🪷 Bhagavad-Gītā · 13.17

Chapter 13 · क्षेत्रक्षेत्रज्ञविभागयोग · Kṣetra-Kṣetrajña-Vibhāga-Yoga · "The Yoga of the Field & the Field-Knower" · Verse 17 of 35

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अविभक्तं च भूतेषु विभक्तमिव च स्थितम्।भूतभर्तृ च तज्ज्ञेयं ग्रसिष्णु प्रभविष्णु च।।13.17।।
— Bhagavad-Gītā 13.17 · the yathārtha śloka (Devanāgarī Sanskrit · canonical)

🪷 English Translations

Five authentic English voices · each from a distinct sampradāya · together revealing the verse's full śabda-tattva.

Shri Purohit Swami · Poetic English · 1935 · public domain · Cosmo Press tradition
13.17 In all beings undivided, yet living in division, It is the upholder of all, Creator and Destroyer alike;
Swami Sivananda · Direct prose · Divine Life Society
13.17 And undivided, yet It exists as if divided in beings; It is to be known as the supporter of being; It devours and It generates.
Swami Gambīrānanda · Word-key glosses · Advaita Ashrama · Śaṅkara-school
13.17 And further, tat, that; jneyam, Knowable; though avibhaktam, undivided, remaining the same in all beings like space; iva sthitam, appears to be existing; as vibhaktam, divided; bhutesu, in all beings, because It is perceived as existing in the bodies themselves. And just as a rope etc. are with regard to a snake etc. That are falsely imagined, similarly that Knowable is bhutabhartr, the sustainer of all beings, sinced It sustains all during the period of their existence; grasisnu, the devourer, at the time of dissolution; and prabhavisnu, the originator, at the time of creation. Further, it the Knowable is not perceived though existing everywhere, then It is darkness? Not! What then?
Swami Ādidevānanda · Śrī-Vaiṣṇava perspective · Rāmānuja school
13.17 Though the entity called the self is present everywhere in the bodies of divinities, men etc., It is 'undivided' because of Its form being that of the knower. However, to those who are ignorant, It appears divided, by such forms as those of divinities etc. - 'I am a divinity,' 'man' etc. Though the self can be contemplated by way of co-ordinate predication as one with the body in such significations as, 'I am divinity, I am a man,' It can be known as being different from the body, because of Its being a knower. That is why it has already been pointed out at the beginning: 'He who knows It? (13.1). Now Sri Krsna says that It can be known as different also on other grounds - as the 'supporter of elements' etc. Because It supports the earth and other elements combined in the shape of the body, the self can be known as being different from the elements supported. The sense is that It can be known as a separate entity. Likewise, It is that which 'devours', namely, the consumer of physical food etc. Because, It 'devours' the food, It can be known as an entity different from the elements. It causes 'generation' - It is the cause of transformation of consumed food etc., into other forms like blood etc. As eating, generating etc., are not seen in a corpse, it is settled that the body, an aggregate of elements, cannot be the cause of devouring food, generating of species and supporting them.
Dr. S. Sankaranarayan · Academic precision · modern scholarly
13.17. It remains undistinguished (common) in the distinguished [beings], and appears as if distinguished. It is to be known as the supporter of beings, and also as [their] swallower and orginator.

🪷 Hindi Translation · हिन्दी अनुवाद

For the Hindi-aware seer · Pūjya Swami Rāmsukhdās ji's translation · the highest-readability modern Hindi rendering · Gītā-Press Gorakhpur tradition.

🪷 Swami Rāmsukhdās · Sādhaka-Sañjīvanī tradition · Gītā-Press Gorakhpur · highest modern Hindi reading
।।13.17।।वे परमात्मा स्वयं विभागरहित होते हुए भी सम्पूर्ण प्राणियोंमें विभक्तकी तरह स्थित हैं। वे जाननेयोग्य परमात्मा ही सम्पूर्ण प्राणियोंको उत्पन्न करनेवाले, उनका भरण-पोषण करनेवाले और संहार करनेवाले हैं।

🪷 English Commentaries · The Ācārya Voices

The classical commentary tradition rendered in English · each ācārya speaks from their own sampradāya · the seer chooses the depth of darśana.

