B.G 2.29

आश्चर्यवत् पश्यति कश्चिदेनम् आश्चर्यवद् वदति तथैव चान्यः। आश्चर्यवच्चैनमन्यः श‍ृणोति श्रुत्वाप्येनं वेद न चैव कश्चित् ॥२-२९॥

āścaryavat paśyati kaścid enam āścaryavad vadati tathaiva cānyaḥ। āścaryavac cainam anyaḥ śṛṇoti śrutvāpy enaṃ veda na caiva kaścit ॥2-29॥

[आश्चर्यवत् (āścaryavat) - as wonderful; पश्यति (paśyati) - sees; कश्चित् (kaścit) - someone; एनम् (enam) - this; आश्चर्यवत् (āścaryavat) - as wonderful; वदति (vadati) - speaks; तथा (tathā) - thus; एव (eva) - indeed; च (ca) - and; अन्यः (anyaḥ) - another; आश्चर्यवत् (āścaryavat) - as wonderful; च (ca) - and; एनम् (enam) - this; अन्यः (anyaḥ) - another; श‍ृणोति (śṛṇoti) - hears; श्रुत्वा (śrutvā) - having heard; अपि (api) - even; एनम् (enam) - this; वेद (veda) - knows; न (na) - not; च (ca) - and; एव (eva) - indeed; कश्चित् (kaścit) - someone;]

(Some see this as a wonder, while others speak of it as a wonder. Still others hear of it as a wonder, but even after hearing, no one truly understands it.)

Some one sees him as a marvel, someone speaks of him as a marvel, others hear him as a marvel. Yet even after such a hearing, no one knows him at all.

Gīta Bhāshya 2.29

The Lord, who is hard to comprehend, is seen as a marvel in the world.

देहयोगवियोगस्य नियतत्वात् आत्मनश्चेश्वर सरूपत्वात् सर्वथा अनाशात् न शोकः कार्यः इत्युपसंहर्तुम् ईश्वर सामर्थ्यं पुनर्दर्शयति आश्चर्यवदिति। दुर्लभत्वेन इत्यर्थः। तद्धि आश्चर्यं लोके। दुर्लभोपि इश्वरसरूपत्वात् सूक्ष्मत्वाच्च आत्मनः तद्द्रष्टा ॥२९-३८॥

dehayogaviyogasya niyatatvāt ātmanaśceśvara sarūpatvāt sarvathā anāśāt na śokaḥ kāryaḥ ityupasaṁhartum īśvara sāmarthyaṁ punardarśayati āścaryavaditi. durlabhatvena ityarthaḥ. taddhi āścaryaṁ loke. durlabhopi īśvarasarūpatvāt sūkṣmatvācca ātmanaḥ taddraṣṭā ॥29-38॥

[देह (deha) - body; योग (yoga) - union; वियोगस्य (viyogasya) - of separation; नियतत्वात् (niyatatvāt) - due to certainty; आत्मनः (ātmanaḥ) - of the soul; च (ca) - and; ईश्वर (īśvara) - God; सरूपत्वात् (sarūpatvāt) - due to similarity; सर्वथा (sarvathā) - in every way; अनाशात् (anāśāt) - from imperishability; न (na) - not; शोकः (śokaḥ) - grief; कार्यः (kāryaḥ) - should be done; इति (iti) - thus; उपसंहर्तुम् (upasaṁhartum) - to conclude; ईश्वर (īśvara) - God's; सामर्थ्यं (sāmarthyaṁ) - power; पुनः (punaḥ) - again; दर्शयति (darśayati) - shows; आश्चर्यवत् (āścaryavat) - as a wonder; इति (iti) - thus; दुर्लभत्वेन (durlabhatvena) - as rarity; इति (iti) - thus; अर्थः (arthaḥ) - meaning; तत् (tat) - that; हि (hi) - indeed; आश्चर्यं (āścaryaṁ) - wonder; लोके (loke) - in the world; दुर्लभः (durlabhaḥ) - rare; अपि (api) - also; ईश्वर (īśvara) - God; सरूपत्वात् (sarūpatvāt) - due to similarity; सूक्ष्मत्वात् (sūkṣmatvāt) - due to subtlety; च (ca) - and; आत्मनः (ātmanaḥ) - of the soul; तत् (tat) - that; द्रष्टा (draṣṭā) - seer;]

(Because the union and separation of the body are certain, and the soul is similar to God and imperishable in every way, one should not grieve. Thus, to conclude, God's power is again shown as a wonder. The meaning is that indeed, wonder is rare in the world. Also, due to the similarity to God and the subtlety of the soul, that seer.)

