It is beyond the mind.

Sankhya Yoga

Chapter 2, Verse 29

 

āścaryavat paśyati kaścid enam 

āścaryavad vadati tathaiva cānyaḥ 

āścaryavac cainam anyaḥ śṛṇoti 

śrutvāpy-enaṁ veda na caiva kaścit

 

One sees it as a mystery or one speaks of it or hears of it as a mystery, yet none truly know it. That Self, which we look on and speak of and hear of as that which is wonderful, beyond our comprehension, no human mind has ever known this Absolute.

 

Here Krishna says that the soul is something wonderful and that it’s very rare to meet an individual in this world who has perceived the true wonders of the soul. The soul is not a worldly object. He says, “None truly know it,” because the soul cannot be perceived by the senses, the mind or the intellect. To know something, you usually need the mind, no? But how can the mind perceive something that is beyond the mind? The soul is transcendental and unique. It is the only reality that abides eternally within the consciousness of every human being. The only eternal reality is the Atma. How can one even marvel at the wonders of the soul if one is so much focused on the outside world? And to just describe the soul, does not mean that one is truly perceiving the wonders of the soul. 

 

“That Self, which we look on and speak of and hear of as that which is wonderful, beyond our comprehension, no human mind has ever known this Absolute.” Here Krishna says that all words are limited. We are using beautiful words to describe the soul, but the soul can’t be comprehended by words. We can only use words to explain. But the one who has truly realised the soul, doesn’t even talk about it, because there are no words to describe it. The moment you start talking about the soul, it becomes unreal. Krishna says that to perceive the soul, one has to go deep inside and enter into the quietness. Then one can see the brightness of the soul and one can marvel at the wonders of the soul. Whoever has experienced this knows that you can see it. You don’t need to talk about it. It’s emanating from deep within you to the outside. This Realisation of the soul emanates from the person who is in this Reality. So it’s not about words. Yet one can feel the soul, one can see it. 

 

There are a few special people in the world who possess such virtue and purity of heart, that when they hear a description of the soul, they spontaneously experience the true wonders of the soul. Because of their faith in God, their reverence for God, just hearing about the wonders of the soul creates a great bhav inside them. This is very rare. Krishna says, “No human mind has ever known this,” because it is beyond the mind.

Bhagavad Gita