FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

Bhagavad-gītā 15.10

ఉత్క్రామన్తం స్థితం వాఽపి భుఞ్జానం వా గుణాన్వితమ్ । విమూఢా నానుపశ్యన్తి పశ్యన్తి జ్ఞానచక్షుష: ॥ ౧౦ ॥
utkrāmantaṁ sthitaṁ vāpi
[utkraamantam sthitam vaapi]
bhuñjānaṁ vā guṇānvitam
[bhunjaanam vaa gunaanvitam]
vimūḍhā nānupaśyanti
[vimoodhaa naanupashyanti]
paśyanti jñāna-cakṣuṣaḥ
[pashyanti jnaana-chakshushah]
Word-for-word
utkrāmantam — quitting the body sthitam — situated in the body vā api — either bhuñjānam — enjoying vā — or guṇa - anvitam — under the spell of the modes of material nature vimūḍhāḥ — foolish persons na — never anupaśyanti — can see paśyanti — can see jñāna - cakṣuṣaḥ — those who have the eyes of knowledge .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
utkrāmantaṁ sthitaṁ vāpi
utkrāmantam
quitting the body
sthitam
situated in the body
vā api
either
bhuñjānaṁ vā guṇānvitam
bhuñjānam
enjoying
vā
or
guṇa - anvitam
under the spell of the modes of material nature
vimūḍhāḥ
foolish persons
vimūḍhā nānupaśyanti
na
never
anupaśyanti
can see
paśyanti jñāna-cakṣuṣaḥ
paśyanti
can see
jñāna - cakṣuṣaḥ
those who have the eyes of knowledge .
Important Words
  • utkrāmantam — quitting the body
    Ud + kram — stepping up and out. Not a passive collapse but an active upward exit. Even death is, etymologically, a kind of ascent — though only the jñānī sees it that way.
  • vimūḍhāḥ — foolish persons
    Vi + mūḍh — *thoroughly* bewildered, not merely uninformed. The word names a chosen blindness, not a tragic one. The Gītā reserves vimūḍha for those who could see and won't.
  • guṇa - anvitam — under the spell of the modes of material nature
    Anvitam — 'gone along with.' The jīva's body is selected by the guṇas it has gone along with. Until one sees that the guṇas are choosing the next body for him, he keeps thinking he himself is choosing his life.
  • anupaśyanti — can see
    Anu + paś — to see *after*, to see *along with*. The compound implies seeing in succession, seeing the lineage. The foolish do not anupaśyanti — they cannot trace the soul across bodies.
  • jñāna - cakṣuṣaḥ — those who have the eyes of knowledge
    Jñāna becomes an actual eye. The compound is not metaphor for the verse; it is the literal organ described. Scripture and guru function as the surgery that opens the cakṣu. Without it, one cannot see the very phenomenon one most needs to see.
The foolish cannot understand how a living entity can quit his body, nor can they understand what sort of body he enjoys under the spell of the modes of nature. But one whose eyes are trained in knowledge can see all this.
Purport

The word jñāna-cakṣuṣaḥ is very significant. Without knowledge, one cannot understand how a living entity leaves his present body, nor what form of body he is going to take in the next life, nor even why he is living in a particular type of body. This requires a great amount of knowledge understood from Bhagavad-gītā and similar literatures heard from a bona fide spiritual master. One who is trained to perceive all these things is fortunate. Every living entity is quitting his body under certain circumstances, he is living under certain circumstances, and he is enjoying under certain circumstances under the spell of material nature. As a result, he is suffering different kinds of happiness and distress, under the illusion of sense enjoyment. Persons who are everlastingly fooled by lust and desire lose all power to understand their change of body and their stay in a particular body. They cannot comprehend it. Those who have developed spiritual knowledge, however, can see that the spirit is different from the body and is changing its body and enjoying in different ways. A person in such knowledge can understand how the conditioned living entity is suffering in this material existence. Therefore those who are highly developed in Kṛṣṇa consciousness try their best to give this knowledge to the people in general, for their conditional life is very much troublesome. They should come out of it and be Kṛṣṇa conscious and liberate themselves to transfer to the spiritual world.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
10. The foolish do not understand when the jīva is leaving the body, residing in it or enjoying the sense objects. Those with eyes of knowledge perceive this.
Commentary

Do we not realize at all that body from which we depart, within which we reside in the body and residing there, how we enjoy pleasures? Persons with no intelligence (vimūḍhā) do not recognize when the jīva is leaving the body, residing in the body or enjoying the present sense objects with the senses (guṇānvitam). But men of discrimination (jṣāna-cakṣuṣaḥ) observe this.

Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa Gauḍīya
Translation
10. The foolish do not understand when the jīva leaves the body, resides in it or enjoys the sense objects. Those with eyes of knowledge realize this ātmā.
Commentary

The person with no discrimination does not realize the jīva, which he is capable of realizing since it is situated in his body. Though the ātmā leaves the body, or is situated in the body, and being situated there, enjoys objects, engaging with the senses to experience happiness, distress and illusion (guṇa anvitam), the fools do not realize that ātmā, though capable of doing so. Those with eyes of discriminating knowledge in long use, however, see the ātmā. They realize it as separate from the body and senses.

