संत साहित्य
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संत साहित्य · Jñāneśvarī · Adhyāya 14

Cluster 0509 — BG-14.23 — *udāsīna-vad āsīno guṇair yo na vicālyate — guṇā vartanta ity eva yo'vatiṣṭhati nengate*

BG-14.23

Sanskrit

उदासीनवदासीनो गुणैर्यो न विचाल्यते। गुणा वर्तन्त इत्येव योऽवतिष्ठति नेङ्गते॥२३॥

Translation

SITTING (āsīnaḥ) LIKE-AN-UDĀSĪNA (udāsīna-vat), HE WHO (yaḥ) IS NOT-SHAKEN (na vicālyate) BY THE GUṆAS (guṇaiḥ) — WHO (yaḥ), THINKING-JUST-SO (iti eva) THAT THE GUṆAS-REVOLVE (guṇā vartante), STANDS-FIRM (avatiṣṭhati) AND DOES-NOT-STIR (na ingate).

Function

BG-14.23 IS THE ICONIC UDĀSĪNA-VAT-DOCTRINE-VERSE — the precise distillation of the GUṆĀTĪTA-LAKṢAṆA into the iconic four-fold formula:

  • SITTING-AS-IF-UDĀSĪNA (udāsīna-vad āsīnaḥ) — the witness-posture LIKE a NEUTRAL-DISINTERESTED-PARTY.
  • NOT-SHAKEN-BY-GUṆAS (guṇair yo na vicālyate) — foundational immovability before the guṇa-revolving-display.
  • GUṆĀ VARTANTA ITY-EVA — the precise cognitive-realization that the GUṆAS-themselves-merely-revolve.
  • AVATIṢṬHATI NA-IṄGATE — STANDS-FIRM-and-DOES-NOT-STIR even while the guṇas revolve all-around.

The four iconic verbs (vicālyate / vartante / avatiṣṭhati / ingate) form the precise vocabulary-quartet of the Sānkhya-foundational witness-stance. The UDĀSĪNA-VAT particle ('LIKE-an-udāsīna') is precisely calibrated — not cold-indifference but the EXPERIENTIAL-POSTURE of one who has-understood-that-the-guṇas-merely-revolve and therefore stands-NOT-touched by their revolving.

Jñāneśvar's 13-ovi Treatment

Jñāneśvar's treatment (14.336-14.348) renders the verse with extended Marathi pedagogical-elaboration deploying eight foundational similes crowned with a cluster-closing NAMING-FORMULA (2+2+3+1+3+1+1):

(i) 14.336-14.337 — Non-Splitting Frame + WAYFARER-IN-CROWD (2 ovis)

  • 14.336 — taisē guṇāguṇa-kārya hēm — āghavēmchi āpaṇa āhē — mhaṇauni ēkēkā nōhē — taḍātōḍī (THUS GUṆAS-and-their-EFFECTS — ALL is HIMSELF — therefore NO SPLITTING-into-separates).
  • 14.337 — ēvaḍhē gā pratīti — tō dehā ālāsē vastī — vāṭē jātām guntī — mājīm jaisā (such PRATĪTI-conviction has-he — DWELLS-in-body LIKE one PASSING-through-CROWD on the path).

(ii) 14.338-14.339 — Four-Simile-Cascade rendering UDĀSĪNA-VAT (2 ovis)

  • 14.338 — tō jiṇatā nā haravī — taisā guṇa navhē nā karavī — jaisī kām śroṇavī — sangrāmīmcī (NEITHER-CONQUERS-NOR-IS-DEFEATED — LIKEWISE NEITHER-DOES-NOR-IS-DONE-BY GUṆAS — LIKE the WAR-VETERAN ŚROṆAVĪ).
  • 14.339 — kām śarīrā-āntīla prāṇu — gharīm ātithyāchā brāhmaṇu — nānā cōhaṭāmcā sthāṇu — udāsu jaisā (OR PRĀṆA-within-body — OR GUEST-BRĀHMAṆA-at-house — OR the CROSSROADS-PILLAR UDĀSU). The CROSSROADS-PILLAR-UDĀSU is the precise Marathi vernacular-equivalent of Sanskrit UDĀSĪNA-VAT.

