Srimad Bhagavatam — Ekadasha Skandha, Shloka 23
Guṇa-viveka, Haṁsa-gītā, and the Yoga that Cuts False Ego
पञ्चात्मकेषु भूतेषु समानेषु च वस्तुत: । को भवानिति व: प्रश्नो वाचारम्भो ह्यनर्थक: ॥ २३ ॥
pañcātmakeṣu bhūteṣu samāneṣu ca vastutaḥ ko bhavān iti vaḥ praśno vācārambho hy anarthakaḥ
Si, en demandant « Qui es-Tu ? », tu vises le corps matériel, sache que tous les corps sont faits des cinq grands éléments et sont, en vérité, semblables. Tu aurais donc dû demander : « Qui êtes-vous, vous les cinq ? » Si, au fond, tout est un, distinguer les corps pour interroger est vain ; ce n’est qu’un jeu de paroles sans but.
Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura explains this verse as follows. “In the previous verse Lord Kṛṣṇa demonstrated that if the sages accepted the impersonal philosophy that all living beings are ultimately one in all respects, their question ‘Who are You?’ was meaningless, since there would be no philosophical basis to distinguish one manifestation of spirit soul from another. In this verse the Lord refutes the false identification with the material body composed of five elements. If the sages accepted the body as the self, then their question was meaningless, since they would have to ask, ‘Who are you five?’ If the sages replied that although the body is composed basically of five elements and these elements can be considered a single substance in the form of the whole body, then the Lord has already replied by the words samāneṣu ca vastutaḥ. The bodies of human beings, demigods, animals, etc., are all composed of the same five elements and are essentially the same. Therefore the question ‘Who are You?’ is ultimately meaningless. Thus, if one accepts either the theory that all living entities are ultimately the same or the theory that all living entities are ultimately nondifferent from their material bodies, in both cases the question of the sages is meaningless.
FAQs
This verse says that when one understands all beings as essentially the same at the elemental level, the question “Who are you?” becomes a merely verbal label and not a question touching the real Self.
The sages approached for truth about the Self; Hamsa points them beyond bodily and social designations, showing that identity based on material elements is not ultimate.
Reduce ego-based labels (status, caste, nationality, profession) and relate to others with humility and equal vision, while seeking the deeper spiritual identity through sādhana and devotion.