Shloka 21

अंशुमानुवाच न पश्यति त्वां परमात्मनोऽजनो न बुध्यतेऽद्यापि समाधियुक्तिभि: । कुतोऽपरे तस्य मन:शरीरधी- विसर्गसृष्टा वयमप्रकाशा: ॥ २१ ॥

aṁśumān uvāca na paśyati tvāṁ param ātmano ’jano na budhyate ’dyāpi samādhi-yuktibhiḥ kuto ’pare tasya manaḥ-śarīra-dhī- visarga-sṛṣṭā vayam aprakāśāḥ

Aṁśumān said: O Lord, O Paramātmā, even Brahmā to this day cannot understand Your position, neither by meditation nor by mental speculation. What then of others like us—created by Brahmā in many forms and wholly covered by ignorance? How can we know You, the Transcendent?

aṁśumānAṁśumān
aṁśumān:
Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootaṁśumant (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन
uvācasaid
uvāca:
Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
TypeVerb
Root√vac (वच् धातु)
Formलिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन
nanot
na:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/negation)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootna (अव्यय)
Formनिषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)
paśyatisees
paśyati:
Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
TypeVerb
Root√paś (पश् धातु)
Formलट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन
tvāmyou
tvām:
Karma (कर्म/Object)
TypeNoun
Roottvad (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
Formसर्वनाम, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन
paramsupreme
param:
Karma (कर्म/Object-qualifier)
TypeAdjective
Rootparama (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/प्रथमा, एकवचन; ātmanam इति विशेषणम्
ātmanaḥof the Self (Supreme Soul)
ātmanaḥ:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
TypeNoun
Rootātman (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन
ajanaḥthe unborn one / (here) the ignorant person (ajana)
ajanaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootajana (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन
nanot
na:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/negation)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootna (अव्यय)
Formनिषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)
budhyateunderstands/awakens to
budhyate:
Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
TypeVerb
Root√budh (बुध् धातु)
Formलट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन
adyatoday/now
adya:
Adhikarana (अधिकरण/temporal)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootadya (अव्यय)
Formकालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)
apieven/also
api:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootapi (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चय/अपि-कार (particle: even/also)
samādhi-yuktibhiḥby the methods of samādhi
samādhi-yuktibhiḥ:
Karana (करण/Instrument)
TypeNoun
Rootsamādhi (प्रातिपदिक) + yukti (प्रातिपदिक)
Formषष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: समाधेः युक्तयः; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन
kutaḥhow much less/whence then
kutaḥ:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/discourse)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootkutaḥ (अव्यय)
Formप्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative: whence/how then)
apareothers
apare:
Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootapara (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन
tasyaof him/that (Supreme)
tasya:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
TypeNoun
Roottad (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
Formसर्वनाम, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन
manaḥ-śarīra-dhī-visarga-sṛṣṭāḥcreated by the projection of mind, body, and intellect
manaḥ-śarīra-dhī-visarga-sṛṣṭāḥ:
Karta (कर्ता/subject-qualifier)
TypeAdjective
Rootmanas (प्रातिपदिक) + śarīra (प्रातिपदिक) + dhī (प्रातिपदिक) + visarga (प्रातिपदिक) + sṛṣṭa (कृदन्त)
Formबहुपद-तत्पुरुष: मनः-शरीर-धी-विसर्गेण सृष्टाः; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; अपरे इति विशेषणम्
vayamwe
vayam:
Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootasmad (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
Formसर्वनाम, प्रथमा, बहुवचन
aprakāśāḥwithout illumination / not manifest (to you)
aprakāśāḥ:
Karta (कर्ता/subject-qualifier)
TypeAdjective
Rootaprakāśa (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; वयम् इति विशेषणम्

icchā-dveṣa-samutthena dvandva-mohena bhārata sarva-bhūtāni sammohaṁ sarge yānti parantapa

A
Aṁśumān
P
Paramātmā (Supersoul)

FAQs

This verse says that the ignorant cannot see the Supreme Soul, and even samādhi techniques may fail to reveal Him without true spiritual understanding and divine grace.

He emphasizes the Lord’s transcendence: if those relying on yogic samādhi still do not comprehend Him, then ordinary beings—products of secondary creation—should be even more humble about their capacity to know Him.

Cultivate humility and prioritize sincere devotion and inner purification rather than relying only on technique, intellect, or external methods to “force” spiritual realization.