BHAGAVAD-GITA 13:17

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BHAGAVAD-GITA 13:17

 

avibhaktam ca bhutesu

vibhaktam iva ca sthitam

bhuta-bhartr ca tajjneyam

grasisnu prabhavisnu ca

 

WORD FOR WORD

 

avibhaktam--without division; ca--also; bhutesu--in all living beings;

vibhaktam--divided; iva--as if; ca--also; sthitam--situated;

bhuta-bhartr--the maintainer of all living entities; ca--also;

tat--that; jneyam--to be understood; grasisnu--devouring;

prabhavisnu--developing; ca--also.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Although the Supersoul appears to be divided among all beings, He is

never divided. He is situated as one. Although He is the maintainer of

every living entity, it is to be understood that He devours and

develops all.

 

PURPORT

 

The Lord is situated in everyone's heart as the Supersoul. Does this

mean that He has become divided? No. Actually, He is one. The example

is given of the sun: The sun, at the meridian, is situated in its

place. But if one goes for five thousand miles in all directions and

asks, "Where is the sun?" everyone will say that it is shining on his

head. In the Vedic literature this example is given to show that

although He is undivided, He is situated as if divided. Also it is

said in Vedic literature that one Visnu is present everywhere by His

omnipotence, just as the sun appears in many places to many persons.

And the Supreme Lord, although the maintainer of every living entity,

devours everything at the time of annihilation. This was confirmed in

the Eleventh Chapter when the Lord said that He had come to devour all

the warriors assembled at Kuruksetra. He also mentioned that in the

form of time He devours also. He is the annihilator, the killer of

all. When there is creation, He develops all from their original

state, and at the time of annihilation He devours them. The Vedic

hymns confirm the fact that He is the origin of all living entities

and the rest of all. After creation, everything rests in His

omnipotence, and after annihilation everything again returns to rest

in Him. These are the confirmations of Vedic hymns. Yato va imani

bhutani jayante yena jatani jivanti yat prayanty abhisam-visanti tad

brahma tad vijijnasasva (Taittiriya Upanisad 3.1).

 

Copyright 1983 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International. Used with

permission.