संत साहित्य
Work in progress. Translations and commentary are AI-generated and may contain inaccuracies or hallucinations — please use your own judgement and check against the original sources.
संत साहित्य · Jñāneśvarī · Adhyāya 14

Cluster 0506 — BG-14.20 — *guṇān etān atītya trīn dehī deha-samudbhavān — janma-mrtyu-jarā-duḥkhair vimukto'mrtam aśnute*

BG-14.20

Sanskrit

गुणानेतानतीत्य त्रीन्देही देहसमुद्भवान्। जन्ममृत्युजरादुःखैर्विमुक्तोऽमृतमश्नुते॥२०॥

Translation

HAVING TRANSCENDED (atītya) THESE (etān) THREE (trīn) GUṆAS (guṇān) DEHA-ARISING (deha-samudbhavān), THE DEHIN (dehī) — LIBERATED (vimuktaḥ) FROM the SUFFERINGS-OF BIRTH-DEATH-OLD-AGE (janma-mrtyu-jarā-duḥkhaiḥ) — TASTES (aśnute) THE DEATHLESS (amrtam).

Function

BG-14.20 IS THE ICONIC GUṆĀTĪTA-MOKṢA CENTRAL-LIBERATION-FORMULA of adhyāya-14 — the chapter's central liberation-formula condensing the entire BG-14.5-19 guṇa-bondage-and-transcendence arc into a SINGLE iconic śloka. The verse's pedagogical-architecture:

  • Pāda-1 — The OBJECT-of-transcendence + ONTOLOGY + SUBJECT + ACTION: guṇān etān atītya trīn dehī deha-samudbhavān — TRANSCENDING THESE THREE GUṆAS (the object) — DEHA-ARISING not ĀTMA-ARISING (the ontology) — THE DEHIN (the subject) — ATĪTYA having-transcended (the action whose phonetic-presence in guṇātīta gives the chapter-coda its name).
  • Pāda-2 — The LIBERATION-yield + SUPREME-FRUIT: janma-mrtyu-jarā-duḥkhaiḥ vimukto'mrtam aśnute — LIBERATED FROM the FOURFOLD SUFFERING (the liberation) — TASTES THE AMRTA (the supreme-fruit).

The verse opens the GUṆĀTĪTA-doctrine block (BG-14.20-27) immediately following the BG-14.5-19 GUṆA-BONDAGE-DOCTRINE block — naming the LIBERATION-yield that the entire chapter has been building-toward. Pairs precisely with BG-13.8's janma-mrtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam iconic FIVE-FOLD suffering-perception (here condensed to FOUR-FOLD by dropping vyādhi) and BG-13.12's amrtam aśnute JÑEYA-cluster echo.

Jñāneśvar's 20-ovi Treatment

Jñāneśvar's treatment (14.300-14.319) is the LONGEST cluster-treatment of any single sloka in the BG-14.5-19 arc — rendering the verse with extraordinary expansiveness deploying multiple iconic Marathi similes:

(i) 14.300-14.301 — NIRGUṆA-bridge + SARITĀ-SIṄDHU-MERGER (2 ovis)

  • 14.300 — ātām nirguṇa asē āṇika — tēm tō jāṇē achuka — jē jñānēm kēlēm ṭīka — tayāchivarī (NOW THE NIRGUṆA-OTHER — HE KNOWS PRECISELY — JÑĀNA-S COMMENTARY MADE UPON HIM). The iconic NIRGUṆA-PRECISE-KNOWING bridge from BG-14.19's mad-bhāvam-adhigacchati.
  • 14.301 — kimbahunā pāṇḍusutā — aisī tō māzī sattā — pāvē jaisī saritā — sindhutva gā (MOREOVER PĀṆḌU-SUTA — THUS MY SATTĀ — IS ATTAINED LIKE A RIVER ATTAINS OCEAN-NESS). The iconic SARITĀ-SIṄDHU-MERGER simile (Chāndogya 6.10 echo).

(ii) 14.302-14.304 — NAḶIKĀ-ŚUKA + SVASVARŪPĪṂ-PRABUDDHĀ + BUDDHI-BHĒDA-ĀRISĀ (3 ovis)

  • 14.302 — naḷikēvarūni uṭhilā — jaisā śuka śākhē baisalā — taisā mūla ahamtēm vēḍhilā — tō mī mhaṇauni (LIKE A PARROT RISEN FROM A TUBE SEATED ON THE BRANCH — THUS ENWREATHED BY THE ROOT-AHAṀTĀ — THIS I AM MY). The iconic NAḶIKĀ-ŚUKA-ŚĀKHĀ stickbird-on-tube folk-image.
  • 14.303 — agā ajñānāchiyā nidā — jō ghorat hotā badabadā — tō svasvarūpīm prabuddhā — chēilā kīm (FROM THE SLEEP OF AJÑĀNA SNORING BADABADĀ — AWAKE IN OWN SVARŪPA O PRABUDDHĀ). The iconic SVASVARŪPĪṂ-PRABUDDHĀ-CHĒILĀ awakening-from-snoring (BG-2.69 night-day-inversion echo).
  • 14.304 — paim buddhi-bhēdāchā ārisā — tayā hātōni paḍilā vīrēśā — mhaṇauni pratimukhābhāsā — mukalā tō (THE MIRROR OF BUDDHI-DIFFERENCE FALLEN FROM HIS HAND O VĪREŚA — THUS LOST THE PRATIMUKHA-BHĀSA). The iconic BUDDHI-BHĒDA-ĀRISĀ falling-mirror simile.

