utkrāmantaṁ sthitaṁ vāpi bhuñjānaṁ vā guṇānvitam vimūḍhā nānupaśyanti paśyanti jñāna-cakṣuṣaḥ
"The deluded do not see the soul when it departs or stays, or when it experiences, accompanied by the gunas; but those with the eye of knowledge see."
What This Means:
The deluded don't perceive the soul—whether it's leaving the body (death), staying (life), or experiencing through the gunas. But those with wisdom's eye can see this invisible presence.
Going Deeper:
'Utkrāmantam'—departing (at death). 'Sthitam'—staying (during life). 'Bhuñjānam guṇānvitam'—experiencing while accompanied by gunas. The soul in all three states—entering, dwelling, departing—is invisible to 'vimūḍhāḥ' (the thoroughly deluded). 'Paśyanti jñāna-cakṣuṣaḥ'—those with the eye of knowledge see. Wisdom is seeing what's always present but overlooked.
How To Apply This:
The soul is always present but overlooked because we're mesmerized by sense objects. Wisdom is learning to see what's hidden in plain sight—the awareness that's always here, watching, unchanging.
Key Sanskrit Terms: