Shloka 5

Adhyāya 34: Kṣetrajña-Lakṣaṇa and the Araṇi Metaphor

Mind–Intellect Allegory

Devanagari script

ब्राह्मण उवाच अलिड्ो निर्गुणश्चैव कारणं नास्य लक्ष्यते उपायमेव वक्ष्यामि येन गृहोत वा न वा

Transliteration

brāhmaṇa uvāca | aliṅgo nirguṇaś caiva kāraṇaṁ nāsya lakṣyate | upāyam eva vakṣyāmi yena gṛhīto vā na vā ||

Translation

ব্রাহ্মণ বললেন—দেবি! ক্ষেত্রজ্ঞ (আত্মা) প্রকৃতপক্ষে দেহ-সম্বন্ধহীন, নির্লক্ষণ ও নির্গুণ; তার সগুণ বা সাকার হওয়ার কোনো কারণই দেখা যায় না। অতএব আমি সেই উপায় বলছি, যার দ্বারা তাকে উপলব্ধি করা যায়—অথবা আদৌ উপলব্ধি নাও করা যায়।

Word by Word

• {'brāhmaṇa uvāca': 'the Brāhmaṇa said', 'aliṅgaḥ': 'without mark/sign

• without distinguishing characteristic', 'nirguṇaḥ': 'without (material) qualities

• beyond guṇas', 'ca eva': 'and indeed', 'kāraṇam': 'cause

• reason', 'na': 'not', 'asya': 'of it/of him (here: of the kṣetrajña/Self)', 'lakṣyate': 'is perceived

• is discerned', 'upāyam': 'means

• practical approach', 'eva': 'only

• indeed', 'vakṣyāmi': 'I will explain

• I will state', 'yena': 'by which', 'gṛhītaḥ': 'grasped

• understood', 'vā … vā': 'either … or', 'na vā': 'or not (at all)'}

Speaker

ब्राह्मण उवाच

Characters & Entities

• ब्राह्मण (Brāhmaṇa)
• देवि (Devī)
• क्षेत्रज्ञ (Kṣetrajña)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse asserts that the kṣetrajña (the witnessing Self) is without external marks and beyond the guṇas; since no causal basis for attributing form or qualities is perceived, the speaker proposes to teach a method of apprehending it—while also acknowledging that it may elude ordinary grasping.

What is happening in the narrative?

A Brāhmaṇa addresses a Devī and turns the discussion toward the nature of the kṣetrajña. He denies that the Self can be established as saguṇa/sākāra by any evident cause and then introduces that he will explain an upāya (means) for understanding it.