Clarity — Lesson 32
What is to be known — the nature of reality (Gita 13.12–18)
Verses
अनादिमत्परं ब्रह्म न सतन्नासदुच्यते ॥ १३.१२ ॥
सर्वतः पाणिपादं तत्सर्वतोऽक्षिशिरोमुखम् ।
सर्वतः श्रुतिमल्लोके सर्वमावृत्य तिष्ठति ॥ १३.१३ ॥
सर्वेन्द्रियगुणाभासं सर्वेन्द्रियविवर्जितम् ।
असक्तं सर्वभृच्चैव निर्गुणं गुणभोक्तृ च ॥ १३.१४ ॥
बहिरन्तश्च भूतानामचरं चरमेव च ।
सूक्ष्मत्वात्तदविज्ञेयं दूरस्थं चान्तिके च तत् ॥ १३.१५ ॥
अविभक्तं च भूतेषु विभक्तमिव च स्थितम् ।
भूतभर्तृ च तज्ज्ञेयं ग्रसिष्णु प्रभविष्णु च ॥ १३.१६ ॥
ज्योतिषामपि तज्ज्योतिस्तमसः परमुच्यते ।
ज्ञानं ज्ञेयं ज्ञानगम्यं हृदि सर्वस्य विष्ठितम् ॥ १३.१७ ॥
इति क्षेत्रं तथा ज्ञानं ज्ञेयं चोक्तं समासतः ।
मद्भक्त एतद्विज्ञाय मद्भावायोपपद्यते ॥ १३.१८ ॥
Transliteration
jñeyaṁ yat tat pravakṣyāmi yaj jñātvāmṛtam aśnute
anādimat paraṁ brahma na sat tan nāsad ucyate
sarvataḥ pāṇi-pādaṁ tat sarvato'kṣi-śiro-mukham
sarvataḥ śrutimal loke sarvam āvṛtya tiṣṭhati
sarvendriya-guṇābhāsaṁ sarvendriya-vivarjitam
asaktaṁ sarva-bhṛc caiva nirguṇaṁ guṇa-bhoktṛ ca
bahir antaś ca bhūtānām acaraṁ caram eva ca
sūkṣmatvāt tad avijñeyaṁ dūrasthaṁ cāntike ca tat
avibhaktaṁ ca bhūteṣu vibhaktam iva ca sthitam
bhūta-bhartṛ ca taj jñeyaṁ grasiṣṇu prabhaviṣṇu ca
jyotiṣām api taj jyotis tamasaḥ param ucyate
jñānaṁ jñeyaṁ jñāna-gamyaṁ hṛdi sarvasya viṣṭhitam
iti kṣetraṁ tathā jñānaṁ jñeyaṁ coktaṁ samāsataḥ
mad-bhakta etad vijñāya mad-bhāvāyopapadyate
Meaning
Krishna now explains what is to be known. It is beginningless, beyond existence and non-existence, the supreme reality. It pervades everything, yet is not limited by anything. It appears as the functioning of all senses, yet is itself free from all senses. It is inside and outside all beings, unmoving yet appearing as moving, subtle and difficult to grasp. It appears divided among beings, yet remains undivided. It is the light of all lights, beyond darkness, present in the heart of all. Knowing this leads to true understanding.
Key Ideas
- brahman — ultimate reality
- anādimat — beginningless
- sarvataḥ — everywhere
- nirguṇam — free from attributes
- avibhaktam — undivided
- jyotiḥ — light, awareness
- hṛdi sthitam — present in the heart
Teaching
Krishna now describes reality in a paradoxical way. Why paradoxical? Because the Self cannot be objectified. It is not something we can point to. It is everything, yet not limited to anything. It is present everywhere, yet not seen as an object. It is the light because of which everything is known, but itself is never seen. These descriptions are meant to remove wrong ideas, not to create a new concept. They point us back to the Self as pure awareness.
Connection to Clarity
Clarity now becomes subtle. It is no longer just: “I am not the body.” It becomes: “I am the awareness in which everything appears.” This vision removes limitation, separation, and confusion at the deepest level.
Reflection
Everything I know is known to me. What is that “me” because of which all knowing is possible?