Verse 15

Sarvasara

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

अज्ञानं तुच्छाप्यसती कालत्रयेऽपि पामराणां वास्तवी च सत्त्वबुद्धिर्लौकिकानामिदमित्थमित्यनिर्वचनीया वक्तुं न शक्या॥१५॥

Padapatha (Word Split)

अज्ञानम् । तुच्छम् । अपि । असती । काल-त्रये । अपि । पामराणाम् । वास्तवी । च । सत्त्व-बुद्धिः । लौकिकानाम् । इदम्-इत्थम्-इति । अनिर्वचनीया । वक्तुम् । न । शक्या ॥१५॥

IAST Transliteration

ajñānaṃ tucchāpy asatī kālatraye 'pi pāmarāṇāṃ vāstavī ca sattva-buddhir laukikānām idam-ittham ity anirvacanīyā vaktuṃ na śakyā ||15||

Translation

ਅਜ੍ਞਾਨ ਤੱਛ ਅਤੇ ਅਸੱਤ ਹੋਣ ਬਾਵਜੂਦ, ਤਿੰਨਾਂ ਕਾਲਾਂ ਵਿੱਚ ਵੀ ਅਜਾਣ ਲੋਕ ਉਸ ਨੂੰ ਵਾਸਤਵਿਕ ਸੱਤਾ ਮੰਨਦੇ ਹਨ; ਲੋਕਿਕਾਂ ਲਈ ‘ਇਹ ਇਉਂ ਹੀ ਹੈ’ ਕਹਿ ਕੇ ਨਿਰਣੇ ਕਰਨਾ ਅਨਿਰਵਚਨੀਯ ਹੈ—ਨਿਸ਼ਚਿਤ ਤੌਰ ਤੇ ਕਿਹਾ ਨਹੀਂ ਜਾ ਸਕਦਾ॥੧੫॥

Academic Translation

Ignorance—though insubstantial and unreal—is, even in the three times, regarded by the ignorant as truly existent; for worldly people it is indescribable as ‘this is thus’; it cannot be definitively stated.

Verse Context

• Ajñāna as anirvacanīya and pragmatically compelling despite being ultimately unreal (mithyā)
• Mahavakya: Explains the obstacle removed by mahāvākya-knowledge: ajñāna that makes the identity of tvam and tat appear impossible
• Atharva
• Chandas: Prose