न ददाति न चाऽऽदत्ते न चोन्नमति शाम्यति । केवलं साक्षिवत् पश्यन् जगदाभोगि तिष्ठति ॥ ३२ ॥
na dadāti na cā’’dattē na cōnnamati śāmyati | kēvalaṁ sākṣivat paśyan jagadābhōgi tiṣṭhati || 32 ||
Translation
He neither gives nor takes, neither rises up nor sinks down. Only watching, like a witness, he stands in the wide world.
Word by word
- na
- neither
- dadāti
- gives
- ca
- and
- ādattē
- takes
- unnamati
- rises up
- śāmyati
- sinks down
- kēvalaṁ
- only
- sākṣi
- a witness
- vat
- like
- paśyan
- watching
- jagad
- world
- ābhōgi
- in the wide
- tiṣṭhati
- he stands
Meaning
The commentary: the knower of Brahman looks on the many things of the world with indifference. He does not set his mind on them, and does not enjoy them as if they were real or were the goal of life. Rising and sinking, swelling with joy and falling into gloom, are the moods of one who is involved. The witness sees everything and is moved by none of it.