Shloka 34

Adhyāya 51: Kṛṣṇa’s Leave-Taking and Departure for Dvārakā (द्वारकागमनानुमति)

Devanagari script

अपूर्वमकृतं नित्यं य एनमविचारिणम्‌ | य एवं विन्देदात्मानमग्राह्मममृताशनम्‌ । अग्राह्मोड्मृतो भवति स एशभि: कारणैर्ध्ुव:

Transliteration

apūrvam akṛtaṁ nityaṁ ya enam avicāriṇam | ya evaṁ vinded ātmānam agrāhyam amṛtāśanam || agrāhyo 'mṛto bhavati sa eṣabhiḥ kāraṇair dhruvaḥ ||

Translation

ବାୟୁ କହିଲେ—ଯେ ଆତ୍ମାକୁ ଅପୂର୍ବ (ଅନାଦି), ଅକୃତ (ଅଜନ୍ମା), ନିତ୍ୟ, ଅଚଳ, ଅଗ୍ରାହ୍ୟ ଓ ଅମୃତାଶୀ ବୋଲି ଜାଣେ, ସେ ଏହି ଗୁଣମାନଙ୍କର ଚିନ୍ତନରେ ନିଜେ ମଧ୍ୟ ଇନ୍ଦ୍ରିୟାତୀତ, ନିଶ୍ଚଳ ଓ ଅମୃତସ୍ୱରୂପ ହୋଇଯାଏ।

Word by Word

• {'apūrvam': 'unprecedented

• beginningless (not newly produced)', 'akṛtam': 'unmade

• unborn', 'nityam': 'eternal

• constant', 'avicāriṇam': 'unmoving

• not subject to change or wandering (also: not to be doubted/argued over, depending on reading)', 'ātmānam': 'the Self

• inner essence', 'vindet (vinded)': 'finds

• knows directly', 'agrāhyam': 'not graspable

• beyond the senses and mind’s grasp', 'amṛtāśanam': 'having immortality as its ‘food’

• sustained by the deathless (i.e., not dependent on perishable nourishment)', 'amṛtaḥ': 'deathless

• immortal', 'dhruvaḥ': 'firm

• certain', 'guṇa-cintana (implied by Hindi gloss)': 'contemplation of qualities/attributes (nididhyāsana-like reflection)'}

Speaker

वायुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vāyudeva
• Ātman (the Self)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Direct realization of the Self as unborn, eternal, unmoving, and beyond sensory grasp transforms the seeker: by sustained contemplation of these attributes, one becomes steady and established in the deathless (amṛta) nature rather than identifying with perishable body-mind processes.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāyudeva is speaking in a didactic passage, presenting a contemplative definition of the Ātman and stating the ethical-spiritual consequence: knowledge and meditation on the Self’s changeless qualities lead the practitioner toward sense-transcendence, inner stability, and freedom from fear of death.