avyakto ’yam achintyo ’yam avikāryo ’yam uchyate
tasmādevaṁ viditvainaṁ nānuśhochitum arhasi
avyaktaḥ — unmanifested;
ayam — this soul;
achintyaḥ — inconceivable;
ayam — this soul;
avikāryaḥ — unchangeable;
ayam — this soul;
uchyate — is said;
tasmāt — therefore;
evam — thus;
viditvā — having known;
enam — this soul;
na — not;
anuśhochitum — to grieve;
arhasi — befitting
In this verse, it talks about the nature of the soul. First, let's break it down. The soul is described as being 'invisible' meaning we can't see it with our eyes, no matter how powerful our tools are, like the best microscope. Even the most advanced scientists can't show us the soul in a lab or experiment. It’s something beyond what we can measure or touch.
When it says the soul is 'inconceivable,' it emphasizes that our minds can’t fully understand everything about the soul. It’s too complex and different from the physical world we know.
Next, 'immutable' and 'unchangeable' means that the soul doesn’t change. Our bodies grow, age, and eventually die, but the soul itself stays the same no matter what happens to our physical form. So, when we lose someone, we often feel sad because we think about their body being gone. But this verse is telling us that what truly matters—the soul—remains forever. It doesn’t die when the body does.
The verse is teaching us that if we really understand these truths about the soul, we shouldn’t grieve just because the body has perished or is changing. Yes, losing a loved one is painful, but understanding that their essence—their soul—remains unchanged can help us manage our grief. We recognize that the physical loss does not mean the end of the person or their soul.
The example given compares understanding the soul to understanding who our father is. Just like we may need to rely on our mother’s word to learn about our father, we need to trust what ancient scriptures, like the Vedas, tell us about the soul. These scriptures provide the knowledge we need because we cannot grasp the soul through our regular, everyday experiences.
Finally, the text mentions that the soul is small compared to the Supreme Soul, which is a much larger, universal spirit. This means that while each individual has a tiny soul, there’s this greater, infinite spirit that encompasses everything. The tiny soul is significant in its own right but is fundamentally different from this larger essence.
In summary, this verse encourages us to look beyond the physical aspect of life and to understand the eternal, unchanging nature of the soul. It reminds us that while we can feel grief for our physical losses, it’s important to recognize the enduring spirit that remains untouched by those changes.