Study Notes — Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Gauranga Priya Dāsa Study
Bhakti-śāstrī Notes, ISKCON Chowpatty (2009)
Theme

Why we do not see this ‘change of bodies’ happening

Foolish mentality – Cannot see:
How living entity quits the body
What sort of body he enjoys under the modes of material nature
“Jnana-caksusah” (Eyes trained in knowledge) – Can see all this clearly LINK BETWEEN TEXTS 15.10 & 15.11: What is the cure for this ignorance? Krishna says knowledge. Those “whose eyes are trained in knowledge” by hearing and learning sastra can see. Lack of sastric learning brings about the following result explained in Text 15.11
Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya Classical
Translation
15.10 Thus, the embodied soul, utkarmantam, when it is leaving the body-the body that was assumed earlier; or sthitam, while residing in the (present) body; or bhunjanam, experiencing sound etc.; or guna-anvitam, in association with, i.e. identified with, the alities called happiness, sorrow and delusion-even when, under such conditions, this one comes very much within the range of cognition; vimudhah, the persons who are diversely deluded as a result of their hearts being forcibly attracted by the enjoyments of seen and unseen objects; na, do not; anu-pasyanti, see. And the Lord regrets this saying, 'Alas! How sorrowful this is!' Those others, again, jnana-caksusah, who have the eye of knowledge, [Jnana-caksuh means the scriptures supported by reasoning, which are the means of knowledge.] who have the insight of under-standing which has arisen from the valid means of knowledge, i.e., those having a clear vision; pasyanti, see this one.
Śrī Rāmānujācārya Classical
Translation
15.10 The deluded do not perceive the Atman (self) as a form of knowledge separate from Its human and other configurations which are particular transformations of Prakrti, with which the self is conjoined when It is in embodied condition, experiencing the objects of the senses. The self also departs from the body when the body dies and assumes another body. The deluded or those who misconceive the body as the self do not understand all this. However, those who possess the eye of knowledge, i.e., have the knowledge concerning the difference between the body and the self, perceive the self as having a form different from the body in all conditions.
Śrī Abhinavagupta Classical
Translation
15.10 See Comment under 15.11
Swami Sivananda Classical
Translation
15.10 The deluded do not see Him Who departs, stays and enjoys; but they who possess the eye of knowledge behold Him.
Commentary

15.10 उत्क्रामन्तम् departing? स्थितम् staying? वा or? अपि also? भुञ्जानम् enjoying? वा or? गुणान्वितम् united with the Gunas? विमूढाः the deluded? न not? अनुपश्यन्ति do see (Him)? पश्यन्ति behold (Him)? ज्ञानचक्षुषः those who possess the eye of knowledge.Commentary Though the Self is nearest and comes most easily within their field of vision or consciousness? the ignorant and the deluded are not able to behold Him? because they are swayed by the alities of Nature their minds constantly run towards the sensual objects and are saturated with passion they identify the Self with the body their vision is engrossed in external forms. But those who are endowed with the inner eye of intuition do behold Him.Yama said to Nachiketas The selfexistent Brahma created the senses with outgoing tendencies therefore man beholds the external universe and not the internal Self. He aded But some wise men with their senses turned away from the objects? desirous of immortality? turn their gaze inwards and behold the Self within (seated in their heart). (Katha Upanishad IV.1)Those who possess the inner eye of knowledge behold that the Self is entirely distinct from the body. They realise the Selfs separate existence from the body and know that the body moves and acts on account of Its presence therein? just as the iron moves and acts in the presence of the magnet.

Swami Gambhīrānanda Classical
Translation
15.10 Persons who are diversely deluded do not see it even when it is leaving or residing (in this body), or experiencing, or in association with the alities. Those with the eye of knowledge see.
Shri Purohit Swami Classical
Translation
15.10 The ignorant do not see that it is He Who is present in life and Who departs at death or even that it is He Who enjoys pleasure through the Qualities. Only the eye of wisdom sees.
Related values & verses
Related values
Tyaga (Renunciation / Letting Go)Karuna (Kindness / Compassion)Guru Bhakti (Reverence for Teacher)Maitri (Friendship / Goodwill)Daksya (Resourcefulness / Skill)Abhaya (Fearlessness)
Related verses
BG 7.25 BG 2.29 BG 15.11 SB 7.5.30 SB 11.3.39 SB 10.14.29 CC Madhya 20.122 CC Madhya 22.54 CC Ādi 1.58 Kaṭha Upaniṣad 1.2.23Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad 3.2.3
Study Q&A referencing this verse
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
The foolish do not understand how a soul leaves and enters bodies — but those with eyes of knowledge can see this.
Practical Applications
  • Cultivate eyes of knowledge as a deliberate practice.
  • Don't expect the inner workings to be visible to ordinary perception.
  • Trust scriptural eyes when material eyes fail.
Reflection Questions
  • Where do my material eyes lead me astray?
  • What scripture restores knowledge-eyes?
Analogy

A man holds a lamp in a dark room but covers his own eyes — the room stays dark to him though the lamp burns. Knowledge of the soul's coming and going is the lamp; jñāna-cakṣus, the eyes of knowledge, are the uncovered seeing. The verse does not ask the foolish to find a new lamp; it asks them to uncover the seeing-organ they already have but have refused to open.

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Source: vedabase.io

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