Bhagavad Gita Chapter 6, Verse 29

Chapter 6 – Dhyana Yoga · Speaker: Krishna

Sanskrit verse

सर्वभूतस्थमात्मानं सर्वभूतानि चात्मनि ।
ईक्षते योगयुक्तात्मा सर्वत्र समदर्शनः ॥

Transliteration

sarvabhūtasthamātmānaṃ sarvabhūtāni cātmani .
īkṣate yogayuktātmā sarvatra samadarśanaḥ ॥

Meaning

The one whose mind is united in yoga, seeing with equal vision everywhere, beholds the Self abiding in all beings and all beings in the Self.

Word meanings

सर्वभूतस्थम् – abiding in all beings
आत्मानम् – the Self
सर्वभूतानि – all beings
च – and
आत्मनि – in the Self
ईक्षते – sees
योगयुक्तात्मा – one whose mind is united in yoga
सर्वत्र – everywhere
समदर्शनः – of equal vision

Anvaya (word order)

योगयुक्तात्मा सर्वत्र समदर्शनः आत्मानं सर्वभूतस्थं सर्वभूतानि च आत्मनि ईक्षते ।

Explanation

Having described the highest state of meditation, Krishna now shows how such a yogi sees the world with open eyes. Meditation is not merely a state of sitting on the seat; its real fruit is a transformation of vision. The yogi becomes sarvatra sama-darshana — one who sees the same truth everywhere.

His vision moves in two directions. First, sarva-bhuta-stham atmanam — he sees his own Self in all beings. The consciousness within him is the same in the ant, the tree, the friend and the enemy. Second, sarva-bhutani chatmani — he sees all beings in his own Self. As all waves rise in one ocean, all beings abide in one consciousness.

The commentators differ subtly here. From Shankara's non-dual standpoint, the verse speaks of realising the identity of the Self and Brahman: the one Self is present in all, from the creator Brahma down to a blade of grass, and all are superimposed upon it. For Ramanuja, the yogi sees that all individual selves, once separated from matter, are alike in being of the nature of knowledge; hence he sees all selves as similar to his own. In both readings the conclusion of equal vision is the same.

The same vision appears in the Isha Upanishad: one who sees all beings in the Self and the Self in all beings hates no one. This equal vision is the root of true compassion and non-violence.

Context

Verses 6.27–28 described the bliss of the highest meditative state. From here (6.29) to 6.32 the yogi's vision is described. In the next verse (6.30) Krishna says the same with reference to himself — one who sees Me in all and all in Me.

Life lesson

Learn to see your own reflection in others. When you begin to feel another's pain as your own and another's joy as your own, jealousy, hatred and discrimination begin to fall away by themselves.

Key terms

Sama-darshana: the vision that sees one truth in all
Yoga-yuktatma: one whose mind is united in yoga
Sarva-bhuta-stha: abiding in all beings