7.24 Mistaking the unmanifest Krishna speaks
अव्यक्तं व्यक्ितमापन्नं मन्यन्ते मामबुद्धयः
परं भावमजानन्तो ममाव्ययमनुत्तमम्
avyaktaṁ vyaktim āpannaṁ manyante mām abuddhayaḥ
paraṁ bhāvam ajānanto mamāvyayam anuttamam
The unthinking suppose that I, the unmanifest, have taken on a form — not knowing my higher nature, which does not change.
Explanation
The mistake, named.
The unthinking suppose the unmanifest has taken on a form — not knowing the higher nature, which does not change.
The error is subtle and worth stating carefully: not that he has a form, but that having one is imagined as a change in something formless. The unchanging did not become anything.
Word by word
- avyaktam
- formless
- vyaktim
- possessing a personality
- āpannam
- to have assumed
- manyante
- think
- mām
- me
- abuddhayaḥ
- less intelligent
- param
- Supreme
- bhāvam
- nature
- ajānantaḥ
- not understanding
- mama
- my
- avyayam
- imperishable
- anuttamam
- excellent
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