āścaryavatpaśyati kaścidenamāścaryavadvadati tathaiva cānyaḥ |āścaryavaccainamanyaḥ śrṛṇotiśrutvāpyenaṃ veda na caiva kaścit ||
Someone sees this self as a wonder; another speaks of it as a wonder; and another hears of it as a wonder. Yet even after hearing of it, no one truly knows it.
Explanation
Krishna is speaking to Arjuna about the self (ātman), the unchanging inner being he has just described as unborn and indestructible. He says it is so subtle and extraordinary that seeing, explaining or hearing about it all feel like marvels, and full understanding remains rare. Some commentators take the last line to mean no one knows it completely, while others take it to mean that few people grasp it at all.