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A simple, modern translation and explanation of the Bhagavad Gita with shloka (verse) meaning

~ Gita Journey is a straightforward, modern, contemporary, basic explanation and commentary of the Bhagawat Gita, with Sanskrit to English word meanings. Each shloka (verse) is explained in detail. An introduction to the Bhagavad Gita along with study resources can also be found here. A summary of each chapter of the Bhagavad Gita is also included. It does not matter whether you are a student, a retiree, a professional, a mom, a dad or a housewife – no prior knowledge is needed.

A simple, modern translation and explanation of the Bhagavad Gita with shloka (verse) meaning

Category Archives: tat

Bhagavad Gita Verse 5, Chapter 18

25 Saturday May 2013

Posted by skr_2011 in 18.5, chapter 18 verse 5, daanam, kaaryam, maneeshinaam, paavanaani, tapas, tat, tyaajyam, yajnaha, yajnyadaanatapahkarma :

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yajnyadaanatapahkarma na tyaajyam kaaryam eva tat |
yajno daanam tapas chaiva paavanaani maneeshinaam || 5 ||

 
Actions of sacrifice, charity and penance should not be given up, they should certainly be performed. Sacrifice, charity and penance are purifiers of wise people.
 
yajnyadaanatapahkarma : actions of sacrifice, charity and penance
na : not
tyaajyam : given up
kaaryam : have to be performed
eva : certainly
tat : that
yajnaha : sacrifice
daanam : charity
tapas : penance
cha: and
eva : also
paavanaani : purifiers
maneeshinaam : of wise people
 
Shri Krishna begins to describe his criteria for actions that should be performed for karma yoga. Instead of creating the criteria from scratch, he uses a viewpoint mentioned earlier as the basis. He says that nitya karmas, the obligatory duties towards society, Ishvara and oneself should be performed. They should never be given up. Only nishiddha karmas or prohibited actions, and kaamya karmas or selfish actions should be given up.
 
This criteria is to be followed by those who are maneeshi, who are wise, who have understood that blind pursuit of material gain is not for them. Such people are interested in liberation only. When these wise people perform their obligatory duties, the performance of those actions acts as a cleanser, a purifier. All traces of raaga and dvesha, likes and dislikes, are slowly cleared out by the performance of obligatory duties. Their actions are propelled out of an attitude of seva or service, not out of personal and selfish likes and dislikes.
 
So then, if this is the case, how should one treat actions performed for one’s career? If we love our career, and it gives us a personal reward in the form of salary, should we give up that as well? We need to resolve this issue by converting our reward oriented actions into selfless actions. Only then will we be able to weaken the samskaaraas or mental impressions that impel us to perform our career oriented actions every day. What is the technique by which we can convert our selfish actions into selfless actions? This is taken up next.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 28, Chapter 17

18 Saturday May 2013

Posted by skr_2011 in 17.28, asat, ashraddhaya, chapter 17 verse 28, dattam, hutam, iha, kritam, no, paartha, pretya, tapaha, taptam, tat, uchyate

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ashraddhaya hutam dattam tapastaptam kritam cha yat |
asaditityuchyate paartha na cha tatpretya no iha || 28 ||

 
Whatever is sacrificed, donated or done, and whatever penance is performed, without faith, it is called asat, O Paartha. It is neither here nor after death.
 
ashraddhaya : without faith
hutam : sacrificed
dattam : donated
tapaha : penance
taptam : performed
kritam : done
cha : and
yat : whatever
asat : asat
iti : in this manner
uchyate : is called
paartha : O Paartha
na : neither
cha : and
tat : that
pretya : after death
no : nor
iha : here
 
In the previous shloka, Shri Krishna asserted that any action performed with the steadfastness in Ishvara, with constant memory and faith in Ishvara, automatically becomes a saattvic action. Furthermore, with the application of the purifier Om Tat Sat, it becomes a means towards liberation. Here, such kind of action is compared with an action that is performed without any faith or steadfastness whatsoever. Action performed without any faith is called as asat, which literally means non reality or devoid of reality.
 
In our daily life, we can immediately tell the difference between one who puts their heart and soul into their actions, and one who is just going through the motions. We ourselves have instances where we love an action so much that we put everything in it, we get lost in it, and some other actions where we are acting like mechanical machines, like robots. Shri Krishna says that any action, any sacrifice, penance or charity performed without faith, without our soul in it, becomes a worthless action. Forget liberation, it will not even yield a result here, on this earth.
 
