Bhagavad Gita Chapter 6, Verse 30

Chapter 6 – Dhyana Yoga · Speaker: Krishna

Sanskrit verse

यो मां पश्यति सर्वत्र सर्वं च मयि पश्यति ।
तस्याहं न प्रणश्यामि स च मे न प्रणश्यति ॥

Transliteration

yo māṃ paśyati sarvatra sarvaṃ ca mayi paśyati .
tasyāhaṃ na praṇaśyāmi sa ca me na praṇaśyati ॥

Meaning

One who sees Me everywhere and sees everything in Me — I am never lost to him, nor is he ever lost to Me.

Word meanings

यः – one who
माम् – Me
पश्यति – sees
सर्वत्र – everywhere
सर्वम् – everything
च – and
मयि – in Me
तस्य – to him
अहम् – I
न – not
प्रणश्यामि – am lost, vanish from sight
सः – he
मे – to Me
प्रणश्यति – is lost

Anvaya (word order)

यः मां सर्वत्र पश्यति, सर्वं च मयि पश्यति, तस्य अहं न प्रणश्यामि, सः च मे न प्रणश्यति ।

Explanation

In the previous verse Krishna spoke of the all-pervading Self; now he relates the same truth to himself: see Me everywhere. Here the yoga of meditation merges with the yoga of devotion. The all-pervading Self is no abstract principle; it is the Lord Himself.

For the devotee who sees the Lord everywhere — in the light of the sun, the fragrance of a flower, a mother's love, even in hardships — and sees all things resting in the Lord, there is a wonderful promise: tasyaham na pranashyami — I am never lost to him. Pranashyami literally means 'perish', but here the sense is 'vanish from sight'. Such a devotee never suffers separation from the Lord, for wherever he looks, he sees the Lord.

And there is a second, even sweeter promise: sa cha me na pranashyati — nor is he ever lost to Me. This is the Lord's word that he never abandons his devotee, protects him and keeps his gracious gaze upon him always. Shankara says that between the Lord and such a knower there is oneness, so no distance remains. Ramanuja describes it as a relationship of mutual love: just as the devotee never forgets the Lord, the Lord never forgets him.

The verse shows that the culmination of spiritual life is a continuous, living relationship — one in which there is no room for distance or separation.

Context

Verse 6.29 described the yogi's vision of the Self in all; this verse links it with the vision of the Lord. The next verse (6.31) says that such a yogi, established in oneness, dwells in the Lord whatever his circumstances.

Life lesson

Pause a few times during the day and practise sensing the presence of God around you — in nature, in people and in events. One who sees God everywhere is never alone.

Key terms

Sarvatra darshana: seeing the Lord everywhere
Pranashyati: is lost, becomes distant
Ekatva: the unbreakable bond of devotee and Lord