7.3 One among thousands Krishna speaks
मनुष्याणां सहस्रेषु कश्िचद्यतति सिद्धये
यततामपि सिद्धानां कश्िचन्मां वेत्ति तत्त्वतः
manuṣhyāṇāṁ sahasreṣhu kaśhchid yatati siddhaye
yatatām api siddhānāṁ kaśhchin māṁ vetti tattvataḥ
Among thousands, one strives for perfection; and among those who strive and reach it, one perhaps knows me as I am.
Explanation
An unusually candid verse.
Among thousands, one strives. Among those who strive and arrive, perhaps one knows him as he is.
The book spends most of its length insisting the way is open to everyone, and here it states the odds without softening them. Both are meant, and the Gita does not reconcile them.
Going further
Word by word
- manuṣhyāṇām
- of men
- sahasreṣhu
- out of many thousands
- kaśhchit
- someone
- yatati
- strives
- siddhaye
- for perfection
- yatatām
- of those who strive
- api
- even
- siddhānām
- of those who have achieved perfection
- kaśhchit
- someone
- mām
- me
- vetti
- knows
- tattvataḥ
- in truth
Long-press or right-click the image to copy it. Nothing is uploaded — it is drawn here, on your device.
Among thousands, one strives; among those who strive and arrive, perhaps one knows.
An unusually candid verse for a text that spends most of its time encouraging. It is worth noticing that it comes second in the chapter, immediately after the promise of complete knowledge — the offer and the honest odds are placed side by side.