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BG 14.23 — 14.23 He who, seated like one unconcerned, is not moved by the alities, and who, knowing that the alities are active, is self-centred and moves not.
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उदासीनवदासीनो गुणैर्यो न विचाल्यते |
गुणा वर्तन्त इत्येवं योऽवतिष्ठति नेङ्गते ||१४-२३||

udāsīnavadāsīno guṇairyo na vicālyate . guṇā vartanta ityevaṃ yo.avatiṣṭhati neṅgate ||14-23||


14.23 He who, seated like one unconcerned, is not moved by the alities, and who, knowing that the alities are active, is self-centred and moves not.

Word-by-word meanings

14.23 उदासीनवत् like one unconcerned? आसीनः seated? गुणैः by the Gunas? यः who? न not? विचाल्यते is moved? गुणाः the Gunas? वर्तन्ते operate? इति thus? एव even? यः who? अवतिष्ठति is selfcentred? न not? इङ्गते moves.Commentary He is seated as a neutral (one who inclines to neither party). He is free from likes and dislikes. He is entirely unconcerned whether the alities with their effects and the body come or go. He is like the spectator at a football or a cricket match or a drama. Just as the sk

Commentaries

Non-dualism. The individual self and Brahman are one. The world is appearance (maya). Liberation through knowledge.

Sri Shankaracharya

14.23 He, the Self-realized monk, yah, who; asinah, sitting; udasinavat, like one indifferent-as an indifferent man sides with nobody, similarly, this one, set on the path leading to the transcendence of the alities; na, is not; vicalyate, distracted from the state of Knowledge arising out of discrimination; gunaih, by the alities. This point is being clarified as such: Yah, he who; thinking iti, that; gunah, the alities, which have trasnformed into body, organs and objects; vartante, act on one another; avatisthati, remains firm-avatisthati (instead of avatisthate) is used in the Parasmaipada to avoid a break in the metre, or there is different reading, 'yah anutisthati, who acts'-;[His apparent activity consists in the mere continuance of actions which have been subjectively sublated through enlightenment.] and an, does not; ingate, move; i.e., becomes eva, surely settled in his own nature-.

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Swami Gambirananda

14.23 He who, sitting like one indifferent, is not distracted by the three alities; he who, thinking that the alities alone act, remains firm and surely does not move;

This interpretation draws on the Advaita tradition and may not represent the view of any single school. For authoritative guidance within a specific tradition, seek a qualified teacher.

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