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Shloka 14

अहमात्मानमात्मस्थो मार्गमाणो55त्मनो गतिम्‌ । वासार्थिन महाप्रज्ञं चलच्चित्तमुपास्मि ह

aham ātmānam ātmastho mārgaṇo ’tmanaḥ gatim | vāsārthin mahāprājñaṃ calacittam upāsmi ha ||

Bà-la-môn nói: “Ta đã rút lui khỏi các đối tượng giác quan, an trú trong chính Tự ngã của mình, và tìm kiếm con đường tối thượng của linh hồn cá thể—Brahman, Tự ngã tối cao. Thế nhưng ta vẫn còn ‘phụng sự’ tâm trí bất an này: nó rất lanh lợi và cứ tìm một chỗ trú trong đời sống gia thất. Vì vậy, ta không bị trói buộc bởi luyến ái, cũng chẳng bị định danh bởi chán ghét; ta hướng đến tự do nội tâm, đồng thời thừa nhận sự vận động theo thói quen của tâm.”

अहम्I
अहम्:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootअस्मद्
Form—, Nominative, Singular
आत्मानम्the self
आत्मानम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootआत्मन्
FormMasculine, Accusative, Singular
आत्मस्थःabiding in oneself
आत्मस्थः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootआत्मस्थ
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
मार्गमाणःseeking
मार्गमाणः:
Karta
TypeVerb
Rootमार्ग्
FormPresent (participle), —, Singular, Ātmanepada, Masculine, Nominative
आत्मनःof the self
आत्मनः:
Sambandha
TypeNoun
Rootआत्मन्
FormMasculine, Genitive, Singular
गतिम्goal, course, destination
गतिम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootगति
FormFeminine, Accusative, Singular
वासार्थिन्seeking a dwelling/home (house-seeking)
वासार्थिन्:
Karma
TypeAdjective
Rootवासार्थिन्
FormMasculine, Accusative, Singular
महाप्रज्ञम्greatly wise
महाप्रज्ञम्:
Karma
TypeAdjective
Rootमहाप्रज्ञ
FormMasculine, Accusative, Singular
चलत्-चित्तम्the restless mind
चलत्-चित्तम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootचलच्चित्त
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
उपास्मिI worship/attend upon
उपास्मि:
Kriya
TypeVerb
Rootउप-आस्
FormPresent, 1st, Singular, Parasmaipada
indeed (emphatic particle)
:
TypeIndeclinable
Root

ब्राह्मण उवाच

ब्राह्मण (a Brahmin speaker)
आत्मन् (Self)
परब्रह्म/परमात्मा (implied as the supreme goal)
चित्त (mind)

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.