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,ब्राह्मणने कहा--देवि! क्षेत्रज्ञ वास्तवमें देह-सम्बन्धसे रहित और निर्गुण है; क्योंकि उसके सगुण और साकार होनेका कोई कारण नहीं दिखायी देता। अतः मैं वह उपाय बताता हूँ जिससे वह ग्रहण किया जा सकता है अथवा नहीं भी किया जा सकता

Transliteration

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

Translation

The Brāhmaṇa said: “O goddess, the knower of the field (the Self) is truly without any distinguishing mark and is free from qualities; for no cause is perceived by which it could be qualified or embodied. Therefore I shall state the means by which it may be apprehended—or, indeed, may not be apprehended at all.”

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.