FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.14.27

त्वामात्मानं परं मत्वा परमात्मानमेव च । आत्मा पुनर्बहिर्मृग्य अहोऽज्ञजनताज्ञता ॥ २७ ॥
tvām ātmānaṁ paraṁ matvā
[tvaam aatmaanam param matvaa]
param ātmānam eva ca
[param aatmaanam eva cha]
ātmā punar bahir mṛgya
[aatmaa punar bahir mrigya]
aho ’jña-janatājñatā
[aho ’jna-janataajnataa]
tvām — You ātmānam — the real self param — something else matvā — thinking param — something else ātmānam — Yourself eva — indeed ca — also ātmā — the Supreme Self punaḥ — again bahiḥ — outside mṛgyaḥ — must be searched out aho — oh ajña — ignorant janatā — of persons ajñatā — the ignorance .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
tvām ātmānaṁ paraṁ matvā
tvām
You
ātmānam
the real self
param
something else
matvā
thinking
param ātmānam eva ca
param
something else
ātmānam
Yourself
eva
indeed
ca
also
ātmā punar bahir mṛgya
ātmā
the Supreme Self
punaḥ
again
bahiḥ
outside
mṛgyaḥ
must be searched out
aho ’jña-janatājñatā
aho
oh
ajña
ignorant
janatā
of persons
ajñatā
the ignorance .
  • tvām ātmānam param matvā — considering You and the Supreme Self (as different)
    Phrase: tvām (You) + ātmānam (Self) + param (other/supreme) + matvā (having thought). The error in one line: thinking the Lord and the Self are two. The Gauḍīya correction does not erase the distinction but identifies the puruṣottama Kṛṣṇa as the ātmā of all paramātmā-realizations.
  • ajña-janatā — the ignorant masses
    Compound: ajña (unknowing) + janatā (populace). Brahmā's diagnostic noun: this is what humanity is, and the diagnosis must precede the cure of jñāna-sumukharitām (verse 3).
  • ajñatā — ignorance
    Abstract noun from ajña. The chapter has named avidyā (verse 22), ajñāna (verse 26), and now ajñatā — three terms for the same condition, set up to be cured in verse 29's prasāda-leśa.
  • bahiḥ — outside
    Adverb — externally. The fool searches outside Bhagavān for an ātmā that has never been outside Him. Verse 12's anantaḥ (there is no 'outside Kṛṣṇa') is the metaphysical floor; verse 27 names the practical error of forgetting it.
  • mṛgyaḥ — to be searched for
    Gerundive of √mṛg — to hunt. The same root as mṛga (deer). Bharata clutched a deer; the ajña-jana hunts for the Self in deer-like external objects. The verb is loaded.
Just see the foolishness of those ignorant persons who consider You to be some separated manifestation of illusion and who consider the self, which is actually You, to be something else, the material body. Such fools conclude that the supreme soul is to be searched for somewhere outside Your supreme personality.

Lord Brahmā is amazed at the gross ignorance of conditioned souls who consider Lord Kṛṣṇa’s supreme spiritual body to be material. Ignorant of the spiritual form of the Lord, such persons also consider their own material bodies to be the self, and therefore they conclude that spiritual reality is to be found somewhere beyond the supreme personality of Lord Kṛṣṇa. Sometimes such fools consider Lord Kṛṣṇa to be one of many individual souls who together constitute a single impersonal spiritual entity. Unfortunately, such speculators are not inclined to hear from the Lord Himself or from the Lord’s authorized representatives, such as Lord Brahmā. Because they whimsically speculate on the nature of the Supreme, their ultimate result is confusion and ignorance, which they euphemistically describe as “the mystery of life.”

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Just see the foolishness of those ignorant persons who consider You to be some separated manifestation of illusion and who consider the self, which is actually You, to be something else, the material body. Such fools conclude that the supreme soul is to be searched for somewhere outside Your supreme personality.
Commentary

"Those who think they are knowledgeable of spiritual things (but are actually not), do not respect your form in Vraja. They are beating empty husks as previously mentioned. They think that you, who are paramatma with form, are something else (param), something material. And they search for paramatma (atma) elsewhere. What ignorance of these foolish people! The vivartavadis and parinamavadis involve themselves in discussing about the material world instead of the Perfect Lord. The form of this cit Brahman is described : sadba brahma vapur dadhat sb 3.12. 47. ( the supreme Brahman has a body.) yat tad vapor bhati vibhusanayudhair avyakta cidvyaktam adharayadvibhuh babhuva tenaiva sa vamana sb 8.14.12 (that eternal form decorated with ornaments and weapons which is invisible and spiritual, the lord reveals by his mercy. Becoming visible to his mother and father, Vamana appeared as brahmana boy, like a dramatic actor. ) satyajnananantananda matraika rasa murtaya (the form described in the srutis as satya jnana ananta, satya jnana ananda is none other than the cowherd boy. (sb 10.13.54) govindam sac cid ananda brahma vrndavana surabhuruha talasinam (govinda situated beneath the trees of vrndavana is a form of sac cit ananda) tasam madhye saksad brahma gopalapuri among the cowherd boys Krsna is directly Brahman. Gopal tapani upanisad. Being blind, ignoring these scriptural statements that show that Brahman has a body and exists in a dhama, people instead take a blind guru parampara and discuss vivartavad, so fallen they are. They are in a most lamentable condition (aho) of all lamentable conditions in my creation. Another reading of ajna janata (ignorant people) is jna janata. In this case it could be translated "what foolishness of so called learned men."