With this shloka, Shri Krishna concludes the seventeenth chapter on the three types of faith. He says that there are three types of devotees based on the texture of their faith, and are categorized as saattvic, raajasic and taamasic. In order to make ourselves fit for liberation, we should cultivate saatvic faith and eliminate the other two types of faith. This will happen only by consuming saattvic food and performing saattvic sacrifices, charity and penance. To ensure that our saatvic actions are free of errors and defects, we should use the purifier Om Tat Sat while performing the actions.
 
om tatsatiti shreematbhagavatgitasupanishadsu brahmavidyaayaam yogashaastre shreekrishnaarjunsamvade shraddhatrayovibhaagayogo naama saptadashodhyaayaha || 15 ||

Bhagavad Gita Verse 25, Chapter 17

15 Wednesday May 2013

Posted by skr_2011 in 17.25, anabhisandhaaya, chapter 17 verse 25, daanakriyaahaa, kriyante, mokshakaankshibhihi, phalam, tat, vividhaahaa, yajnyatapahakriyaahaa

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tadityanabhisandhaaya phalam yajnyatapahakriyaahaa |
daanakriyaashcha vividhaahaa kriyante mokshakaankshibhihi || 25 ||

 
With (chanting of) Tat, without aiming for reward, are the various acts of sacrifice, penance and charity performed by the seekers of liberation.
 
tat : Tat
iti : in this manner
anabhisandhaaya : without aiming for reward
phalam : reward
yajnyatapahakriyaahaa : acts of sacrifice and penance
daanakriyaahaa : act of charity
cha : and
vividhaahaa : various
kriyante : performed
mokshakaankshibhihi : seekers of liberation
 
Karmayoga suggests that we should perform our duties in order to exhaust all of our vaasanaas, our latent desires, so that our mind becomes pure and fit for spiritual advancement. The primary obstacle in karmayoga is attachment at two levels. We are attached to the personal reward of an action. We are also attached to the act itself. For instance, a musician may become attached to the royalties promised to him in his recording contract. He may also become attached to the unique style of music that he has developed.
 
Shri Krishna says that chanting the word “Tat” when performing any saattvic action has the effect of removing these two kinds of attachment. Tat means “that” in sanskrit. It is a pointer to the eternal essence in its transcendent aspect, also known as Ishvara. Using the word Tat, we can dedicate our actions and results to any deity that we like. The act is performed by Ishvara, therefore the reward goes to Ishvara. I am only the instrument of Ishvara. This is the attitude developed when Tat is chanted with faith.
 
How does this work? Imagine that you are going overseas for closing a business deal. If you go with attitude that you am doing this deal for yourself, then you have to take on the associated stress that comes with the deal. But if you go with attitude that you are closing the deal for your boss or your company, your stress will significantly reduce. You are just carrying out instructions given by your boss. If the deal works out, great, otherwise there will always be another opportunity.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 23, Chapter 17

13 Monday May 2013

Posted by skr_2011 in 17.23, braahmanaaha, brahmanaaha, chapter 17 verse 23, nirdeshaha, om, puraa, sat, smritaha, tat, tena, trividhaha, vedaaha, vihitaahaa, yajnyaahaa

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om tatsaditi nirdesho brahmanastrividhaha smritaha |
braahmanaastena vedaashcha yajnyaashcha vihitaahaa puraa || 23 ||

 
Om, Tat, Sat, this has been declared as the triple indicator of the eternal essence. By that were created the braahmanaas, the Vedas and the sacrifices, long ago.
 
om : om
tat : tat
sat : sat
iti : in this manner
nirdeshaha : indicator
brahmanaha : eternal essence
trividhaha : triple
smritaha : declared
braahmanaaha : braahmanaas
tena : by that
vedaaha : Vedas
cha : and
yajnyaahaa : sacrifices
cha : and
vihitaahaa : created
puraa : long ago
 
Arjuna began this chapter with a question to Shri Krishna: How can we determine the texture of our faith, as to whether it is saattvic, raajasic or taamasic? Shri Krishna replied that we need to infer this from our actions and the attitude behind our actions. He then showed us the three types of food, sacrifice, penance and charity. The takeaway for us is that we should slowly stop performing raajasic and saatvic actions, and increase our saattvic actions. But even if we manage to perform only sattvic actions, there will always be the chance of some error creeping in.
 
