Shloka 14
अहमात्मानमात्मस्थो मार्गमाणो55त्मनो गतिम् । वासार्थिन महाप्रज्ञं चलच्चित्तमुपास्मि ह
aham ātmānam ātmastho mārgaṇo ’tmanaḥ gatim | vāsārthin mahāprājñaṃ calacittam upāsmi ha ||
Sang Brahmana berkata: “Setelah menarik diri dari objek-objek indria, berdiam dalam Diri, aku mencari tujuan tertinggi sang jiwa—Brahman, Sang Diri Tertinggi. Namun aku masih seakan ‘melayani’ pikiran yang gelisah ini: ia amat cerdas, dan terus mencari tempat tinggal dalam kehidupan berumah tangga. Karena itu aku tidak terbelenggu oleh keterikatan, dan tidak pula ditentukan oleh kebencian; aku berjuang menuju kebebasan batin, seraya mengakui gerak kebiasaan sang pikiran.”
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.