Shloka 19

Sanatsujāta on the Imperceptible Eternal Light (यत्तच्छुक्रं महज्ज्योतिः)

Devanagari script

यः सहस््र॑ं सहस्राणां पक्षान्‌ संतत्य सम्पतेत्‌ । मध्यमे मध्य आगच्छेदपि चेत्‌ स्यान्मनोजव: । योगिनस्तं प्रपश्यन्ति भगवन्तं सनातनम्‌

Transliteration

yaḥ sahasraṁ sahasrāṇāṁ pakṣān santatya sampatet | madhyame madhya āgacched api cet syān manojavaḥ | yoginas taṁ prapaśyanti bhagavantaṁ sanātanam ||

Translation

Selbst wenn jemand sich tausendmal tausend Flügel anlegte und mit der Geschwindigkeit des Geistes flöge, würde er am Ende doch zur Mitte gelangen—zurückkehren zu dem Herrn, der im Herzen wohnt. Diese ewige, göttliche Wirklichkeit schauen die Yogins unmittelbar. Die Lehre betont die Vergeblichkeit äußerer Flucht und die Unausweichlichkeit der Einkehr nach innen, zum innewohnenden Selbst als letztem Zufluchtsort und Ziel.

Word by Word

• {'yaḥ': 'who

• whoever', 'sahasram': 'a thousand', 'sahasrāṇām': 'of thousands', 'pakṣān': 'wings', 'santatya': 'having attached

• having added', 'sampatet': 'would fly

• would soar', 'madhyame': 'in the middle

• at the center', 'madhya': 'the middle

• the center', 'āgacchet': 'would come

• would arrive', 'api cet': 'even if', 'syāt': 'were

• might be', 'manojavaḥ': 'having the speed of the mind

• mind-swift', 'yoginaḥ': 'yogins

• contemplatives', 'tam': 'him

• that (Reality)', 'prapaśyanti': 'behold directly

• perceive clearly', 'bhagavantam': 'the Blessed Lord

• the divine one', 'sanātanam': 'eternal

Speaker

सनत्सुजात उवाच

Characters & Entities

• सनत्सुजात (Sanatsujāta)
• भगवान् सनातन (the Eternal Lord / Paramātman)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

No matter how far or fast one tries to go outward—symbolized by countless wings and mind-like speed—one ultimately returns to the inner center, the indwelling eternal Lord. True fulfillment comes through inward realization, which yogins attain by direct perception.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sanatsujāta is instructing (in the Udyoga Parva dialogue) on the nature of ultimate reality and liberation, using a vivid metaphor to show that external striving cannot bypass the inner Self; the yogin’s path culminates in direct vision of the eternal Bhagavān within.