वित्तबन्धुवयःकर्मविद्याविज्ञानचेष्टितैः । समानि सन्ति भूतानि कदाचिन्न तु तानि तु ॥ ३२ ॥
vittabandhuvayaḥkarmavidyāvijñānacēṣṭitaiḥ | samāni santi bhūtāni kadācinna tu tāni tu || 32 ||
Translation
In wealth, kin, age, deeds, learning, knowledge and conduct, beings are sometimes alike; and sometimes they are not.
Word by word
- vitta
- wealth
- bandhu
- kin
- vayaḥ
- age
- karma
- deeds
- vidyā
- learning
- vijñāna
- knowledge
- cēṣṭitaiḥ
- and conduct
- samāni
- alike
- santi
- are
- bhūtāni
- beings
- kadācin
- (kadācit) sometimes
- na
- not
- tu
- and; indeed
- tāni
- they
Meaning
Vasiṣṭha returns to the general law. Beings born again, even the free, are sometimes alike in wealth, family, age, actions, learning, insight and behaviour, and sometimes not. The commentary applies it to those free while living: they too are sometimes alike, sometimes unlike, in all these things. The outward form of a free being need not match any pattern. One sage writes epics and divides the Veda; another sits silent on a mountain. Freedom does not dictate what life looks like.