penance and sacrifice,

either in this life or in the previous ones, before one is able to

accept Krsna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Krsna can,

however, be known as such by the causeless mercy of the pure devotee

and by no other way.

 

Copyright 1983 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International. Used with

permission.