(iii) 14.340-14.342 — Cosmic-Impossibility Cascade (3 ovis)

  • 14.340 — MRGAJAḶA-CANNOT-SHAKE-MERU — guṇāchā yāvājāvā — ḍhaḷē caḷē nā pāṇḍavā — mrgajaḷāchā hēlāvā — meru jaisā.
  • 14.341 — WIND-CANNOT-SHAKE-SKY + DARKNESS-CANNOT-SWALLOW-SUN — vyoma vārēni na vacijē — kām sūrya nā giḷijē — andhakārēm.
  • 14.342 — DREAM-CANNOT-DECEIVE-WAKER — svapna kām gā jiyāparī — jagatayātēm na sintarī — guṇīm taisā avadhārīm — na bandhijē tō.

(iv) 14.343 — SABHYA-CONNOISSEUR-AT-AFAR (1 ovi)

  • 14.343 — guṇāmsi kīra nātuḍē — parī dūrūni jaim pāhē kōḍē — taim guṇa-dōṣa sāyikhaḍē — sabhyu jaisā (NOT-CAUGHT by GUṆAS — but watches with KAUTŪKA-curiosity from-AFAR — LIKE the SABHYA-COURT-CONNOISSEUR).

(v) 14.344-14.346 — GUṆA-OPERATION-CATALOG + DOUBLE-LUMINARY (3 ovis)

  • 14.344 — GUṆA-OPERATION-CATALOG — sat-karmēm sāttvikīm — raja tēm rajōviṣayakīm — tama mōhādikīm — vartata asē.
  • 14.345 — SAVITĀ-SUN-WITNESS — paris tayāciyā gā sattā — hōtī guṇakriyā samastā — hēm phuḍēm jāṇē savitā — laukikā jēvīm (by his mere SATTĀ-PRESENCE — all guṇakriyās happen — the SAVITĀ-SUN KNOWS worldly affairs).
  • 14.346 — MOON-AT-REST + THREE-EFFECT — samudrachi bharatī — sōmakāntachi dravatī — kumudēm vikāsatī — candru tō ugā (OCEAN-tides + SOMAKĀNTA-drips + KUMUDAS-blossom — MOON-itself-merely-PRESENT).

(vi) 14.347 — WIND-SKY-NIŚCAḶA-GAJABAJE Return-Simile (1 ovi)

  • 14.347 — kām vārāchi vājē vijhē — gaganēm niścaḷa asijē — taisā guṇāciyē gajabajē — ḍōlēnā jō (the WIND-rises-and-ceases — SKY remains NIŚCAḶA — LIKEWISE in GUṆA-CLAMOR he does-NOT-sway).

(vii) 14.348 — Cluster-Closing NAMING-FORMULA + LAKṢAṆA-ĀCARAṆA Pivot (1 ovi)

  • 14.348 — arjunā yēṇēm lakṣaṇēm — tō guṇātītu jāṇaṇēm — paris ātām ācaraṇēm — tayācīm jīm (O ARJUNA — BY THESE LAKṢAṆAS the GUṆĀTĪTA is to be KNOWN — NOW HEAR HIS CONDUCT). The iconic LAKṢAṆA-ĀCARAṆA pivot bridge anticipating BG-14.24-25.

The cluster delivers BG-14.23's UDĀSĪNA-VAT-DOCTRINE with three most-iconic Marathi pedagogical-elevations: (a) the CROSSROADS-PILLAR-UDĀSU at 14.339 — the precise vernacular-equivalent of Sanskrit UDĀSĪNA-VAT; (b) the MRGAJAḶA-CANNOT-SHAKE-MERU at 14.340 — figuring guṇa-vrttis as ILLUSORY-MIRAGE and guṇātīta as COSMIC-MOUNTAIN; (c) the SAVITĀ-SUN-WITNESS + MOON-AT-REST DOUBLE-LUMINARY pair at 14.345-346 — figuring the guṇātīta's CAUSAL-NON-ENGAGEMENT by mere SATTĀ-PRESENCE.