Bhagavad Gita Chapter 14, Verse 27 (BG 14.27) — Meaning, Translation & Commentary

14.27 ब्रह्मणः of Brahman? हि indeed? प्रतिष्ठा the abode? अहम् I? अमृतस्य the immortal? अव्ययस्य the immutable? च and? शाश्वतस्य everlasting? च and? धर्मस्य of Dharma? सुखस्य of bliss? एकान्तिकस्य absolute? च and.Commentary The Self Which is immortal and immutable? Which is attainable by the eternal Dharma or the knowledge of the Self? Which is unending bliss? abides in Me? the Supreme Being.,I? the innermost Self? am the abode of the Supreme Self. The aspirant beholds? with the eye of intuition? that the innermost Self is the very Supreme Self? through Selfrealisation.The Lord bestows grace and mercy on His devotees through His Sakti? energy or power? or Maya. Sakti and the Lord are one. Just as heat is inseparable from fire? so also Maya or Sakti is inseparable from the Lord. Sakti cannot be distinct from the Lord in Whom She inheres.There is another interpretation. By Brahman here is meant the Brahman with attributes or alities? the conditioned Brahman. I? the Absolute Brahman? transcending the attributes or alities? the unconditioned Absolute? am the abode of the Saguna (conditioned) Brahman Who is immortal and imperishable. I am also the abode of the eternal Dharma of Jnananishtha (establishment in the highest wisdom) and the abode of the unending bliss born of that unswerving devotion.Thus in the Upanishads of the glorious Bhagavad Gita? the science of the Eternal? the scripture of Yoga? the dialogue between Sri Krishna and Arjuna? ends the fourteenth discourse entitledThe Yoga of the Division of the Three Gunas.,

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

# BG 14.27 — The Supreme Goal of Devotion The Blessed Lord Sri Krishna, describing bhakti yoga and its ultimate aim, declared: "Thereafter, you shall dwell in Me." Inspired by love for the Divine, the devotee transcends the sense of separate identity and merges with the Supreme Self, the object of all aspiration. In the preceding verse, the Lord revealed that through unwavering devotion, the seeker gradually liberates himself from identification with the non-self attributes. To the extent that ego dissolves, to that very extent does the divinity of the atman manifest. Just as sleep gradually deepens and consciousness withdraws from wakefulness into the peaceful state of slumber, so too does the abandonment of one level of experience constitute entry into another. I am the foundation of Brahman—that consciousness established in the heart of the devoted seeker as the innermost self. That very essence, pervading everywhere equally, immortal, imperishable, eternal, and blissful in nature, is Brahman. The recognition of the atman is itself the realization of infinite Brahman, the foundation of all existence. The space within a pot, when viewed through the limitation of the pot, appears distinct from the all-pervading space outside; yet when the limitation is removed, that enclosed space becomes the infinite space itself. Similarly, consciousness limited by a single body is called the atman; yet in truth, it is the infinite Brahman. This Brahman is immortal and imperishable, eternal and blissful in nature. Sri Shankaracharya, in his supremely logical and analytical commentary, points to four interpretations of this verse. These meanings are not contradictory but rather each illuminates the philosophical dimension of the verse more fully. He states: "Foundation" means that in which all things are established. Since I am the foundation of the immortal and imperishable Brahman, I am the innermost self. This innermost self is the Supreme Self—the atman of all beings—as established by perfect knowledge. The power by which Brahman is moved to bestow grace upon His devotees is itself Brahman, which I am. Here, the word "power" refers to the all-powerful Lord. This signifies that Brahman without attributes, through the power of maya, manifests as the Lord to bestow grace upon devotees. Or, by "Brahman" is meant Brahman with attributes and limitations, whose foundation is the attributeless Brahman, which I am. As stated before, there is no contradiction among these interpretations. Our limited intellect can comprehend only Brahman with attributes, and speech can describe it only as distinct from nature. Nature and Brahman with attributes find their foundation in the attributeless, conscious Brahman, which illuminates both. Therefore, in truth, I am Brahman—free from all modifications, immortal, imperishable, and of the nature of indescribable bliss. Thus it becomes clear that the worthy aspirant who has perfected his practice, according to the words of the Blessed Lord Sri Krishna, attains My nature. And since I am Brahman, that seeker becomes Brahman itself. In the next chapter, a more detailed exposition concerning Brahman is presented. --- *Thus concludes the Fourteenth Chapter, named "The Yoga of the Division of the Three Gunas," in the Upanishad of the Blessed Bhagavad Gita, the scripture of yoga, the dialogue between Sri Krishna and Arjuna, the science of Brahman.*