Bhagavad Gita Chapter 2 - Samkhya Yoga - Sloka 25

The entire content of this mail is from Swami Chidbhavananda's translation of  The Bhagavad Gita, published by Ramakrishna Mission.

Atman is Super Mundane- 23 - 25

1 Gita Sloka every day - Chapter 2 - Samkhya Yoga - Sloka 25

Udupi Krishna

Avyaktah ayam achintyah ayam avikaryah ayam uchyate I

Tasmat evam viditva enam na anushochitum  arhasi II sloka 25

अव्यक्तः अयं अचिन्त्यः अयं अविकार्यः अयं उच्यते ।

तस्मा एवं विदित्वा एनं न अनुशोचितुं अर्हसि ।। श्लोक २५ 

This atman is said to be unmanifested, unthinkable and immutable. Therefore knowing it as such, you should not grieve.

Atman cannot be perceived by any of the senses; and whatever does not come within the ken of the senses is necessarily unmanifested. It is very hard to conceive  of a thing that cannot be perceived. Atman is therefore said to be unthinkable. The 4 elements - air, fire, water and earth can be sensed. They are seen to be undergoing modifications and as cuh they are mutable. But the element Akasa undergoes no modification. It is ever in its original state. Like Akasa, the atman is ever in its original state. It is therefore said to be immutable. Elemental Akasa is insentient and Atman or Chitaskasa  is sentient. in every other respect they are identical. Both being partless they remain immutable. It ill becomes one to grieve over the immutable.

What is Brahman like? It cannot be defined with words. One maybe called upon to explain what the ocean is like, to  person who has never seen it. The expounder can at best say, "It is a vast sheet of water" Defining Brahman is much more difficult.

 Swami Ramakrishna Paramahamsa