So now Sri Krishna will conclude this section in next two verses

BG 2.29

ascarya–vat pasyati kascid enam

ascarya–vad vadati tathaiva canyah

ascarya-vac cainam anyah srinoti

srutvapy enam veda na caiva kascit

SYNONYMS

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; srinoti — hears of; srutva — having heard; api — even; enam — this soul; veda — knows; na — never; ca — and; eva — certainly; kascit — someone.

TRANSLATION

Some look at the soul as amazing, some hear of it as amazing, while others, even after hearing about it, cannot fully understand it.

We have discussed in 2.28 the inevitability of death, so one should do one’s duty, Sri Krishna concludes the discussion of soul in this verse and in next verse

ascarya–vat, so here “see” is repeated 3 times in first three lines, it talks about progressive level of understanding. Some people see the soul as amazing, some people talk about the soul as amazing, some people hear about the soul as amazing and some people hear and still don’t understand (although amazing is not mentioned here but it is implied).

See the soul as amazing -> size of soul 1/10,000 part of tip of hair, but it can animate giant whale to huge trees to elephants and the similar kind of soul. Huge person and small person have similar soul. So those you see this perceive the soul as amazing.

We see a very aggressive person and on other hand a very gentle person and for both of them soul is similar. Although soul is individual but same kind of thing. So all souls are Sat Chit Ananda but their inclination is so different. This is amazing

We all long for eternal life and we try to eternalize our present life. But that is not possible, as this world is always temporary. We struggle for this, but actually I am already eternal being soul. I have to just realize my eternal nature.

The nature of the soul s Sat Chit Ananda. We try different things to become happy, but soul by nature is only happy. Just it has to be realized. If we realize this joyfulness we will automatically realize the amazing nature of the soul. When spiritual vision is awakened, then we can see soul directly just as we are seeing each other. We realize, as the eternal part and parcel of Krishna comes in illusion and such a soul can become a ruthless terrorist who has no consciousness while ruining up thousands of people. How can such perversion happen? That is amazing. ascarya–vat pasyati kascid enam. So at one level there is perception which can be spiritual perception and intellectual understanding about the soul.

ascarya–vad vadati tathaiva canyah, some people who understand they speak about it, O soul is so amazing. Speak about soul in amazement.

ascarya-vac cainam anyah srinoti

srutvapy enam veda na caiva kascit

Hear about soul in amazement. After hearing, people ask: “O I don’t know that, I was thinking I am temporary. I will be going to die also, but now I understand that I am eternal, it is amazing.”

In this way there are some other people who are saying, how this is possible? When body feel pain, I feel pain, when body feel hungry I feel hungry, when body die I die, they just can’t digest the concept of soul, they can’t understand that there is something beyond, the soul.

A devotee was giving class in a country where there is no concept about the soul. He said, “you are not your body,” then someone asked question, “Sir then whose body am I?” That means the person is so much locked in bodily conception that I am my body so sometimes people just can’t come out of the bodily conception.

Even when Srila Prabhupada was preaching in America; he said, “I am not my body.” Many people there (who later become devotees) they thought Swami Ji is speaking, he is not his body but we are our own body. Because he is a special person, so he is not his body but we are our own body.

So those people were amazed and couldn’t comprehend about soul. Failure to know about the soul can delude our knowledge our nature of soul. And that is disastrous.

In English there is a figure of speech called as Transferred epithet. It implies, when adjective is at one place it can be put at another place for poetic purposes. For instance, “and the traveler goes on the weary road”, so weary means tired, now the road is not tired it is the traveler that is tired. But in case of poetic ornamentation the epithet may be transferred called as transferred epithet.

So Acharyas have explained that this verse can also be understood differently. Earlier, we were applying “ascarya-vat” to mean the soul. However, it can also be applied to people who are the seers, speakers, hearers, or those who are deluded and cannot comprehend it at all. If we apply it in this way, it means that some amazing people see the souls. So, in reality, you need to have direct spiritual perception, which is extraordinary. Those who are able to see the soul are amazing individuals. Some amazing people see the soul, and they are exalted, advanced spiritualists whose spiritual vision is awakened. They are at the stage of Turya, the stage of spiritual consciousness. These individuals are highly advanced.

Consciousness has four stages -> 1. Jagriti 2. Swapna 3. Susupti (deep dreamless sleep) 4. Samadhi or turyia (can perceive spiritual reality)

In the second line, some amazing people speak about the soul. Thus, it can be said that knowledge about the soul, known as ‘atma jnana,’ is exceedingly rare. Those who discuss spiritual concepts such as the understanding that we are not just the body but also the soul are truly amazing individuals. How can they articulate such profound ideas? They possess extraordinary qualities. Although they may not be pure devotees or fully realized spiritualists, the number of amazing people who genuinely share the wisdom of Krishna, which revolves around the soul and its relationship with Krishna, is incredibly small in this material world. And then some amazing people hear about it.

