आश्चर्यवत्पश्यति कश्चिदेनमाश्चर्यवद्वदति तथैव चान्यः ।
आश्चर्यवच्चैनमन्यः श्रृणोतिश्रुत्वाप्येनं वेद न चैव कश्चित् ॥
आश्चर्यवच्चैनमन्यः श्रृणोतिश्रुत्वाप्येनं वेद न चैव कश्चित् ॥
Hindi · हिन्दी
कोई इस शरीरीको आश्चर्यकी तरह देखता है और वैसे ही अन्य कोई इसका आश्चर्यकी तरह वर्णन करता है तथा अन्य कोई इसको आश्चर्यकी तरह सुनता है और इसको सुनकर भी कोई नहीं जानता । अर्थात यह शरीरी दुर्विज्ञेय है ॥
English
Some behold the inner being as wondrous; some speak of it as wondrous; some hear of it as wondrous; and even after hearing, no one truly knows it.
What this verse means
The true self is astonishing to behold, describe, and hear about, yet almost no one truly understands it.
Context & commentary
On the battlefield, Arjuna is frozen by grief. Krishna deepens the teaching: the inner being is not an ordinary object of thought. People marvel at it, talk about it, listen to it, and still fail to grasp it fully.
Why this verse still matters
You can read three books, hear five opinions, and still miss what matters. Some truths stay hidden until your attention becomes quieter than your analysis.
The takeaway
Curiosity is not enough; real understanding requires a deeper kind of seeing.
Word-by-word translation
आश्चर्यवत् (as wondrous) / पश्यति (beholds) / कश्चित् (someone) / एनम् (this one) / आश्चर्यवत् (as wondrous) / वदति (speaks) / तथा (thus) / एव (indeed) / च (and) / अन्यः (another) / आश्चर्यवत् (as wondrous) / च (and) / एनम् (this one) / अन्यः (another) / श्रृणोति (hears) / श्रुत्वा अपि (even after hearing) / एनम् (this one) / वेद (knows) / न (not) / च (and) / एव (indeed) / कश्चित् (anyone)
This verse is part of Bhagavad Gita Chapter 2: Sankhya Yoga — The Yoga of Knowledge, which contains 72 verses.
Explore related themes: atman (12 verses)