4.35 yath gyAthvA na punar mOham

SrI:  SrImathE SatakOpAya nama:  SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama:  SrImath varavaramunayE nama:

Chapter 4

<< Chapter 4 verse 34

SlOkam – Original

yath gyAthvA na punar mOham Evam yAsyasi pANdava |
yEna bhUthAnyaSEshANa dhrakshyasyAthmanyathO mayi ||

word-by-word meaning

yath – that knowledge
gyAthvA – knowing
puna: – again
Evam – in this manner
mOham – bewilderment (such as confusing the body to be soul etc)
na yAsyasi – will not have
yEna – that knowledge
bhUthAni – creatures
aSEshENa – without remainder (i.e., all of them)
Athmani – equal to AthmA (self)
athO mayi – equal to me (krishNa) also
dhrakshyasi – will see
(thath vidhdhi – acquire that knowledge – this is to be read along with previous SlOkam)

Simple Translation

Acquire that knowledge knowing which you will never again have bewilderment (such as confusing the body to be soul etc) in this manner; that knowledge which will make you see all creatures equal to AthmA (self) and equal to me (krishNa) also.

Rendering based on ALkoNdavilli gOvindhAchArya swAmy’s English translation of gIthA bhAshyam

‘Knowing which (jñāna), Pāndava[1. The son of Pāndu=Arjuna.]! you will not again be under delusion;— that jñāna, by which you will see the sum of beings in yourself, then in Me[2. See VI-30, and Īśā. Up. 6 and 7.].’

(Jñāna is the wisdom mentioned in the last verse. The term is conveniently translated as ‘consciousness’ in some places in the following lines).

It is that wisdom, knowing which you will not fall again under the delusion which makes one to mistake (the forms or bodies of) deva etc., for ātma, and the notion of egotism (my-ness or selfish personal interest) which it produces therein[3. ‘I-ness’ and ‘Myness’, in other words.].

It is that wisdom or consciousness, by which you shall see the universe of creatures of all conceivable forms, devas etc., as in yourself, because as between yourself and other beings, there exists equality, in that all ātmas, viewed when divested of their (temporary) material environments, are one in their nature, of being conscious entities.

That all ātmas are of one uniform (intelligent) nature, when they are dissociated from matter-union, is averred in a future stanza viz:—

‘Faultless indeed is brahma (ātma), and equal’ (v-19)

You will see…, then in Me i.e., you will see the universe of creatures in Me, for all ātma-principle is, by its nature and purity, one, i.e., the same as Mine. So says the verse:—

‘Embracing this knowledge, they have attained to My equality’ (xiv-2).

Śruti also chants thus :—

‘Then the enlightened man, casting off merit and demerit, becomes cleansed, and attains the highest equality[1. ‘Tadā Vidvān puṇya-pāpe vidhūya nirañjanaḥ paramam sāmyam upaiti.’ (Mund: Up. III-1-3).].’

Stripped of name and stripped of form, the ātma- essence is the same in all beings and equal with the nature of Para (Supreme=God).

Hence, when viewed in its dissociated condition from matter, one ātma is like another, and like Īśvara.

>> Chapter 4 verse 36

archived in http://githa.koyil.org

pramEyam (goal) – http://koyil.org
pramANam (scriptures) – http://granthams.koyil.org
pramAthA (preceptors) – http://acharyas.koyil.org
SrIvaishNava education/kids portal – http://pillai.koyil.