Bhagavad Gita Chapter 13, Verse 33 (BG 13.33)

जियो गीता

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कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते

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मुखपृष्ठ

मुखपृष्ठ ज्ञान अभ्यासक्रम समुदाय जतन केलेले संयोजना

Bhagavad Gita Chapter 13, Verse 33 — Meaning & Commentary | Live Gita

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यथा सर्वगतं सौक्ष्म्यादाकाशं नोपलिप्यते |
सर्वत्रावस्थितो देहे तथात्मा नोपलिप्यते ||१३-३३||

yathā sarvagataṃ saukṣmyādākāśaṃ nopalipyate . sarvatrāvasthito dehe tathātmā nopalipyate ||13-33||

As the all-pervading ether is not tainted, because of its subtlety, so the Self seated everywhere in the body is not tainted.

In simple words

Krishna gives a vivid image: "Just as space is everywhere but is too subtle to be stained by anything, the self is present everywhere in the body but nothing can stain it."

Word-by-word meanings

यथाasसर्वगतम्the allpervadingसौक्ष्म्यात्because of its subtletyआकाशम्etherनnotउपलिप्यतेis taintedसर्वत्रeverywhereअवस्थितःseatedदेहेin the bodyतथाsoआत्माthe Selfनnotउपलिप्यतेis tainted

Commentaries

Contemporary scholarly and practical interpretations for modern seekers.

Swami Sivananda

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.

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

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.

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 33 (BG 13.33) — Meaning, Translation & Commentary

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