Jīva Gosvāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

Those who think of you, the ātmā of all ātmās, only as jīva are fools. Those who think of you, Paramātmā, to be just a pure jīva (ātmanam param) will again become materialists. The word api means “and.” The Lord is called ātmā since he spreads everywhere and is like a mother. You are not sought externally, in Vṛndāvana (apunar bahir mṛgyaḥ). The syllable a in apunaḥ indicates a negative. They search internally for you as the pure jīva. Aho expresses surprise. What ignorance of ignorant people! They do not seek out the Lord with astounding qualities mentioned previously. Or thinking you, the basis of all souls (ātmānam) to be other than ātmā (param), thinking that others are also like you, they search for the ātmā elsewhere, not at your lotus feet. This is the ignorance of ignorant people. Or, thinking that you are pure form of the jīva, thinking of you only as antaryāmī, having achieved a special excellence, they do not search for you in Vṛndāvana. Ignorant people end up in this ignorance for they do not listen to the words of the Lord: atha vā bahunaitena kiṁ jñātena tavārjuna | viṣṭabhyāham idaṁ kṛtsnam ekāṁśena sthito jagat || But what is the use of all this knowledge for you, Arjuna? Please understand: by just one portion of myself, Paramātmā, I am firmly established in this universe. BG 10.42 That ātmā should be sought externally. With his two index fingers, Brahmā points to the two lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. If that were not so, I would have remained meditating on you in my mind in Brahmaloka. I would not have come here to Vṛndāvana again. One does not search in the forest for an object lost in the house. Or, those who think they are in knowledge are ignorant. Or those who know the nature of jīva and the Lord give up everything and search for the Lord in Vṛndāvana. The verse is praise for such people. Or, first (param) thinking of you as the jīva by worship using Advaita philosophy, then realizing you as Paramātmā, they search for the real ātmā of all beings using the external senses. Oh! These people are knowledgeable among the knowledgeable (jña-janatā jñātā)! Or ajña can mean “having incomparable knowledge” just as anuttama can mean “incomparable.” The words mrgyaḥ and aho do not become mṛgyo ‘ho since first vowel of aho becomes long to indicate crying in a state of misery. Thus the rule ato roraplutād aplūte (Pāṇini 4.1.113) does not apply.

Śrīdhara Svāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

Those who think of you, the ātmā of all ātmās, only as a jīva are fools. Those who think of you, Paramātmā, to be just a pure jīva (ātmanam param) will again become materialists. The word api means “and.” The Lord is called ātmā since he spreads everywhere and is like a mother. You are not sought externally, in Vṛndāvana (apunar bahir mṛgyaḥ). The syllable a in apunaḥ indicates a negative. They search internally for you as the pure jīva. Aho expresses surprise. What ignorance of ignorant people! They do not seek out the Lord with astounding qualities mentioned previously. Or thinking you, the basis of all souls (ātmānam), to be other than ātmā (param), thinking that others are also like you, they search for the ātmā elsewhere, not at your lotus feet. This is the ignorance of ignorant people. Or, thinking that you are the pure form of the jīva, thinking of you only as antaryāmī, having achieved a special excellence, they do not search for you in Vṛndāvana. Ignorant people end up in this ignorance for they do not listen to the words of the Lord: atha vā bahunaitena kiṁ jñātena tavārjuna | viṣṭabhyāham idaṁ kṛtsnam ekāṁśena sthito jagat || But what is the use of all this knowledge for you, Arjuna? Please understand: by just one portion of myself, Paramātmā, I am firmly established in this universe. BG 10.42 That ātmā should be sought externally. With his two index fingers, Brahmā points to the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. If that were not so, I would have remained meditating on you in my mind in Brahmaloka. I would not have come here to Vṛndāvana again. One does not search in the forest for an object lost in the house. Or, those who think they are in knowledge are ignorant. Or those who know the nature of jīva and the Lord give up everything and search for the Lord in Vṛndāvana. The verse is praise for such people. Or, first (param) thinking of you as the jīva by worship using Advaita philosophy, then realizing you as Paramātmā, they search for the real ātmā of all beings using the external senses. Oh! These people are knowledgeable among the knowledgeable (jña-janatā jñātā)! Or ajña can mean “having incomparable knowledge” just as anuttama can mean “incomparable.” The words mrgyaḥ and aho do not become mṛgyo ‘ho since first vowel of aho becomes long to indicate crying in a state of misery. Thus the rule ato roraplutād aplūte (Pāṇini 4.1.113) does not apply.

Related values
Karuna (Kindness / Compassion)Maitri (Friendship / Goodwill)Guru Bhakti (Reverence for Teacher)Kritajnata (Gratitude)Hrih (Modesty / Sense of Shame)Satya (Truthfulness)Samata (Equanimity / Even-mindedness)Dana (Charity / Generosity)Aparigraha (Non-possessiveness)
Related verses
Concepts
AtmaSatyaAnanda
Fools think Kṛṣṇa's form is illusion and the body is the self, then search for soul somewhere outside the Lord. The opposite is true: the body is the projection, and the Lord is the very Self we are looking for.
Reflection Questions
  • Where am I still seeking the soul 'somewhere else' instead of in Kṛṣṇa?
  • What body-based identity have I been treating as more real than my relation to Him?

A pearl-diver dives for years to find what is hanging around his own neck. The fool searches for the Supreme Self outside Kṛṣṇa — not knowing that the very ātmā doing the searching is one of Kṛṣṇa's energies, and Kṛṣṇa is the Searched Itself, the Searcher's source, and the necklace at his throat.

📝 My note

← Read full Chapter 14