Chapter 2: Sankhya Yoga, verse 29
आश्चर्यवत्पश्यति कश्चिदेन
माश्चर्यवद्वदति तथैव चान्यः।
आश्चर्यवच्चैनमन्यः श्रृणोति
श्रुत्वाप्येनं वेद न चैव कश्चित् ॥
Say itāśhcharya-vat paśhyati kaśhchid enan
āśhcharya-vad vadati tathaiva chānyaḥ
āśhcharya-vach chainam anyaḥ śhṛiṇoti
śhrutvāpyenaṁ veda na chaiva kaśhchit
Translation
One sees this (the Self) as a wonder; another speaks of it as a wonder; another hears of it as a wonder; yet, having heard, none understands it at all.
Swami Sivananda
Someone visualizes it as a wonder; someone else talks of it as a wonder; someone else hears of it as a wonder; and yet someone else does not even realize it after hearing about it.
Swami Gambirananda
Follows the commentary of Shankara (Advaita).
One regards This (self) as a wonder; another speaks of It as a wonder; yet another hears of It as a wonder; and even after hearing of It, one does not know It.
Swami Adidevananda
Follows the commentary of Ramanuja (Vishishtadvaita).
This someone observes as a wonder; similarly, another speaks of This as a wonder; another hears This as a wonder; but even after hearing, not even one understands This.
Dr. S. Sankaranarayan
Follows the commentary of Abhinavagupta (Kashmir Shaivism).
One hears of the Spirit with surprise, another thinks it marvelous, the third listens without comprehending. Thus, though many are told about it, scarcely is there one who knows it.
Shri Purohit Swami
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।
Swami Ramsukhdas
कोई इसे आश्चर्य के समान देखता है; कोई इसके विषय में आश्चर्य के समान कहता है; और कोई अन्य पुरुष इसे आश्चर्य के समान सुनता है; और फिर कोई सुनकर भी नहीं जानता।
Swami Tejomayananda
Classical commentariesFor deeper study. Most are in the original Sanskrit.
Advaita
Non-dual: the self and the absolute are one.
Vishishtadvaita
Qualified non-dual: souls are real parts of the divine.
Dvaita
Dual: the soul and God are eternally distinct.
Shuddhadvaita
Pure non-dual, centred on grace and devotion.
Kashmir Shaivism
The Gita read through Trika Shaiva philosophy.
Modern teachers
20th-century teachers writing for today's readers.