Bhagavad Gita Chapter 13, Verse 14 (BG 13.14)

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Bhagavad Gita Chapter 13, Verse 14 — Meaning & Commentary | Live Gita

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सर्वतः पाणिपादं तत्सर्वतोऽक्षिशिरोमुखम् |
सर्वतः श्रुतिमल्लोके सर्वमावृत्य तिष्ठति ||१३-१४||

sarvataḥ pāṇipādaṃ tatsarvato.akṣiśiromukham . sarvataḥ śrutimalloke sarvamāvṛtya tiṣṭhati ||13-14||

With hands and feet everywhere, with eyes, heads and mouths everywhere, with ears everywhere, He exists in the worlds enveloping all.

In simple words

Krishna describes this supreme reality: "It has hands everywhere, feet everywhere, eyes everywhere, heads everywhere, ears everywhere. It exists in the world, surrounding everything."

Word-by-word meanings

सर्वतःeverywhereपाणिपादम्with hands and feetतत्thatसर्वतःeverywhereअक्षिशिरोमुखम्with eyes heads and mouthsसर्वतःeverywhereश्रुतिमत्with earsलोकेin the worldसर्वम्allआवृत्यhaving envelopedतिष्ठतिexists

Commentaries

Contemporary scholarly and practical interpretations for modern seekers.

Swami Sivananda

13.14 सर्वतः everywhere? पाणिपादम् with hands and feet? तत् that? सर्वतः everywhere? अक्षिशिरोमुखम् with eyes? heads and mouths? सर्वतः everywhere? श्रुतिमत् with ears? लोके in the world? सर्वम् all? आवृत्य having enveloped? तिष्ठति exists.Commentary He (the knower of the field or Para Brahman) pervades everything in this world. He fills and surrounds this world with Himself. He abides in the universe enveloping everything.In the previous verse it is said that the Brahman Which is to be known is neither being nor nonbeing. One may think that It is nonentity or void or nothing. In order to remove this misapprehension? the Lord says in this verse that the knowable has hands and feet everywhere? etc. It directs the mind and the senses to do their proper functions. This is only the manifest aspect of Saguna Brahman (Brahman with attributes).Just as the enginedriver drives the engine? so also the knowable or the knower of the field drieves the bodyengine. It is the Inner Ruler. It is the innermost Self. It is the support? substratum or basis for this world? body? mind? lifeforce and the senses. The existence of Brahman is determined or ascertained or indicated by the existence of the limiting adjuncts? viz.? body? mind and senses? because there must be selfconsciousness behind their activities. How can you call It nonexistence thenJust as the rope is not affected by the alities or the defects of the illusory superimposed snake? so also Para Brahman (the knower of the field) is not affected by the superimposed world? body? senses? mind and the lifeforce. There is only one common consciousness is eternal? selfluminous and allpervading. That common consciousness is Para Brahman.The body? mind? senses and the lifeforce are by nature insentient. But they are moved by Brahman to action. They act on account of the mere presence of Brahman or the knower of the field. (The limiting adjuncts are illusory.) Hence they put on the semblance of consciousness? just as the iron piece puts on the semblance of a magnet when it is in the presence of a magnet.The whole world is superimposed on Brahman like the snake on the rope. This is called Adhyaropa. It is sublated by the method (Yukti) of Apavada (negation or denial).This verse is taken from the Svetasvataropanishad 3.16.

Swami Chinmayananda

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.

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Commentaries

Contemporary scholarly and practical interpretations for modern seekers.

Swami Sivananda

Swami Chinmayananda

# BG 13.14 — Translation of Meaning The Supreme Brahman pervades all existence with hands and feet everywhere. With eyes, heads, and faces turned in all directions, with ears present on every side, Brahman stands encompassing all the worlds. The Supreme Truth sustains all beings through the consciousness that animates them. Though the hands and feet of creatures are fashioned from inert matter, they move and act only because the conscious Self within grants them life and purpose. This animating principle is one and the same everywhere. Similarly, all the senses — the eyes, heads, and mouths of all beings — function only through this universal consciousness. Therefore, the Self is described as possessing eyes, heads, and faces in all directions. It is through this consciousness that creatures perceive objects and engage in thought and action. Thus, the conscious Brahman is said to possess ears on every side, hearing all things. This Supreme Reality pervades and sustains all existence. When the Self is described in relation to the bodies and faculties it animates, one might mistakenly believe that consciousness exists only where these conditions are present. To dispel such limited understanding, it is affirmed here with perfect clarity: the Supreme Truth pervades all and stands transcendent everywhere. This verse recalls to the student of Vedic wisdom the celebrated Purusha Sukta of the Rigveda. The Blessed Lord continues:

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.

Bhagavad Gita Chapter 13, Verse 14 (BG 13.14) — Meaning, Translation & Commentary

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