उत्क्रामन्तं स्थितं वापि भुञ्जानं वा गुणान्वितम् । विमूढा नानुपश्यन्ति पश्यन्ति ज्ञानचक्षुषः ॥
utkrāmantaṃ sthitaṃ vāpi bhuñjānaṃ vā guṇānvitam | vimūḍhā nānupaśyanti paśyanti jñāna-cakṣuṣaḥ ||
The deluded see only the body's states — birth, life, experience; the jñāna-eyed see the jīva behind all three.
Word by word (3)
- utkrāmantaṃ sthitaṃ vāpi bhuñjānaṃ vā guṇānvitam
- — him who is departing (utkrāmantam = dying/leaving), or staying/residing (sthitam), or experiencing/enjoying (bhuñjānam), conjoined with the guṇas (guṇānvitam) — three states of existence
- vimūḍhā nānupaśyanti
- — the deluded (vimūḍhāḥ) do not see (na anupaśyanti) — they see the body-states but not the jīva within/behind them
- paśyanti jñāna-cakṣuṣaḥ
- — those who possess the eye of knowledge (jñāna-cakṣus) see (paśyanti) — the jñāna-cakṣus is the inner vision that perceives ātman behind the bodily theater
The deluded do not perceive the soul — whether it is departing, residing, or experiencing, conjoined with the guṇas. But those who have the eye of knowledge do see it.
A modern analogy
When you watch a movie, the projector-beam is invisible to most viewers — they see only the characters on screen. But a skilled projectionist always sees the light-source behind every image. The jñāna-cakṣus is the ability to see the projector (jīva) behind every moment of life's movie.
V10 closes the V7-V10 jīva-teaching with an epistemological contrast: who can and cannot see this jīva? The vimūḍha (greatly deluded) sees only body-states — the three states of departing, existing, experiencing. The jñāna-cakṣus holder sees the jīva behind all three. This contrast sets up the next verses which shift from the jīva-in-body to Krishna's own cosmic presence (V12-14).
Jñāna-cakṣus is a key Upaniṣadic concept — 'na cakṣuṣā gṛhyate' (not grasped by the eye, Muṇḍaka 3.1.8); the ātman is seen only by 'the eye of wisdom.' In Ch.13 V35, the same contrast appears: 'kṣetra-kṣetrajñayor jñānena yo veda... sa yāti param.' The vimūḍha sees kṣetra (field/body) only; the wise see kṣetrajña (knower of the field) also.
Public-domain translations (4) compare all →
Him who departs, stays and enjoys, who is conjoined with gunas, the deluded perceive not; they see, who possess the eye of knowledge. [1]
While transmigrating (from one body to another), or residing (in the same) or experiencing, or when united with the Gunas — the deluded do not see Him; but those who have the eye of wisdom behold Him. [4]
Him who departs, stays, and enjoys, conjoined with the qualities, those whose minds are deluded do not see; they see who have the eye of knowledge. [9]
Him who departs, stays and enjoys, who is conjoined with qualities, the ignorant do not see; they who are possessed of the eyes of wisdom can see. [13]
This verse speaks to
Where this thread continues
I taught this imperishable yoga to the sun-god at the dawn of time — it has been passed down through kings ever since.
All beings arise from these two natures as their womb — and I am the origin and dissolution of the entire universe.
I am the origin of all; from Me all evolves — knowing this, the wise worship Me with loving devotion.
I am in every heart — source of memory, knowledge, and forgetting; all Vedas point to Me, their author and knower.
This most secret śāstra spoken — knowing it, one becomes truly wise and kṛta-kṛtya: all duties fulfilled.
Who knows Me as unborn, beginningless, Great Lord of worlds — that one is undeluded among mortals, freed from all sin.