Bhagavad Gita 15.15 · Sarvasya Chaham Hridiसर्वस्य चाहं हृदि सन्निविष्टो मत्तः स्मृतिर्ज्ञानमपोहनं च।वेदैश्च सर्वैरहमेव वेद्यो वेदान्तकृद्वेदविदेव चाहम् ॥
sarvasya chāhaṁ hṛidi sanniviṣhṭo mattaḥ smṛitir jñānam apohanaṁ cha
vedaiśh cha sarvair aham eva vedyo vedānta-kṛid veda-vid eva chāham
Sanskrit recitation
The supreme person · 15.12–15.20 · Teaching
Translation
And I am seated in the hearts of all; from Me come memory and knowledge, as well as their absence. I am verily That which has to be known by all the Vedas; I am indeed the author of the Vedanta and the knower of the Vedas.
Hindi translation
मैं सम्पूर्ण प्राणियोंके हृदयमें स्थित हूँ। मेरेसे ही स्मृति, ज्ञान और अपोहन (संशय आदि दोषोंका नाश) होता है। सम्पूर्ण वेदोंके द्वारा मैं ही जाननेयोग्य हूँ। वेदोंके तत्त्वका निर्णय करनेवाला और वेदोंको जाननेवाला भी मैं ही हूँ।
Meaning
I am seated in the hearts of all sentient beings as their innermost Self. Therefore from Me, the Self of all beings, are memory, knowledge and their loss. Righteous persons have knowledge and memory as a result of virtuous deeds. Sinful persons have loss of memory and knowledge as a result of vicious deeds. Virtue promotes peace and hence intellectual powers.Apohanam Loss (destruction or absence) of memory and knowledge, as also of the reasoning faculty. The loss of memory and knowledge is due to lust, anger, grief and delusion.Smriti Memory. It is a special modification of the mind (Antahkarana Vritti) born of the Samskaras that causes the revival of the past experiences or enjoyments of sensual objects of this life in a worldy man who has not practised Yoga. A Yogi gets revival of experiences of his past lives and transcendental knowledge that is beyond time, space and causation and visible nature.I am the central topic of the Vedas. To understand the Vedas is to Know Me. I, the Supreme Being, am to be known in all the Vedas. It is I Who know the Vedic teaching or the meaning of the Vedas. I cause the teaching of the Vedanta to be handed down in regular succession
After Swami Sivananda
The supreme person· 15.12–15.20→
Teachers usually read this idea across several verses together, one shared reflection covers the whole unit.
- 15.12That light which resides in the sun, illuminating the whole world; that which is in the…
- 15.13Permeating the earth, I support all beings with My energy; and having become the watery…
- 15.14Having become the fire Vaisvanara, I abide in the bodies of living beings and, associated…
15.15And I am seated in the hearts of all; from Me come memory and knowledge, as well as their…
- 15.16Two Purushas there are in this world: the perishable and the imperishable. All beings are…
- 15.17But distinct is the Supreme Purusha, called the highest Self, indestructible and Lord, who…
- 15.18As I transcend the perishable and am even higher than the imperishable, I am declared to…
- 15.19He who, undeluded, knows Me as the highest Purusha, he, knowing all, worships Me with his…
- 15.20Thus, I have imparted to you this most secret science, O sinless one; by knowing this, one…
Word-by-word→
- cha
- and
- eva
- alone
- aham
- I
- hṛidi
- in the hearts
- apohanam
- forgetfulness
- jñānam
- knowledge
- mattaḥ
- from me
- sarvasya
- of all living beings
- veda-vit
- the knower of the meaning of the Vedas
- vedaiḥ
- by the Vedas
- vedyaḥ
- to be known
- sarvaiḥ
- all
- smṛitiḥ
- memory
- vedānta-kṛit
- the author of the Vedānt
- sanniviṣhṭaḥ
- seated
Related verses
- 5.17Their intellect absorbed in That, their self being That, established in That, with That as…
- 13.31When a person sees all beings as resting in the One and emanating from the One alone, they…
- 15.11The yogis striving for perfection behold Him dwelling in the Self; but, the unrefined and…
- 18.12The threefold fruit of action (evil, good, and mixed) accrues after death to those who do…