Devanagari
तथापि बत मे दैह्यो ह्यात्मा चैवात्मना विभु: ।
असम्पन्न इवाभाति ब्रह्मवर्चस्य सत्तम: ॥ ३० ॥
Verse text
tathāpi bata me daihyo
hy ātmā caivātmanā vibhuḥ
asampanna ivābhāti
brahma-varcasya sattamaḥ
Synonyms
tathāpi
—
although
;
bata
—
defect
;
me
—
mine
;
daihyaḥ
—
situated in the body
;
hi
—
certainly
;
ātmā
—
living being
;
ca
—
and
;
eva
—
even
;
ātmanā
—
myself
;
vibhuḥ
—
sufficient
;
asampannaḥ
—
wanting in
;
iva ābhāti
—
it appears to be
;
brahma
—
varcasya — of the Vedāntists
;
sattamaḥ
—
the supreme .
Translation
I am feeling incomplete, though I myself am fully equipped with everything required by the Vedas.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
Through the Mahābhārata, in which dharma, artha, kāma and mokṣa for the women, śūdras, what to speak of the higher castes, is seen, I have clearly shown the meaning of the Vedas. But still, my soul situated in the body, though powerful with austerity and knowledge by nature, appears incomplete and inferior, even though endowed with power arising from studying the Vedas.
Purport
Undoubtedly Śrīla Vyāsadeva was complete in all the details of Vedic achievements. Purification of the living being submerged in matter is made possible by the prescribed activities in the
Vedas,
but the ultimate achievement is different. Unless it is attained, the living being, even though fully equipped, cannot be situated in the transcendentally normal stage. Śrīla Vyāsadeva appeared to have lost the clue and therefore felt dissatisfaction.
Commentary (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
My soul situated in the body (daiyaḥ), though complete with austerity and knowledge (vibhuḥ) by nature (ātmanā), feels incomplete (asampanna); and not only incomplete, but also inferior (asattama) even though endowed with power arising from the excellent results derived by hearing and studying the Vedas. Another version of the text has uśattama (most pleased with). In either case, as part of a compound, the suffix vī can be added with the meaning “possessing.”