मनुष्याणां सहस्रेषु कश्चिद्यतति सिद्धये । यततामपि सिद्धानां कश्चिन्मां वेत्ति तत्त्वतः ॥
manuṣyāṇāṃ sahasreṣu kaścidyatati siddhaye | yatatāmapi siddhānāṃ kaścinnāṃ vetti tattvataḥ ||
Translation
Among thousands of human beings, perhaps one strives for perfection; among those who strive and succeed, perhaps one knows Me in truth.
Interpretation
A humbling calibration of rarity. Among thousands, perhaps one seeks liberation seriously. Of that rare one who seeks and succeeds in the inner journey, perhaps only one knows the Divine in truth (tattvata — as it truly is, in its full reality). The Divine is not hidden out of cruelty but because it requires extraordinary preparation, purification, and grace to perceive. This verse is not meant to discourage but to impress upon the student the incomparable value of what is being offered here.