(iii) 14.305 — VĪCI-SĀGARĀ-JĪVEŚA-AIKYA (1 ovi — foundational doctrinal-statement)

  • 14.305 — dēhābhimānāchā vārā — ātām vājō ṭhēlā vīrā — taim aikya vīcī sāgarām — jīveśām hēm (THE WIND OF DEHĀBHIMĀNA NOW CEASED — THEN UNITY OF WAVE AND OCEAN OF JĪVA AND ĪŚA). The foundational VĪCI-SĀGARĀ-JĪVEŚA-AIKYA wave-ocean unity doctrinal-statement.

(iv) 14.306-14.307 — VARṢĀNTĪṂ-ĀKĀŚĪṂ + DEHĪṂchi-ASATĀṂ (2 ovis)

  • 14.306 — mhaṇauni mad-bhāvēmsī — prāpti pāvije tēṇēmsariśī — varṣāntīm ākāśīm — ghana jāta jevīm (THUS WITH MY-BHĀVA THE ATTAINMENT — LIKE RAIN-CLOUDS AT RAINY-SEASON-END IN THE SKY). The iconic VARṢĀNTĪṂ-ĀKĀŚĪṂ rain-cloud-merger simile.
  • 14.307 — tēvīm mī hōuni nirutā — mag dēhīmchi yē asatām — nāgavē dēha-sambhūtām — guṇāmsi tō (THUS UNFAILINGLY BECOMING ME — EVEN WHILE DWELLING IN BODY — NOT DECEIVED BY THE DEHA-ARISEN GUṆAS). The precise rendering of BG-14.20's dehī deha-samudbhavān.

(v) 14.308 — Twin-irreducibility (1 ovi)

  • 14.308 — jaisā bhingāchēni gharēm — dīpa prakāśu nāvarē — kām na vizhēchi sāgarēm — vaḍavānaḷu (LIKE THE LAMP-LIGHT IN GLASS-HOUSE CANNOT BE COVERED — OR THE VAḌAVĀNAḶA NOT EXTINGUISHED BY THE OCEAN). The iconic twin-IRREDUCIBILITY similes.

(vi) 14.309 — VYŌMĪṂCHĀ-CANDRA-JAḶĪṂ (1 ovi)

  • 14.309 — taisā ālā gēlā guṇāmchā — bōdhu na maiḷē tayāchā — tō dēhīm jaisā vyōmīmchā — candra jaḷīm (THUS THE GUṆAS COME AND GO — HIS BODHA NOT STAINED — HE IN THE DEHA LIKE THE MOON OF THE SKY IN THE WATER). The iconic VYŌMĪṂCHĀ-CANDRA-JAḶĪṂ moon-in-water Advaita-Vedānta jala-tat-pratibimba image.

(vii) 14.310-14.311 — TRIGUṆA-NĀCHAVITĪ + NEHAṬŌNI-ANTARĪṂ (2 ovis)

  • 14.310 — tinhī guṇa āpulāliyē prauḍhī — dēhīm nāchavitī bāgaḍīm — tō pāhōmhī na dhāḍī — ahamtētēm (THE THREE GUṆAS IN OWN PRAUḌHĪ DANCE IN THE BODY WITH BĀGAḌĪṂ FRENZY — HE DOES NOT EVEN SEND HIS AHAṀTĀ TO LOOK). The iconic AHAṀTĀ-NON-DEPLOYMENT detachment-naming.
  • 14.311 — hā ṭhāyavarī — nēhaṭōni ṭhēlā antarīm — ātām kāya vartē sarīrīm — hēmhī nēṇē (TO THIS EXTENT FIXED WITHIN — NOW WHAT HAPPENS IN BODY HE DOES NOT EVEN KNOW). The iconic deha-vyavahāra-oblivion.

(viii) 14.312-14.313 — SARPA-PĀTĀḶĪṂ + SAURABHYA-ĀKĀŚA (2 ovis)

  • 14.312 — sāṇḍuni āngīmchī khōḷī — sarpa rigāliyā pātāḷīm — tē tvacā kōṇa sāmbhāḷī — taisēm jālēm (LIKE THE SNAKE HAVING SHED ITS BODY-SKIN GONE INTO PĀTĀḶA — WHO CARES FOR THAT SKIN — LIKEWISE IT BECOMES). The iconic SARPA-RIGĀLIYĀ-PĀTĀḶĪṂ snake-shed-skin simile (Brhadāraṇyaka 4.4.7 echo).
  • 14.313 — kām saurabhya jīrṇu jaisā — āmōdu miḷōni jāya ākāśā — māghārā kamala-kōśā — nayēchi tō (LIKE THE AGED FRAGRANCE MERGING INTO THE SKY — DOES NOT RETURN TO THE LOTUS-CUP). The iconic SAURABHYA-JĪRṆU-ĀKĀŚA-NO-RETURN scent-merger simile (BG-8.21 na-nivartante echo).

