अभूम वयमेवेमे सदृशा इतरे विदः । अभूम वयमेवेमे नानाकाराः समाशयाः ॥ २८ ॥
abhūma vayamēvēmē sadṛśā itarē vidaḥ | abhūma vayamēvēmē nānākārāḥ samāśayāḥ || 28 ||
Translation
We, these very ones, have been alike, and others unknowing; we, these very ones, have been of many forms, with the same intent.
Word by word
- abhūma
- have been
- vayam
- we
- ēva
- very
- imē
- these
- sadṛśā
- (sadṛśāḥ) alike
- itarē
- others
- vidaḥ
- (avidaḥ) unknowing
- nānā
- many
- ākārāḥ
- of forms
- samāśayāḥ
- with the same intent
Meaning
The refrain continues. Sometimes the sages were alike, and knowers; at other times others, unknowing (itare avidaḥ); sometimes of many different forms, but with the same purpose (samāśaya). The commentary: sometimes we were born knowing, sometimes not knowing; and we will be born many more times, in different forms and with the same aims. Even Vasiṣṭha has been ignorant in some lives. Knowledge is not a permanent possession of a name or a person; it is a state that waves may or may not reach.