Here, Shri Krishna gives us a formula, a technique to remove errors and defects in saattvic actions. This purifier is the combination of three words – Om, Tat and Sat. All three words are indicators of the eternal essence, of brahman. In fact, each of these words has been used in the Vedas to refer to the eternal essence. Om comes up in the Rig Veda. Tat and Sat come up in the Chhaandogya Upanishad. The word Sat is also used in the second chapter of the Gita to refer to the eternal essence. Note that the eternal essence is beyond name and form. These words are only pointers.
 
Next, Shri Krishna gives us the heritage of this purifier. Prajaapati, Lord Brahma, created the universe along with the sacrifice and the Vedas, as we have seen in the third chapter. He also created braahmanaas, who performed rituals and sacrifices with faith in the Vedas. These braahmanaas would always use Om Tat Sat to purify their sacrifices, to remove any defects in the rituals. Now, per the teaching of karma yoga, whenever we perform saattvic actions, they automatically become a sacrifice. Therefore, even we can use Om Tat Sat to purify our saattvic actions.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 20, Chapter 17

10 Friday May 2013

Posted by skr_2011 in 17.20, anupakaarine, daanam, daatavyam, deeyate, deshe, http://schemas.google.com/blogger/2008/kind#post, kaale, paatre, saattvikam, smritam, tat

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daatavyamiti yaddaanam deeyatenupakaarine |
deshe kaale cha paatre cha taddaanam saattvikam smritam || 20 ||

 
That which is donated knowing that charity is duty, to whom one is not obliged, in the right place and time, to a worthy person, that charity is called saattvic.
 
daatavyam : charity is duty
iti : in this manner
yat : that
daanam : charity
deeyate : is donated
anupakaarine : to one without obligation
deshe : place
kaale : time
cha : and
paatre : person
cha : and
tat : that
daanam : charity
saattvikam : saattvic
smritam : is called
 
So far, Shri Krishna described the three types of food, sacrifice and penance. Food gives us energy to serve the world, to perform sacrifice. Penance enables us to conserve and channel that energy towards sacrifice. Sacrifice results in a result that is received by the recipient of the sacrifice as well as to us, the performers of the sacrifice. Accumulating results beyond what we need to support ourselves and our family can result in greed. To check this greed, we need to perform daanam or charity.
 
Now, even the attitude towards charity can reveal a lot about the texture of our faith. Shri Krishna described the characteristics or conditions of charity performed with a saattvic attitude. Conducting charity out of a sense of duty is the first condition. It should come naturally to us, and not because someone has asked us to do it. Charity should never be treated as a business deal. For instance, if someone has done us a favour, we should not give him something in the guise of charity. Furthermore, we should not donate something expecting something in return.
 
Charity is a sacred act, therefore it has to be performed thoughtfully. Tossing a coin to a beggar on the street may be a noble act, but it does not quality as an act of saattvic charity. It has to be done at the right place and during an auspicious occasion. It also has to be directed towards a worthy person. Shri Shankaraachaarya in his commentary gives the example of the occasion of Sankraanti, the beginning of the month, as an auspicious occasion. He also gives the example of a learned teacher as one who is worthy of receiving a charitable donation.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 8, Chapter 14

13 Wednesday Feb 2013

Posted by skr_2011 in 14.8, aalasya, ajnyaanajam, bhaarata, chapter 14 verse 8, mohanam, nibadhnaati, nidraabhihi, pramaada, sarvadehinaam, tamaha, tat, tu, viddhi

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tamastvajnyaanajam viddhi mohanam sarvadehinaam |
pramaadaalasyanidraabhistannibadhnaati bhaarata || 8 ||

 
And, know tamas to be born of ignorance, deluding all the body dwellers. It binds them through heedlessness, laziness and sloth, O Bhaarata.
 
tamaha : tamas
tu : and
ajnyaanajam : born of ignorance
viddhi : know
mohanam : delude
sarvadehinaam : all body dwellers
pramaada : heedlessness
aalasya : laziness
nidraabhihi : through sloth
tat : it
nibadhnaati : binds
bhaarata : O Bhaarata
 
Tamas is our state of mind when it is dull and inert. Like a glass of dirty water cannot let light shine through, tamas prevents our mind from thinking clearly. Our mind starts to operate in moha, which means confusion or error, mistaking one thing for another. Tamas can be triggered by an overpowering emotional situation like Arjuna seeing his family members and loved ones on the opposite side of the battlefield. A tamasic state can also be triggered by abusing our sense organs through excessive drinking, smoking, watching TV and so on.
 
