Chapter 13, Verse 33
Part of 13: Kṣhetra Kṣhetrajña Vibhāg Yog — क्षेत्र-क्षेत्रज्ञविभागयोगयथा सर्वगतं सौक्ष्म्यादाकाशं नोपलिप्यते।सर्वत्रावस्थितो देहे तथाऽऽत्मा नोपलिप्यते॥
Transliteration
yathā sarva-gataṁ saukṣhmyād ākāśhaṁ nopalipyate sarvatrāvasthito dehe tathātmā nopalipyate
Meaning
As the all-pervading ether is not tainted, due to its subtlety, so the Self seated everywhere in the body is not tainted either.
Word-by-word meaning
yathā — assarva-gatam — all-pervadingsaukṣhmyāt — due to subtletyākāśham — the spacena — notupalipyate — is contaminatedsarvatra — everywhereavasthitaḥ — situateddehe — the bodytathā — similarlyātmā — the soulna — notupalipyate — is contaminated
Commentary
Ether pervades everything. All are immersed in it. There is no point whereunto ether does not penetrate and pervade and yet it is not tainted by anything. Even so the Self pervades the whole body and the whole world. Being subtler than the body the Self is never tainted by it or anything else. It is unattached and actionless. It has no parts or limbs. So virtuous and vicious actions cannot contaminate the Self. It is ever pure and stainless.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the meaning of Bhagavad Gita Chapter 13, Verse 33?▼
As the all-pervading ether is not tainted, due to its subtlety, so the Self seated everywhere in the body is not tainted either.
Which chapter and verse of the Bhagavad Gita is this?▼
This is verse 33 of Chapter 13 (Kṣhetra Kṣhetrajña Vibhāg Yog — Yoga through Distinguishing the Field and the Knower of the Field) of the Bhagavad Gita, a scripture of 18 chapters and 700 verses spoken by Lord Krishna to Arjuna.