Bhagavad Gita 13.16बहिरन्तश्च भूतानामचरं चरमेव च।सूक्ष्मत्वात्तदविज्ञेयं दूरस्थं चान्तिके च तत् ॥
bahir antaśh cha bhūtānām acharaṁ charam eva cha
sūkṣhmatvāt tad avijñeyaṁ dūra-sthaṁ chāntike cha tat
Sanskrit recitation
The field and the knower · 13.1–13.18 · Teaching
Translation
It is within and without all beings, both the unmoving and the moving; It is subtle and unknowable, and It is near and far away.
Hindi translation
वे परमात्मा सम्पूर्ण प्राणियोंके बाहर-भीतर परिपूर्ण हैं और चर-अचर प्राणियोंके रूपमें भी वे ही हैं एवं दूर-से-दूर तथा नजदीक-से-नजदीक भी वे ही हैं। वे अत्यन्त सूक्ष्म होनेसे जाननेका विषय नहीं हैं।
Meaning
Brahman is subtle like the ether. It is incomprehensible to the unillumined on account of Its extreme subtlety. It is unknowable to the man who is not endowed with the four means of salvation.Brahman is known or realised by the wise. It is realised by the first class aspirant who is eipped with these means. It is near to the wise man or the illumined because It is his very Self. It is very far to the ignorant man who is drowned in worldliness or sensual pleasures. It is not attainable by the ignorant or unenlightened even in millions of years.Near and far away This expression is found in the Isavasya Upanishad (5) and the Mundaka Upanishad (3.17).
After Swami Sivananda
The field and the knower· 13.1–13.18→
Teachers usually read this idea across several verses together, one shared reflection covers the whole unit.
- 13.1Arjuna said, "I wish to learn about Nature and the Spirit, the field and the knower of the…
- 13.2The Blessed Lord said, "O Arjuna, this body is called the field; he who knows it is called…
- 13.3Do thou also know Me as the knower of the field in all fields, O Arjuna. Knowledge of both…
- 13.4Hear from Me in brief what the field is, of what nature it is, what its modifications are,…
- 13.5Sages have sung in many ways, with various distinctive chants and also with suggestive…
- 13.6The great elements, egoism, intellect, and also the Unmanifested Nature, the ten senses,…
- 13.7Desire, hatred, pleasure, pain, the aggregate (body), intelligence, and fortitude—the…
- 13.8Humility, unpretentiousness, non-injury, forgiveness, uprightness, service to the teacher,…
- 13.9Indifference to the objects of the senses and also absence of egoism; perceiving the evil…
- 13.10Non-attachment, non-identification of the Self with son, wife, home, and the rest, and…
- 13.11Unswerving devotion to Me through the Yoga of non-separation, resorting to solitary…
- 13.12Constancy in Self-knowledge, the perception of the end of true knowledge—this is declared…
- 13.13I will declare that which is to be known, knowing which one attains immortality; the…
- 13.14With hands and feet everywhere, with eyes, heads, and mouths everywhere, with ears…
- 13.15Shining by the functions of all the senses, yet without being attached to them;…
13.16It is within and without all beings, both the unmoving and the moving; It is subtle and…
- 13.17Undivided yet, It exists as if divided in beings; It is to be known as the supporter of…
- 13.18That Light of all lights is said to be beyond darkness: knowledge, the knowable, and the…
Word-by-word→
- cha
- also
- eva
- indeed
- tat
- he
- antike
- very near
- charam
- moving
- acharam
- not moving
- antaḥ
- inside
- bahiḥ
- outside
- avijñeyam
- incomprehensible
- bhūtānām
- all living beings
- dūra-stham
- very far away
- sūkṣhmatvāt
- due to subtlety
Related verses
- 13.24He who thus knows the Spirit and Matter together with their qualities, in whatever…
- 15.19He who, undeluded, knows Me as the highest Purusha, he, knowing all, worships Me with his…
- 5.10He who does actions, offering them to Brahman and abandoning attachment, is not tainted by…
- 3.19Therefore, without attachment, always perform the actions that should be done; for by…