Actually, every person who inquires about Krishna is incredibly rare, precious, and extraordinary. Only a few people truly possess knowledge about the soul. Later in Bhagavad Gita 7.3, Lord Krishna states, Manusaya Nam Sahasresu Kscit Yatati Sidhyate: Out of thousands of people, few endeavor for spiritual realization.’ This rarity is exemplified by the fact that only some amazing individuals inquire about the soul. When we conduct spiritual outreach programs and witness people coming to temples and participating in the programs, each one of them is a special person amidst thousands. Furthermore, those who cannot comprehend the concept of the soul even after hearing about it are also remarkable, albeit in a more sad and regretful sense.

The word ascharya is also used in famous Mahabharat verse in Yudhisthir–Yaksha (Dharmaraj) samvad. Yudhistir said, (ahani ahani bhutani gachanti yamalyam, shesha sthawar echanti kim ashcharyam atha param). Yudhisthir tells Yaksha in his question: What is the most amazing thing everyday thousands of people die, but still remaining people think that he will be happy. Here, we will be secure; so this idea itself is amazingly tragic. How can people be so foolish? For example, in movies we see a villain firing, and hero is running towards him. The bullet hit every point around him except the hero. And and we are made to believe this in movie, but in real life when bullets hit, the person will be knocked down.

Similarly, people are knocked down by bullet of death, but we think: I will not be knocked down, I will be the lucky one who will escape.”

So, we have to take exception in our hope for exception. Our hope for exception that we will be the lucky person, we have to take exception for the hope of exception. People who are not doing this are amazing; how can somebody will be so terrible obtuse, so dumb, so unthinking just doesn’t think about it.

Most individuals, when asked, admit that they will eventually die, but there is a sense of detachment or hollowness in their acceptance. It is as if they are talking about someone else or a distant future event that they don’t need to worry about right now. You find this attitude amazing.

The adjective “ascharya vat” (amazing) can be applied and transposed to different elements in a sentence, including the soul, the person perceiving, or the act of perception.

In a sentence there are three parts Subject, predicate in predicate there is connection verb and there is an object. For example I (doer, subject) see (action) you (object).

If I say, amazed I see you, so amazed can be applied to I, or see or you of course this is a rough parallel. Sanskrit language and its grammar are quite different, this is a simple example over here to illustrate the point that actually this adjective Ascharyavat this describer can be apply either to the atma, ascarya–vat **** enam, this soul which we have discussed or it can apply to kascid to the person who is perceiving or it can apply to the act of perception. If it applies to the act of perception then what happens ascarya–vat pasyati, that means some people amazingly see the soul. So when one will get spiritual vision he will be stunned by seeing…“Oh really…amazing, we see the soul.” Some people amazingly hear about the soul some people amazingly speak about the soul

Theoretically, we know that I am a soul and not the body. However, most of the time, we tend to act on the level of the body. But when we engage in serious discussions about it, such as past life experiences, we delve deeper into our understanding. It becomes evident that I am not the body, but I am the soul. Some people amazingly articulate their thoughts about the soul, while others astonishingly comprehend and hear about it. On the other hand, some people astonishingly fail to understand the soul, even after hearing about it. This lack of understanding is truly amazing. So why do some people struggle to comprehend the soul? Srila Prabhupada suggests that there could be multiple reasons: (1) they simply don’t know, or (2) even after hearing about it, they are too attached to material things, which blinds and binds them. Therefore, attachments have the power to blind and bind individuals.

For example, alcoholics are attached to alcohol, so their minds are constantly preoccupied with thoughts like ‘When will I get it? When will I get it?’ Therefore, attachments are both binding and blinding. An alcoholic becomes consumed by their attachment and fails to think about anything else. Let’s consider the story of Srila Billva Mangal Thakur during his pre-devotional days. He was attached to the prostitute Chintamani, and during that time, his attachment was binding. Despite facing storms and numerous miseries, the strength of his attachment dragged him like a rope and blinded him to reality. He mistook a corpse for a log of wood and a snake for a rope. While he did not experience any immediate harm, others may face casualties in similar situations. For instance, if a drunken person drives a vehicle, they may accidentally ram into someone and cause harm. Attachment is binding because it prevents one from resisting their desires, and it also leads to blindness.