छन्दांसि नाम क्षत्रिय तान्यथर्वा जगौ पुरस्तादृषिसर्ग एषः । छन्दोविदस्ते य उ तानधीत्य न वेद्यवेदस्य विदुर्न वेद्यम् ॥
chandāṃsi nāma kṣatriya tānyatharvā jagau purastādṛṣisarga eṣaḥ | chandovidaste ya u tānadhītya na vedyavedasya vidurna vedyam ||
The hymns, O kshatriya, were sung long ago by Atharvan; this is the creation of the seers. Those who have studied them [count as] knowers of the hymns, but they do not know what is to be known through the Veda; they do not know the knowable.
हे क्षत्रिय, इन छंदों को प्राचीन काल में अथर्वा ने गाया था; यह ऋषियों की सृष्टि है। जो उन्हें पढ़कर छंदों के ज्ञाता कहलाते हैं, वे वेद द्वारा जानने योग्य को नहीं जानते; वे ज्ञेय को नहीं जानते।
Meaning today and contextआज के लिए अर्थ और संदर्भ
Knowing the words of a tradition is not the same as knowing what those words point to. One can memorise every text and still miss its meaning.
किसी परंपरा के शब्द जानना, उन शब्दों के लक्ष्य को जानने के समान नहीं है। कोई हर ग्रंथ रट सकता है, फिर भी उसका अर्थ चूक सकता है।
Sanatsujata says the Vedic hymns were sung of old by Atharvan, the creation of the seers; those who merely study them think they know the hymns but do not know what the Veda is meant to make known.