Swami Sivananda · Verse-by-verse word-keys with Sanskrit anchors
13.17 अविभक्तम् undivided? च and? भूतेषु in beings? विभक्तम् divided? इव as if? च and? स्थितम् existing? भूतभर्तृ the supporter of beings? च and? तत् That ज्ञेयम् to be known? ग्रसिष्णु devouring? प्रभविष्णु generating? च and.Commentary Brahman must be regarded as That which supports? swallows up and also creates all beings? in the three forms of Brahma who creates the world of names anf forms? Vishnu who preserves or sustains? and Rudra who destroys. It is undivided in the various bodies. It is like ether. It is allpervding like space (Akasa). It is indivisible and the One? but It seems to divide Itself in forms and appears as all the separate existing things and beings. It is essentially unbroken. Yet? It is? as it were? divided among all beings.It devours this world during the cosmic dissolution. It generates it at the time of the origin of the next age. It supports all beings during the period of sustenance of this world.Just as fire is hidden in the wood? so also Brahman is hidden in all bodies. Just as the one space appears to be different through the limiting adjuncts (pot? house? etc.) so also the one indivisible Brahman appears to be different through the limiting adjuncts (the body? etc.). (Cf.XVIII.20)An objector says The knowable Brahman? the Knower of the field? is allpervading. It exists everywhere and yet It is not perceived. Therefore It must be of the nature of darkness or Tamas.The answer is No. It cannot be.What? then It is the Light of Lights.
Swami Gambīrānanda · Advaita-school commentary (Śaṅkara tradition)
13.17 And further, tat, that; jneyam, Knowable; though avibhaktam, undivided, remaining the same in all beings like space; iva sthitam, appears to be existing; as vibhaktam, divided; bhutesu, in all beings, because It is perceived as existing in the bodies themselves. And just as a rope etc. are with regard to a snake etc. That are falsely imagined, similarly that Knowable is bhutabhartr, the sustainer of all beings, sinced It sustains all during the period of their existence; grasisnu, the devourer, at the time of dissolution; and prabhavisnu, the originator, at the time of creation. Further, it the Knowable is not perceived though existing everywhere, then It is darkness? Not! What then?
Swami Ādidevānanda · Rāmānuja Śrī-Vaiṣṇava commentary
13.17 Though the entity called the self is present everywhere in the bodies of divinities, men etc., It is 'undivided' because of Its form being that of the knower. However, to those who are ignorant, It appears divided, by such forms as those of divinities etc. - 'I am a divinity,' 'man' etc. Though the self can be contemplated by way of co-ordinate predication as one with the body in such significations as, 'I am divinity, I am a man,' It can be known as being different from the body, because of Its being a knower. That is why it has already been pointed out at the beginning: 'He who knows It? (13.1). Now Sri Krsna says that It can be known as different also on other grounds - as the 'supporter of elements' etc. Because It supports the earth and other elements combined in the shape of the body, the self can be known as being different from the elements supported. The sense is that It can be known as a separate entity. Likewise, It is that which 'devours', namely, the consumer of physical food etc. Because, It 'devours' the food, It can be known as an entity different from the elements. It causes 'generation' - It is the cause of transformation of consumed food etc., into other forms like blood etc. As eating, generating etc., are not seen in a corpse, it is settled that the body, an aggregate of elements, cannot be the cause of devouring food, generating of species and supporting them.
Dr. S. Sankaranarayan · Modern academic scholarship
13.17 See Comment under 13.18
Swami Chinmayānanda · Chinmaya Mission · modern Vedantic teaching
।।13.17।। यद्यपि विद्युत् सर्वत्र विद्यमान है? तथापि प्रकाश के रूप में वह केवल बल्ब में ही प्रकट होती है। उसी प्रकार आत्मा सर्वगत होते हुए भी जहाँ उपाधियाँ हैं वहीं पर विशेष रूप से प्रकट होता है। एक ही व्यापक आकाश घट और मठ की उपाधियों से घटाकाश और मठाकाश के रूप में प्रतीत होता है।पूर्व के अध्यायों में भी अनेक स्थलों पर वर्णन किया जा चुका है कि किस प्रकार विश्वाधिष्ठान परमात्मा विश्व की उत्पत्ति? स्थिति और संहार का कर्ता है। यहाँ मिट्टी? स्वर्ण? समुद्र और जाग्रतअवस्था के मन के दृष्टान्त स्मरणीय हैं? जो क्रमश घट? आभूषण? तरंग और स्वप्न की उत्पत्ति? स्थिति और लय के कारण होते हैं।यह ज्ञेय वस्तु है। प्रस्तुत प्रकरण के श्लोकों में उस ज्ञेय वस्तु का निर्देशात्मक वर्णन किया गया है? जिसे आत्मरूप से जानने के लिए अमानित्वादि गुणों के पालन से अन्तकरण को सुपात्र बनाने का उपदेश दिया गया था।आत्मतत्त्व हमारे अन्तर्बाह्य सर्वत्र व्याप्त होते हुए भी यदि अनुभव का विषय नहीं बनता हो? तो वह अन्धकारस्वरूप होगा। ऐसी शंका प्राप्त होने पर कहते हैं कि ऐसा नहीं है? क्योंकि

