Shloka 14
अहमात्मानमात्मस्थो मार्गमाणो55त्मनो गतिम् । वासार्थिन महाप्रज्ञं चलच्चित्तमुपास्मि ह
aham ātmānam ātmastho mārgaṇo ’tmanaḥ gatim | vāsārthin mahāprājñaṃ calacittam upāsmi ha ||
Le brahmane dit : « M’étant retiré des objets des sens, demeurant dans mon propre Soi, je cherche la voie suprême de l’âme individuelle : Brahman, le Soi suprême. Et pourtant, je ‘sers’ encore cet esprit agité, fort subtil, qui ne cesse de chercher demeure dans la vie du foyer. Ainsi, je ne suis ni enchaîné par l’attachement ni défini par l’aversion ; je tends vers la liberté intérieure tout en reconnaissant le mouvement coutumier de l’esprit. »
ब्राह्मण उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even when one turns away from sense-objects and seeks the highest realization (ātmanaḥ gati), the mind remains restless and habit-driven. The teaching is to recognize this instability without falling into either attachment or aversion, and to continue disciplined inner practice—observing, training, and redirecting the mind toward the Self.
A Brahmin speaker describes his inner state: he is engaged in the quest for the supreme Self while simultaneously dealing with a clever, wandering mind that keeps inclining toward ‘dwelling’ in worldly life. He frames this as a lived tension of spiritual pursuit—neither indulgence nor hatred, but ongoing practice amid mental fluctuation.