विवेकान्धो हि जात्यन्धः शोच्यः सर्वस्य दुर्मतिः । दिव्यचक्षुर्विवेकात्मा जयत्यखिलवस्तुषु ॥ ४१ ॥
vivēkāndhō hi jātyandhaḥ śōcyaḥ sarvasya durmatiḥ | divyacakṣurvivēkātmā jayatyakhilavastuṣu || 41 ||
Translation
One blind to discrimination is truly blind from birth, a fool to be pitied by all. One whose very self is discrimination has the divine eye and prevails in all things.
Word by word
- vivēka
- to discrimination
- andhō
- (andhaḥ) blind
- hi
- truly
- jātyandhaḥ
- blind from birth
- śōcyaḥ
- to be pitied
- sarvasya
- by all
- durmatiḥ
- a fool
- divya
- the divine
- cakṣur
- (cakṣuḥ) eye
- ātmā
- whose self is
- jayati
- prevails
- akhila
- all
- vastuṣu
- in things
Meaning
The verse draws the consequence of the last. If inquiry is the true eye, then one without it is blind in the fullest sense. The commentary explains 'prevails' as overcoming misfortunes, or as reaching the highest human goal, liberation. The divine eye, divyacakṣus, is the sight Kṛṣṇa gives Arjuna. Here it is not a gift from outside but the person's own discrimination.