Bhagavad Gita 2.29

[Paramananda das]

Macmillan version:

TEXT 29

ascarya-vat pasyati kascid enam ascarya-vad vadati  tathaiva canyah ascarya-vac cainam anyah srnoti srutvapy  enam veda na caiva kascit

SYNONYMS

ascarya-vat--amazing; pasyati--see; kascit--some; enam--this soul; ascarya-vat--amazing; vadati--speak; tatha--there; eva--certainly; ca--also; anyah--another; ascarya-vat--similarly amazing; ca--also; enam--this soul; anyah--others; srnoti--hear; srutva--having heard; api--even; enam--this soul; veda--do know; na--never; ca--and; eva--certainly; kascit--anyone.

TRANSLATION

Some look at the soul as  amazing, some describe him as amazing, and some hear of him as amazing, while  others, even after hearing about him, cannot understand him at all.

PURPORT

Since Gitopanisad is largely  based on the principles of the Upanisads, it is not surprising to also  find this passage in the Katha Upanisad.

sravanayapi bahubhir yo na labhyah srnvanto 'pi  bahavo yam na vidyuh ascaryo vakta kusalo 'sya labdha ascaryo 'sya jnata kusalanusistah

The fact that the atomic soul is within  the body of a gigantic animal, in the body of a gigantic banyan tree, and also  in the microbic germs, millions and billions of which occupy only an inch of  space, is certainly very amazing. Men with a poor fund of knowledge and men who  are not austere cannot understand the wonders of the individual atomic spark of  spirit, even though it is explained by the greatest authority of knowledge, who  imparted lessons even to Brahma, the first living being in the universe. Owing  to a gross material conception of things, most men in this age cannot imagine  how such a small particle can become both so great and so small. So men look at  the soul proper as wonderful either by constitution or by description.  Illusioned by the material energy, people are so engrossed in subject matter for  sense gratification that they have very little time to understand the question  of self-understanding, even though it is a fact that without this  self-understanding all activities result in ultimate defeat in the struggle for  existence. Perhaps one has no idea that one must think of the soul, and also  make a solution of the material miseries. Some people who are inclined to hear about the soul may be  attending lectures, in good association, but sometimes, owing to ignorance, they  are misguided by acceptance of the Supersoul and the atomic soul as one without  distinction of magnitude. It is very difficult to find a man who perfectly  understands the position of the soul, the Supersoul, the atomic soul, their  respective functions, relationships and all other major and minor details. And  it is still more difficult to find a man who has actually derived full benefit  from knowledge of the soul, and who is able to describe the position of the soul  in different aspects. But if, somehow or other, one is able to understand the  subject matter of the soul, then one's life is successful. The easiest process  for understanding the subject matter of self, however, is to accept the  statements of the Bhagavad-gita spoken by the greatest authority, Lord  Krsna, without being deviated by other theories. But it also requires a great  deal of penance and sacrifice, either in this life or in the previous ones,  before one is able to accept Krsna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Krsna  can, however, be known as such by the causeless mercy of the pure devotee and by  no other way.

newer editing:

Text 29

ascarya-vat pasyati kascid enam ascarya-vad vadati tathaiva canyah ascarya-vac cainam anyah srnoti srutvapy enam veda na caiva kascit

Translation

Some look on the soul as amazing, some describe him as amazing, and some hear of him as amazing, while others, even after hearing about him, cannot understand him at all.

Commentary by Srila Prabhupada

Since Gitopanishad is largely based on the principles of the Upanishads, it is not surprising to also find this passage in the Katha Upanishad (1.2.7):

sravanayapi bahubhir yo na labhyah shrinvanto ’pi bahavo yam na vidyuh ascaryo vakta kusalo ’sya labdha ascaryo ’sya jnata kusalanusistah

The fact that the atomic soul is within the body of a gigantic animal, in the body of a gigantic banyan tree, and also in the microbic germs, millions and billions of which occupy only an inch of space, is certainly very amazing. Men with a poor fund of knowledge and men who are not austere cannot understand the wonders of the individual atomic spark of spirit, even though it is explained by the greatest authority of knowledge, who imparted lessons even to Brahma, the first living being in the universe. Owing to a gross material conception of things, most men in this age cannot imagine how such a small particle can become both so great and so small. So men look at the soul proper as wonderful either by constitution or by description. Illusioned by the material energy, people are so engrossed in subject matters for sense gratification that they have very little time to understand the question of self-understanding, even though it is a fact that without this self-understanding all activities result in ultimate defeat in the struggle for existence. Perhaps they have no idea that one must think of the soul, and thus make a solution to the material miseries.

Some people who are inclined to hear about the soul may be attending lectures, in good association, but sometimes, owing to ignorance, they are misguided by acceptance of the Supersoul and the atomic soul as one without distinction of magnitude. It is very difficult to find a man who perfectly understands the position of the Supersoul, the atomic soul, their respective functions and relationships and all other major and minor details. And it is still more difficult to find a man who has actually derived full benefit from knowledge of the soul, and who is able to describe the position of the soul in different aspects. But if, somehow or other, one is able to understand the subject matter of the soul, then one’s life is successful.

