आश्चर्यवत् means “as a wonder” or “with great wonder.” Krishna says that someone sees the Self as a wonder, another speaks about it as a wonder, another hears about it as a wonder, and yet another, even after hearing, does not truly understand it.

Bhagawan Krishna describes four stages:

पश्यति – sees/beholds
वदति – speaks
शृणोति – hears
श्रुत्वा अपि न वेद – even after hearing, does not understand

This highlights the subtle nature of Ātma-jñāna.

श्रुत्वा अपि means even after hearing. न च एव कश्चित् वेद means hardly anyone truly understands/knows it. The teaching of Ātman is subtle and requires proper understanding, not merely hearing the words.

One searches for something because of a sense of incompleteness or insecurity. According to Vedānta, the search for lasting security, happiness and fulfilment ultimately points towards understanding one's true nature. Ātma-jñāna (Self-knowledge) removes the fundamental ignorance about oneself.

देही refers to the one who inhabits the body. Krishna says नित्यम् अवध्यः — the embodied Self is always incapable of being killed or destroyed.

Krishna concludes:

“तस्मात्सर्वाणि भूतानि न त्वं शोचितुमर्हसि”

Therefore, Arjuna should not शोचितुम् — grieve excessively over beings whose physical bodies are subject to destruction.

नित्यम् means always, eternally.
अवध्यः means one who cannot be killed. Thus, the Self is always indestructible.

In the Gītā, a word may reveal different meanings at different places. For example, the word 'Yoga' may mean 'topic' at one place, 'Yoga' Śāstra at another place and so on.