Bhagavad Gita Chapter 10, Verse 20

Chapter 10 – Vibhuti Yoga · Speaker: Krishna

Sanskrit verse

अहमात्मा गुडाकेश सर्वभूताशयस्थितः ।
अहमादिश्च मध्यं च भूतानामन्त एव च ॥

Transliteration

ahamātmā guḍākeśa sarvabhūtāśayasthitaḥ .
ahamādiśca madhyaṃ ca bhūtānāmanta eva ca ॥

Meaning

I am the Self, O Gudakesha, seated in the hearts of all beings; I am the beginning, the middle and the end of all beings.

Word meanings

अहम् – I
आत्मा – the Self
गुडाकेश – O conqueror of sleep (Arjuna)
सर्वभूताशयस्थितः – seated in the hearts of all beings
अहम् – I
आदिः – the beginning
च – and
मध्यम् – the middle
च – and
भूतानाम् – of beings
अन्तः – the end
एव – also
च – and

Anvaya (word order)

गुडाकेश, अहं सर्वभूताशयस्थितः आत्मा (अस्मि); अहं च भूतानाम् आदिः मध्यं च अन्तः एव च (अस्मि) ।

Explanation

Before beginning His list of glories, Krishna names the most fundamental and highest vibhuti of all: ‘I am the Self, O Gudakesha, seated in the hearts of all beings.’ This is no outer object but the innermost reality of every creature, which is why this verse is regarded as the deepest of the chapter. All the vibhutis that follow, the sun, the moon, the Himalaya, the Ganga, are seen outside; this one is realised within.

Shankara gives this verse special weight. He says the most qualified seekers should meditate on the Lord precisely in this form: as the Self that shines as ‘I’ within every being. For those unable to meditate in this way, the vibhutis that follow are given. From the Advaita standpoint this proclaims the identity of the Self and the Supreme: the consciousness that glows within me as ‘I am’ is God Himself.

Ramanuja reads it in terms of the antaryami, the inner controller: the Lord dwells in the heart of every being as the Self of their very self, their ruler and support. As the soul is the self of the body, the Supreme is the Self of the soul. Madhva likewise sees the Lord as the independent controller within all. All three teachers agree that God is not far from us but enthroned in the innermost chamber of our hearts.

Aham adish cha madhyam cha bhutanam anta eva cha, ‘I am the beginning, middle and end of beings’. Birth, life and death all take place within the Lord. A pot is made from clay, rests as clay and returns to clay when broken; in the same way all beings come from God, live in God and return to God.

The address Gudakesha is telling. Gudaka means sleep; Gudakesha is the master of sleep, one who has overcome the slumber of sloth and ignorance. Krishna seems to say: you are awake, Arjuna, so you can grasp this subtlest truth. The message for the seeker is that one need not travel far to find God: close the eyes, turn to the witnessing awareness within, and He is there.

Context

In verse 19 Krishna promised to tell His chief glories. Here He names the first and highest of them: the Self in the heart of all. From the next verse He begins listing His finest manifestations in various classes: Vishnu among the Adityas, the sun among lights, and so on.

Life lesson

Before searching for God outside, seek Him within; He dwells in every heart as the Self. As this conviction grows, we begin to see the same consciousness in every being and to honour all.

Key terms

Atma: the Self, the innermost consciousness of every being
Sarva-bhutashaya: the heart of all beings
Antaryami: the inner controller
Adi-madhya-anta: beginning, middle and end: origin, sustenance, dissolution
Gudakesha: conqueror of sleep, Arjuna