Bhagavad Gita Chapter 13, Verse 33 (BG 13.33) — Meaning, Translation & Commentary

13.33 यथा as? सर्वगतम् the allpervading? सौक्ष्म्यात् because of its subtlety? आकाशम् ether? न not? उपलिप्यते is tainted? सर्वत्र everywhere? अवस्थितः seated? देहे in the body? तथा so? आत्मा the Self? न not? उपलिप्यते is tainted.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.

Commentaries

Contemporary scholarly and practical interpretations for modern seekers.

This interpretation draws on a specific tradition and may not represent the view of any single school. For authoritative guidance within a specific tradition, seek a qualified teacher.

Modern

Here, the relationship between prakriti and purusha is illustrated through the example of space. Space is that which provides a place for things to dwell. Among the five great elements, space is the subtlest and therefore all-pervading. The subtle space pervades all gross objects within it, yet none of those objects can limit it or stain it with their defects. The Supreme Self, being the cause even of space, is subtler than space itself and pervades it. It pervades all things, yet nothing can pervade it. Thus, the Supreme Self, though dwelling in the body, remains unstained by it. The hands of a murderer in a dream cannot stain the awakened person with blood. The blood-stained garments of a ghost cannot leave their mark upon a pillar. The mirage cannot wet the sand. These are all examples of illusion and false superimposition. This world, being projected from ignorance of the Supreme Truth, cannot in any way defile the Supreme Self. Then, what is the function of this Self in the body? Listen.