🪷 Hindi Vyākhyā · हिन्दी व्याख्या

Pūjya Swami Rāmsukhdās ji's Sādhaka-Sañjīvanī · one of the greatest modern Hindi vyākhyās of the Gītā · direct, pure, deeply Vedāntic · the modern Sanātana-jāgaraṇa.

🪷 Swami Rāmsukhdās · Sādhaka-Sañjīvanī · Hindi vyākhyā · the modern bilingual anchor
।।13.17।। व्याख्या -- अविभक्तं च भूतेषु विभक्तमिव च स्थितम् -- इस त्रिलोकीमें देखने? सुनने और समझनेमें जितने भी स्थावरजङ्गम प्राणी आते हैं? उन सबमें परमात्मा स्वयं विभागरहित होते हुए भी विभक्तकी तरह प्रतीत होते हैं। विभाग केवल प्रतीति है।जिस प्रकार आकाश घट? मठ आदिकी उपाधिसे घटाकाश? मठाकाश आदिके रूपमें अलगअलग दीखते हुए भी तत्त्वसे एक ही है? उसी प्रकार परमात्मा भिन्नभिन्न प्राणियोंके शरीरोंकी उपाधिसे अलगअलग दीखते हुए भी तत्त्वसे एक ही हैं।इसी अध्यायके सत्ताईसवें श्लोकमें समं सर्वेषु भूतेषु तिष्ठन्तं परमेश्वरम् पदोंसे परमात्माको सम्पूर्ण प्राणियोंमें समभावसे स्थित देखनेके लिये कहा गया है। इसी तरह अठारहवें अध्यायके बीसवें श्लोकमें अविभक्तंविभक्तेषु पदोंसे सात्त्विक ज्ञानका वर्णन करते हुए भी परमात्माको अविभक्तरूपसे देखनेको ही सात्त्विक ज्ञान कहा गया है।भूतभर्तृ च तज्ज्ञेयं ग्रसिष्णु प्रभविष्णु च -- इसी अध्यायके दूसरे श्लोकमें विद्धि पदसे जिस परमात्माको जाननेकी बात कही गयी है और बारहवें श्लोकमें जिस ज्ञेय तत्त्वका वर्णन करनेकी प्रतिज्ञा की गयी है? उसीका यहाँ ब्रह्मा? विष्णु और शिवके रूपसे वर्णन हुआ है। वस्तुतः चेतन तत्त्व (परमात्मा) एक ही है। वे ही परमात्मा रजोगुणकी प्रधानता स्वीकार करनेसे ब्रह्मारूपसे सबको उत्पन्न करनेवाले सत्त्वगुणकी प्रधानता स्वीकार करनेसे विष्णुरूपसे सबका भरणपोषण करनेवाले और तमोगुणकी प्रधानता स्वीकार करनेसे रुद्ररूपसे सबका संहार करनेवाले हैं। तात्पर्य है कि एक ही परमात्मा सृष्टि? पालन और संहार करनेके कारण ब्रह्मा? विष्णु और शिव नाम धारण करते हैं (टिप्पणी प0 691)। यहाँ यह समझ लेना आवश्यक है कि परमात्मा सृष्टिरचनादि कार्योंके लिये भिन्नभिन्न गुणोंको स्वीकार करनेपर भी उन गुणोंके वशीभीत नहीं होते। गुणोंपर उनका पूर्ण आधिपत्य रहता है। सम्बन्ध -- पूर्वश्लोकमें भगवान्ने ज्ञेय तत्त्वका आधाररूपसे वर्णन किया? अब आगेके श्लोकमें उसका प्रकाशकरूपसे वर्णन करते हैं।

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सर्वम् कृष्णार्पणम् — this verse is one maṇi (jewel) on Krishna's thread (BG 7.7)