Sāṅkhya Yoga · Verse 29

"आश्चर्यवत्पश्यति कश्चिदेनमाश्चर्यवद्वदति तथैव चान्यः | आश्चर्यवच्चैनमन्यः शृणोति श्रुत्वाप्येनं वेद न चैव कश्चित"

"āścarya-vat paśyati kaścid enam āścarya-vad vadati tathaiva cānyaḥ | āścarya-vac cainam anyaḥ śṛṇoti śrutvāpy enaṃ veda na caiva kaścit"

Someone sees this as a wonder, another speaks of it as a wonder, another hears of it as a wonder, and having heard, no one truly knows it

Wonder (āścarya — marvel, astonishment, mystery) surrounds the knowledge of the ātman at all levels: perception (paśyati), communication (vadati), auditory reception (śṛṇoti), and knowledge (veda).

But śrutvāpi (even having heard) na kaścit veda (no one knows it). The ātman is acintya (BG 2.25) — not accessible to ordinary conceptualization. Only direct darśana, not śravaṇa (hearing) alone.

The fourfold structure emphasizes elusiveness: each mode of access is valid but insufficient. The wonder remains.