Shloka 14
अहमात्मानमात्मस्थो मार्गमाणो55त्मनो गतिम् । वासार्थिन महाप्रज्ञं चलच्चित्तमुपास्मि ह
aham ātmānam ātmastho mārgaṇo ’tmanaḥ gatim | vāsārthin mahāprājñaṃ calacittam upāsmi ha ||
O brâmane disse: “Tendo-me retirado dos objetos dos sentidos e permanecendo no meu próprio Ser, busco o curso supremo da alma individual — Brahman, o Ser mais elevado. Contudo, ainda ‘sirvo’ esta mente inquieta, muito sagaz, que sempre procura morada na vida doméstica. Por isso não sou preso pelo apego nem definido pela aversão; esforço-me pela liberdade interior, reconhecendo ao mesmo tempo o movimento habitual da mente.”
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.