(ix) 14.314 — SVARŪPA-SAMARASA-AIKYA (1 ovi)

  • 14.314 — paim svarūpa-samarasēm — aikya gā jālēm taisēm — tēth kim dharma hēm kaisēm — nēṇē dēha (IN SVARŪPA EQUAL-FLAVOR UNITY ATTAINED LIKEWISE — WHAT DHARMA WHAT HOW THE BODY DOES NOT KNOW). The iconic SVARŪPA-SAMARASA-AIKYA + DEHA-DOES-NOT-KNOW-DHARMA naming.

(x) 14.315 — SIX-BHĀVA-VIKĀRAS-STAY-IN-DEHA (1 ovi — precise vimukto-rendering)

  • 14.315 — mhaṇauni janma-jarā-maraṇa — ityādi jē sāhī guṇa — tē dēhīmchi ṭhēlē kāraṇa — nāhīm tayā (THEREFORE BIRTH OLD-AGE DEATH ETC THESE SIX GUṆAS — THEY STAY IN DEHA NO CAUSE IN HIM). The precise rendering of BG-14.20's janma-mrtyu-jarā-duḥkhaiḥ vimuktaḥ expanded to the SIX-BHĀVA-VIKĀRAS of Nirukta 1.2.

(xi) 14.316 — GHAṬA-BHAṄGA-MAHADĀKĀŚA (1 ovi — NETI-image)

  • 14.316 — ghaṭāchiyā khāpariyā — ghaṭa-bhangīm phēḍiliyā — mahadākāśa apaisayā — jālēmchi asē (WHEN THE POT-FRAGMENTS AT POT-BREAKING ARE PUT AWAY — THE GREAT SKY OF ITS OWN ACCORD IS ALREADY BECOME). The iconic GHAṬA-BHAṄGA-MAHADĀKĀŚA-APAISAYĀ-JĀLĒṂCH pot-breaking-great-sky NETI-image (Brhadāraṇyaka 2.4.14 echo).

(xii) 14.317 — DEHA-BUDDHI-JĀYA self-recognition (1 ovi)

  • 14.317 — taisī dēhabuddhī jāyē — jaim āpaṇapām āṭhau hōya — taim āna kāmhīm āhē — tēmvāncuni (LIKEWISE DEHA-BUDDHI GOES AWAY — WHEN SELF-RECOGNITION OCCURS — WHAT ELSE REMAINS BESIDES THAT). The iconic DEHA-BUDDHI-JĀYA-ĀPAṆAPĀṂ-ĀṬHAU self-recognition.

(xiii) 14.318 — Explicit Lord's-GUṆĀTĪTA-naming (1 ovi)

  • 14.318 — yēṇēm thōra bōdha-lēpaṇēm — tayāsi gā dēhīm asaṇēm — mhaṇūni tō mī mhaṇēm — guṇātīta (BY THIS GREAT BODHA-COATING THE DWELLING IN DEHA FOR HIM — THEREFORE I CALL HIM THE GUṆĀTĪTA). The iconic explicit Lord's-GUṆĀTĪTA-naming completing the cluster.

(xiv) 14.319 — PĀRTHA-SUKHĀVALĀ + MEGHA-MORA closing-tableau (1 ovi)

  • 14.319 — yayā dēvāchiyā bōlā — pārthu ati sukhāvalā — mēghēm sambōkhilā — mōru jaisā (BY THE LORD'S WORDS PĀRTHA EXCEEDINGLY DELIGHTED — LIKE A PEACOCK COMFORTED BY A CLOUD). The iconic PĀRTHA-SUKHĀVALĀ + MEGHA-MORA peacock-comforted-by-cloud closing-tableau setting the affective-stage for the upcoming BG-14.21 Arjuna's LAKṢAṆA-question.

The cluster delivers BG-14.20's GUṆĀTĪTA-MOKṢA central-formula with extraordinary expansive density — the longest cluster-treatment in the BG-14.5-19 arc, deploying iconic Marathi similes spanning Upaniṣadic-Vedāntic-Sānkhya registers (Chāndogya 6.10 rivers-into-ocean + Brhadāraṇyaka 4.4.7 snake-skin-shed + Brhadāraṇyaka 2.4.14 already-existing-state + Nirukta 1.2 six-bhāva-vikāras) and culminating in the Lord's explicit GUṆĀTĪTA-naming at 14.318 + the iconic MEGHA-MORA closing-tableau at 14.319.