After a long and tiring day, when we want to rush to get a good night’s sleep, we get a call from a friend who wants to catch up. Try as we might, we will not be able to understand what he is saying because the mind has switched to a tamasic state due to exhaustion. Our memory does not work properly and our intellect’s logic is flawed. All we want to do is to rest our head on the pillow. When tamas reaches the height of its potency, we fall asleep.
 
Shri Krishna says that tamas is born out of ignorance. At its core, tamas keeps the Purusha, the jeeva, body dweller under the delusion that he is the body and not the self. When we forget our true nature as the self, the eternal essence, we assume that our body is who we are. This erroneous notion, this ignorance enables tamas to bind us, to trap us.
 
Tamas binds us in three ways, through heedlessness, laziness and sloth. Heedlessness is the performance of actions without intellectual focus or awareness. We either perform actions carelessly, such as dialing the wrong phone number, or perform actions that are futile, such as gambling or excessive alcohol consumption. Laziness is postponing or abstaining from our duties. Sloth is lying around in a state of stupor or sleep. Now, there is a place for resting and sleeping in our life, which is at the end of every day. But some of us derive joy from futile actions, from procrastination, from lazing around and so on. It is this joy through which tamas binds us.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 7, Chapter 14

12 Tuesday Feb 2013

Posted by skr_2011 in 14, 7, chapter 14 verse 7, dehinam, karmasangena, kaunteya, nibandhaati, raagaatmakam, rajaha, samudhbhavam, sanga, tat, trishnaa, viddhi

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rajo raagaatmakam viddhi trishnaasangasamudhbhavam |
tannibandhaati kaunteya karmasangena dehinam || 7 ||

 
Know rajas to be of the nature of passion, the source of thirst and attachment. It binds the body dweller by attachment to action, O Kaunteya.
 
rajaha : rajas
raagaatmakam : nature of passion
viddhi : know
trishnaa : thirst
sanga : attachment
samudhbhavam : source
tat : it
nibandhaati : binds
kaunteya : O Kaunteya
karmasangena : attachment to action
dehinam : body dweller
 
Rajas is our state of mind when it is agitated, like a glass of water that is being stirred. Imagine that we have to attend an extremely important meeting at 5 PM. It is 4:50 PM and the taxi is stuck in a traffic jam. Our mind will be in a state of rajas. A series of thoughts will suggest that we wait in the car, while another series of thoughts will suggest that we leave the taxi and start walking. Whenever our mind is agitated by a thoughts that propel us to act, we are in a state of rajas.
 
Shri Krishna says that rajas creates trishnaa or thirst for what we do not possess, and sanga or attachment towards what we already possess. Furthermore, rajas creates a vicious cycle. It fuels our desires, creates thoughts that compel us to act so that we can acquire objects, then it creates attachment to those objects which further increases rajas. Typically, rajas dominates our mind from sunrise until sunset.
 
To understand how rajas can bind, consider the case of a multi-millionaire who has recently married his young girlfriend. The millionaire is self sufficient and does not need to work to support himself. But his wife’s brothers, relatives, friends and acquaintances slowly approach him for capital to start their business, connections to get them jobs, advice on their career and so on. Soon, the millionaire ends up working all day, every day. Even though the millionaire does not need to move a finger, he gets bound by his relationship to his wife.
 