The easiest process for understanding the subject matter of self, however, is to accept the statements of the Bhagavad-gita spoken by the greatest authority, Lord Krishna, without being deviated by other theories. But it also requires a great deal of penance and sacrifice, either in this life or in the previous ones, before one is able to accept Krishna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Krishna can, however, be known as such by the causeless mercy of the pure devotee and by no other way.

comment: I found an interesting link that has both texts  http://bookchanges.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/Bg-Chapter-2-diff... Hopefully this editing dispute is making devotees even read Srila Prabhupadas books more carefully

The BBT editing notes to Bhagavad Gita is not organized and jumps from vers in 18th Chapter to 2 chapter etc .http://www.bbt.info/information/gita-revisions-explained-0 Anyhow these editions are very much alike with little changes ,except structures of sentences.

I did not find any audio recording of Srila Prabhupada giving lecture to Bhagavad Gita 2.29

Commentary by Sri Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur

"What an astonishing thing you are describing! And this is more astonishing: though I am being enlightened by you, my lack of discernment does not go away."

"Yes, the atma is truly astonishing." The Lord then speaks this verse. The word enam in this verse stands for the soul and as well, the body, the combination of both, the whole world.

Rudra Vaisnava Sampradaya: Visnuswami Sridhara Swami's Commentary Why then is it seen that even men possessing intelligence lament in this  world? It is simply due to ignorance about the true nature of the eternal soul.  Having this theme in mind the abstruseness of the eternal soul is being given.  One realising the eternal soul by the understanding the truth found within the  Vedic scriptures by the words of the spiritual master sees the eternal soul as  amazing. One realising the eternal soul as all pervading and of super natural  eternity, knowledge and bliss is bewildered and overcome by its  incomprehensibility as in the case of something beyond ones capacity to  conceive. Another will talk of the eternal soul as amazing and another will hear  of the eternal soul as amazing. Others still misguided by erroneous conceptions  and overpowered by false doctrines fail to realise the eternal soul even after  correctly hearing about it, indicating that even with the opportunity of  learning about the eternal soul does not insure that one can understand it  fully.

Brahma Vaisnava Sampradaya: Madhvacarya Madhvacarya's Commentary The eternal soul being a infinitesimal portion of the Supreme Lord is never  destroyed even during the repetitious connection and disconnection with the  physical body. As this is all in accordance with cosmic order there is certainly  no reason to lament for this. The omnipotence of the Supreme Lord is amazing.  Another meaning can be it is very rare. Therefore it is amazing when known. The  eternal soul being an infinitesimal portion of the Supreme Lord is also amazing  and the living entity who is aware of their own eternal soul is also very rare. Now begins the summation. What is there to be amazed at for the Supreme Lord to say: It is amazing?  Verily what is amazing is the existence of the Supreme Lord Himself. Therefore  the spiritually intelligent see the eternal soul as a marvellous expansion of  the Supreme Lord and upon realisation of this reality are amazed. Like when the  eye sees the expansive sky as being the form of the sky or perceives the expanse  of the ocean as being the form of the ocean. In the Brahma Tarka it is stated thus: Amazing indeed is the Supreme Lord and it is not possible to find any other  comparable to Him. Therefore wisdom about Him is very similar to perceiving Him. Not being amazed by the Supreme Lord which exists in some is a symptom of  those who are spiritually unintelligent. This is indicated by the word kascit  meaning some.

Sri Vaisnava Sampradaya: Ramanuja Ramanuja's Commentary Among innumerable living entities rarely is one to be found who determinedly  absolved themselves of all sinful reactions and has accumulated sufficient merit  as to become self-realised enabling one to perceive the separate nature and the  distinct aspect of the eternal soul within. Such a realised soul may attempt to  give this understanding to another similarly disposed or one may make an attempt  to understand it by hearing about it and so forth as examples in this verse. But  only one who has acquired enough merit to realise the eternal soul within can  possess the true understanding of the eternal soul and no other. The conjunctive  particle caused at the end of the verse denotes that even among the  philosophers, speakers and seekers of knowledge about the eternal soul; the  transference of bonafide information given and received concerning factual  knowledge of what the eternal soul actually is, is very rare.

Kumara Vaisnava Sampradaya: Nimbaditya Kesava Kasmiri's Commentary It may be postulated that in regard to the physical body which is actually  the transformation of insentient primordial matter that it will merge again into  its origins at the end. But such is not the case here. The soul is always  referred to as being eternal. This is because it is immutable by nature. The  soul is extremely difficult to realise due to its supra- subtlety but it does  not become perceptible simply because it is different from the physical body. So  the soul is referred to in this verse as being amazing. It is those beings out  of millions of beings who by devotion to Lord Krishna have received the mercy to  be free from physical attachment and purify their hearts in order to perceive  their soul, they see the soul as amazing. In what way is the soul amazing? The  soul is more amazing than anything experienced previously because it is  transcendent to everything experienced in the material existence. It is not only  amazing to the one who perceives the soul as amazing but also to the preceptor  who describes the soul as amazing and to the disciple who learns from the  preceptor that the soul is amazing as well. There is nothing in material  existence that the soul can be compared with. So some others although hearing  about the soul are still unable to comprehend it. The understanding is that the  perceiver of the soul, the preceptor who describes the soul and the disciple who  learns about the soul are all exceedingly difficult to gain association with in  life.

Comments: prostrated obaisences at the lotusfeet of Srila Prabhupada and the 5 acaryas commentaries to Bhagavad Gita 2.9  as posted here.

The aditional purports that really strike me here is that of Sri Ramanujacarya and Kesava Kasmiri ., unless one comes fully to the Brahma Bhuta stage by devotional service and free from all sinful reactions by Krsna's grace, one still partly dwells in the duality of matter forgetting that one is the eternal servant of Krsna and pure spirit soul at every step.