Bhagavad Gita · Raja Vidya Raja Guhya YogaChapter 9, Shloka 3 (9.3)
Original Sanskrit · श्रीभगवान्
अश्रद्दधानाः पुरुषा धर्मस्यास्य परन्तप
अप्राप्य मां निवर्तन्ते मृत्युसंसारवर्त्मनि
॥ 9.3 ॥
aśraddadhānāḥ puruṣā dharmasyāsya parantapa
aprāpya māṃ nivartante mṛtyusaṃsāravartmani
Translation
"O scorcher of foes, people who have no faith in this dharma, not attaining me, keep wandering on the path of the world bound by death."
Interpretation
Shankaracharya. Aśraddadhānāḥ … ātma-jñānasya dharmasya asya svarūpe tat-phale ca nāstikāḥ pāpa-kāriṇaḥ — those who do not believe in the nature or the fruit of this dharma, the knowledge of the self; asurāṇām upaniṣadaṃ deha-mātrātma-darśanam eva pratipannāḥ asu-tṛpaḥ — those who hold "the body alone is the self", busy gratifying their life-breath; mat-prāpti-mārga-sādhana-bheda-bhakti-mātram api aprāpya — not obtaining even a fraction of the devotion that is the path to me.
Acharya Ramanuja — astonishment. Asya upāsanākhyasya dharmasya niratiśaya-priya-mad-viṣayatayā svayaṃ niratiśaya-priya-rūpasya … upādāna-yogya-daśāṃ prāpya aśraddadhānāḥ viśvāsa-pūrvaka-tvārā-rahitāḥ — a worship that is itself supremely dear, and though they have reached the point of being fit to take it up, they are still without trust and eagerness; aho mahad idam āścaryam — ah, what a great wonder this is!
The difference: Shankara speaks in harsh words (unbelievers, those who take the body to be the self); Ramanuja in astonishment — such a joyful path lies before them, and still people do not take it.
AI-assisted draft translation — under review.