ये केचन समारम्भा याश्च काश्चन दृष्टयः । ते च ताश्च पदे दृष्टे निःशेषं यान्ति वै शमम् ॥ ७ ॥
yē kēcana samārambhā yāśca kāścana dṛṣṭayaḥ | tē ca tāśca padē dṛṣṭē niḥśēṣaṁ yānti vai śamam || 7 ||
Translation
Whatever undertakings there are, and whatever views: all of these, when that state is seen, come wholly to rest.
Word by word
- yē
- whatever
- kēcana
- there are
- samārambhā
- (samārambhāḥ) undertakings
- yāś
- (yāḥ) whatever
- ca
- and
- kāścana
- there are
- dṛṣṭayaḥ
- views
- tē
- all these
- tāś
- (tāḥ) all those
- padē
- that state
- dṛṣṭē
- when ... is seen
- niḥśēṣaṁ
- wholly
- yānti
- come
- vai
- indeed
- śamam
- to rest
Meaning
The commentary says the verse answers a natural question: when does this listening end? The answer is in the resting that is the direct knowledge of the highest state. Samārambha is any undertaking, and dṛṣṭi any view, and the commentary glosses these as works and as all dealings with knower and known. The verse thus promises something other than a final opinion. It says that the search for opinions comes to an end, along with all the projects that drive us. Niḥśeṣam, leaving nothing over. The Vedānta teacher's claim here is that the highest knowledge does not add one more view to the others. It is what the others were looking for, and they stop.