Bhagavad Gita BG 2.29
Chapter 2, Verse 29 — Meaning, Translation & Explanation
आश्चर्यवत्पश्यति कश्चिदेनमाश्चर्यवद्वदति तथैव चान्यः । आश्चर्यवच्चैनमन्यः शृणोति श्रुत्वाप्येनं वेद न चैव कश्चित् ॥ २९ ॥
āścaryavat paśyati kaścid enam āścaryavad vadati tathaiva cānyaḥ āścaryavac cainam anyaḥ śṛṇoti śrutvāpy enaṃ veda na caiva kaścit
Meaning
Some look on the soul as amazing, some describe it as amazing, and some hear of it as amazing, while others, even after hearing about it, cannot understand it at all.
Understanding
A beautiful verse on the rarity of knowledge of the soul. 'Āścaryavat' — as something wondrous, amazing, extraordinary — is how the soul is encountered. Some are amazed to see it (direct experience), some to speak of it (teaching), some to hear of it (learning). And yet: 'śrutvāpy enaṃ veda na caiva kaścit' — even after hearing, no one truly understands it. The soul remains a profound mystery — not because it is hidden, but because it is so utterly unlike anything else that ordinary understanding cannot grasp it.
Word by Word
| Word | IAST | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| आश्चर्यवत् | āścaryavat | as something amazing / as a wonder |
| पश्यति | paśyati | sees / perceives |
| कश्चित् | kaścit | someone / a rare one |
| वदति | vadati | speaks of / describes |
| शृणोति | śṛṇoti | hears |
| श्रुत्वा अपि | śrutvā api | even after hearing |
| न वेद | na veda | does not know / does not understand |
| एनम् | enam | it / this (the soul) |
| तथा एव | tathaiva | likewise / in the same way |
| च | ca | and / also (conjunction) |
| अन्यः | anyaḥ | another / a different person |