Similarly, even though the self, the “I” does not act, rajas binds the self through attachment to action and its results. It makes us say “I am the doer” and “I am the enjoyer” whereas it is actually Prakriti that is acting and providing the results. Karma yoga helps us come out of this bondage and entrapment. It teaches us to continue to act in this world, but do it in a way that removes our identification with Prakriti. We slowly start submitting the results of our actions to Ishvara, then we slowly start letting Ishvara take over the doership of our actions as well.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 26, Chapter 13

27 Sunday Jan 2013

Posted by skr_2011 in 13.26, bharatarshabha, chapter 13 verse 26, jangamam, kinchit, kshetrakshetrajnyasamyogaat, sanjaayate, sattvam, sthaavaraha, tat, viddhi, yaavat

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yaavatsanjaayate kinchitsattvam sthaavarjangamam |
kshetrakshetrajnyasamyogaattadviddhi bharatarshabha || 26 ||

 
Whatever being is born, inert or moving, know that to have come from the union of kshetra and kshetrajnya, O foremost among the Bharatas.
 
yaavat : whatever
sanjaayate : born
kinchit : any
sattvam : being
sthaavaraha : inert
jangamam : moving
kshetrakshetrajnyasamyogaat : union of kshetra and kshetrajnya
tat : that
viddhi : know
bharatarshabha : O foremost among the Bharatas
 
We now shift our attention from the nature of the “I” to the nature of the world. We may be able to experience our true nature as the saakshi, the witness, in deep meditation. But most of us still have to transact in this world, still deal with our friends, our relatives, our co-workers and so on. How should our attitude be towards the world after we have understood, at least in theory, what our true nature is? We cannot, and should not, think of ourselves as something special, and as everyone else as useless forms on an IMAX screen, per the illustration used in previous shlokas. Now, in this sequence of shlokas, we learn to develop the right attitude, the right vision towards the world.
 
Shri Krishna begins this topic by asserting that every other being in the universe has come into existence just like we have. The kshetrajnya, the higher aspect of Prakriti, has identified itself with the kshetra, the lower aspect of Prakriti. Each such erroneous identification creates the Purusha, also known as the jeeva, the individual soul. Subsequently, each Purusha has developed attachment to the qualities of Prakriti, accumulating selfish desires or karmas in the process. Billions of Purushas live out their lives in this world trying to exhaust their karmas, but in most cases, end up accumulating more karmas, and therefore, take birth again.
 
We have spoken of this erroneous identification several times, but have not delved into it deeply. The classic example to explain this erroneous identification is that of a burning hot iron ball. The iron ball has taken on heat, which is the property of fire. On the other hand, fire which is normally without shape, has taken on the property of the iron ball, which is round. Two things taking on each other’s properties is known as “anyonya adhyaasa” or mutual superimposition. The Purusha’s real nature is infinite, full of knowledge and bliss. Prakriti’s nature is finite, inert and sorrowful. Erroneous identification results in them exchanging their properties, as it were. This is how the Purusha assumes inertness of the body.
 
So our daily life is nothing but a Purusha interacting with several other Purushas, all of which are under the effect of this erroneous identification. There should be no hint of any arrogance that causes us to treat others differently just because we think that we have acquired more knowledge than them. In fact, whenever we emphasize differences between one another rather than similarities, even in worldly matters, we slip further away from liberation. But, developing an attitude of sameness towards everyone becomes difficult, especially when our minds are conditioned to differentiate rather than unify. Keeping this in mind, we learn to develop the correct attitude towards the world in the next shloka.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 15, Chapter 13

16 Wednesday Jan 2013

Posted by skr_2011 in 13.15, acharam, antaha, antike, avijnyeyam, bahihi, bhootaanaam, chapter 13 verse 15, charam, doorastham, sookshmatvaat, tat

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bahirantashcha bhootaanaamacharam charameva cha |
sookshmatvaattadavijnyeyam doorastham chaantike cha tat || 15 ||

 
Existing outside and inside all beings, moving as well as non-moving. It is very subtle, so it is beyond comprehension. It is distant, yet it is near.
 
bahihi : outside
antaha : inside
cha : and
bhootaanaam : all beings
acharam : non-moving
charam : moving
eva : also
cha : and
sookshmatvaat : very subtle
tat : it
avijnyeyam : beyond comprehension
doorastham : distant
cha : and
antike : near
cha : and
tat : it
 
As Shri Krishna lists the indicators of the eternal essence, we may be tempted to start looking for it with our eyes, just like we look for a lost object in the house. However, we need to continuously remind ourselves that the eternal essence is neither an object nor a concept that can be grasped by the mind. Shri Krishna uses the Upanishadic style of describing the eterna essence through contradictions and paradoxes in this sequence of shlokas, and especially in the current shloka.
 