Union and separation of the body is unavoidable. The 'ātman' is of the essence similar to Lord, without destruction ever. Hence, no need to lament. To summarize and conclude thus, power of the lord is again presented in the verse 'āścaryavat'. The word 'āścaryavat' is used to show that which is rare is considered as a marvel in the world. It is rare to come across someone who comprehends the essence of the Lord, comprehends his subtlety, and perceives him in the 'ātman'.

Gīta Tātparya 2.29

Lord is a marvel, despite knowing him as a marvel, we forget his speciality!

किं तर्हि आश्चर्यो भगवानेवेत्याह - आश्चर्यवदिति। आश्चर्यमेव सन्तमेनम् आश्चर्यवत् पश्यति न पुनः अनाश्चर्यम्।

kiṁ tarhi āścaryo bhagavānevetyāha - āścaryavaditi। āścaryameva santamenam āścaryavat paśyati na punaḥ anāścaryam।

[किं (kiṁ) - what; तर्हि (tarhi) - then; आश्चर्यः (āścaryaḥ) - wonder; भगवान् (bhagavān) - Lord; एव (eva) - indeed; इति (iti) - thus; आह (āha) - said; आश्चर्यवत् (āścaryavat) - as wonderful; आश्चर्यम् (āścaryam) - wonder; एव (eva) - indeed; सन्तम् (santam) - being; एनम् (enam) - this; पश्यति (paśyati) - sees; न (na) - not; पुनः (punaḥ) - again; अनाश्चर्यम् (anāścaryam) - not wonderful;]

(What then? The Lord is indeed wonderful, he said - as wonderful. Indeed, one sees this being as wonderful, not again as something not wonderful.)

What is the marvel of the Lord? - is stated in 'āścaryavat' verse. He is the marvel, because though he is perceived as a marvel, he is not seen as one. Here the lord is compared to himself as a marvel, similar to ancient sayings:

"गगनं गगनाकारं सागरं सागरोपम्"

"gaganaṁ gaganākāraṁ sāgaraṁ sāgaropam"

[गगनं (gaganaṁ) - sky; गगनाकारं (gaganākāraṁ) - sky-like; सागरं (sāgaraṁ) - ocean; सागरोपम् (sāgaropam) - ocean-like;]

(The sky resembles the sky, and the ocean resembles the ocean.)

"The Sky is of the form of Sky, the Sea is of the form of Sea."

-इत्यादिवत्।

-ityādivat।

[इति (iti) - thus; आदि (ādi) - beginning / so on; वत् (vat) - like;]

- such similar statements.

"आश्चर्यो भगवान् विष्णुः यस्मान्नैतादृशं क्वचित्। तस्मात् तद्गोचरं ज्ञानं तद्गोचरवदेव तु"

"āścaryo bhagavān viṣṇuḥ yasmānnaitādṛśaṃ kvacit। tasmāt tadgocaraṃ jñānaṃ tadgocaravadeva tu"

[आश्चर्यः (āścaryaḥ) - wonderful; भगवान् (bhagavān) - Lord; विष्णुः (viṣṇuḥ) - Viṣṇu; यस्मात् (yasmāt) - because; न (na) - not; एतादृशं (etādṛśaṃ) - such; क्वचित् (kvacit) - anywhere; तस्मात् (tasmāt) - therefore; तद्गोचरं (tadgocaraṃ) - that sphere; ज्ञानं (jñānaṃ) - knowledge; तद्गोचरवत् (tadgocaravat) - like that sphere; एव (eva) - indeed; तु (tu) - but;]

(Lord Viṣṇu is wonderful because such a thing is not found anywhere else. Therefore, that sphere of knowledge is indeed like that sphere, but.)

"Lord Vishnu is the marvel because, like him, we can't see any other. Therefore, the knowledge that enables to see Him, only he can see."

-इति ब्रह्मतर्के।

-iti brahmatarke।

[इति (iti) - thus; ब्रह्मतर्के (brahmatarke) - in the reasoning of Brahman;]

- states Brahmatarka

अनाश्चर्यवदपि असुरादयः पश्यन्तीति कश्चिदिति विशेषणम् ॥२९॥

anāścaryavadapi asurādayaḥ paśyantīti kaściditi viśeṣaṇam ॥29॥

[अनाश्चर्यवत् (anāścaryavat) - without wonder; अपि (api) - also; असुरादयः (asurādayaḥ) - demons and others; पश्यन्ति (paśyanti) - see; इति (iti) - thus; कश्चित् (kaścit) - someone; इति (iti) - thus; विशेषणम् (viśeṣaṇam) - adjective;]

(Someone sees even demons and others without wonder, thus it is an adjective.)

The Lord is not a marvel, so say the demoniacal. Seeing the Lord like any other is their speciality.