The first contradiction mentioned is that the eternal essence is both inside and outside all inert and living entities. This point cautions us against conceptualizing the eternal essence as limited by space, as if it is only available in one location and not the other. A somewhat crude analogy is mobile phone signals, which are essentially radio waves. Radio waves are all-pervasive and they penetrate all solid objects, enabling us to make phone calls from inside as well as outside buildings.
 
The second contradiction is that the eternal essence is to be known as the ultimate knowledge, yet it is beyond comprehension, due to its subtle nature. Using the radio waves analogy, we can say that none of our senses can detect radio waves. But if we know how to build a device that can access radio waves, we can harness their power to our advantage. Similarly, the eternal essence remains beyond the comprehension of those who have not purified their mind. But for those who have purified their mind, and followed a systematic method of enquiry under the guidance of scriptures and a teacher, it is ever accessible.
 
This leads us to the third contradiction. For those who have enquired about the nature of the eternal essence systematically, it is immediately available at all times as the self, the “I” within us. But for those who are ignorant, it is far away. Shankaraachaarya says that it is unattainable even in millions of years for such people. Whenever we focus on names and forms, we lose sight of the self. But when we remove the upaadhis of names and forms, we come back to the self, the “I”, that is behind all the names and forms, just like the movie screen.
 
Note that any time we use analogies such as radio waves, we are trying to conceptualize the eternal essence which is beyond all conception. We need to consider such analogies as helpful pointers, and nothing more.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 13, Chapter 13

14 Monday Jan 2013

Posted by skr_2011 in 13.13, aavritya, akshishiromukham, chapter 13 verse 13, loke, paanipaadam, sarvam, sarvataha, shrutimat, tat, tishthati

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sarvatahapaanipaadam tatsarvatokshishiromukham |
sarvatahashrutimalloke sarvamaavritya tishthati || 13 ||

 
With hands and legs everywhere, with eyes, heads and mouths everywhere, with ears everywhere, it is established in all the worlds, pervading all.
 
sarvataha : everywhere
paanipaadam : hands and legs
tat : it
sarvataha : everywhere
akshishiromukham : eyes, heads and mouths
sarvataha : everywhere
shrutimat : eyes
loke : worlds
sarvam : everywhere
aavritya : pervading
tishthati : established
 
How does a child come to learn about electricity? The teacher does not directly tell him that “electricity is defined as a form of energy resulting from the existence of charged particles such as electrons or protons”. The teacher uses what the child already knows and imparts the knowledge to him step by step. So the teacher may first say that to the child: wherever you see bright light in a bulb, that is electricity. Once the child has grasped this concept, then the teacher may say: wherever you see wires connected, that is electricity. Slowly, as the child is able to understand the nuances of atoms and electrons, the teacher then reveals to him the technical definition.
 
Shri Krishna uses a similar process to gently reveal the nature of brahman, the eternal essence, also known as “jnyeyam” or the knowable, to us. Now, it is quite easy for us to see action and sentience – the power to experience things – in living creatures everywhere. So Shri Krishna says that wherever we see action in living beings, symbolically represented by the phrase “hands and legs”, we should recognize the presence of the eternal essence. Furthermore, wherever we see sentience in living beings, symbolically represented by the phrase “eyes, heads, mouths and ears”, we should recognize the presence of the eternal essence.
 
Going back to the example of the child learning electricity, the child may sometimes think that the electricity in a bulb is different than the electricity in a fan, or that the bulb limits the flow of electricity to the fan. To remove any similar misconceptions about the eternal essence, Shri Krishna says that the eternal essence pervades everywhere. In other words, it is only one eternal essence that is functioning through the organs of knowledge and action of all living creatures in all of the worlds, and that one organ does not limit the functioning of the eternal essence in another organ.
 
An example commonly used to illustrate this notion is that of space and pot-space. The space that is in a clay pot and the space outside it is the same. But just because the walls of the pot surround it, we label the space inside as “pot-space”. The pot is a classic example of an upaadhi, something that as though limits the space in it, but does not do so in reality. Space, then, pervades all pots. Similarly, the organs of all living creatures may seem to limit the eternal essence, but not so in reality.
 
Having established the starting point for realizing the eternal essence, Shri Krishna goes one step further in the next shloka.

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