Skip to content
Live Gita
HomeExploreChatWisdomCoursesCommunityBookmarksSettings
Live Gita
HomeExploreChatWisdomCommunity
BG 10.20 — 10.20 I am the Self, O Gudakesa, seated in the hearts of all beings; I am the beginning, the middle and also the end of all beings.
← Ch. 10
BG 10.20Sign in to save

अहमात्मा गुडाकेश सर्वभूताशयस्थितः |
अहमादिश्च मध्यं च भूतानामन्त एव च ||१०-२०||

ahamātmā guḍākeśa sarvabhūtāśayasthitaḥ . ahamādiśca madhyaṃ ca bhūtānāmanta eva ca ||10-20||


10.20 I am the Self, O Gudakesa, seated in the hearts of all beings; I am the beginning, the middle and also the end of all beings.

Word-by-word meanings

10.20 अहम् I? आत्मा the Self? गुडाकेश O Gudakesa? सर्वभूताशयस्थितः seated in the hearts of all beings? अहम् I? आदिः the beginning? च and? मध्यम् the middle? च and? भूतानाम् of (all) beings? अन्तः the end? एव even? च and.Commentary O Gudakesa I am the soul (Pratyagatma) which exists in the hearts of all beings and I am also the source or origin? the middle or stay? and the end of all created beings. I am the birth? the life and the death of all beings. Meditate on Me as the innermost Self.Gudakes

Commentaries

Non-dualism. The individual self and Brahman are one. The world is appearance (maya). Liberation through knowledge.

Sri Shankaracharya

10.20 Gudakesa, O Gudakesa-gudaka means sleep, and isa means master; master of that (sleep) is gudakesa, i.e. one who has conered sleep; [See also under 1.24.-Tr.] or, one who has got thick hair; aham, I; am the atma, Self, the indwelling Self; who is to be ever-meditated on as sarva-bhuta-asaya [Asaya-that in which are contained the impressions of meditations (upasanas), actions and past experiences.]-sthitah, residing in the hearts of all beings. And, by one who is unable to do so, I am to be meditated on through the following aspects. I am capable of being meditated on (through them) becasue aham, I; am verily the adih, beginning, the origin; and the madhyam, middle, continuance; ca, as also; the antah, end, dissolution; bhutanam, of (all) beings. 'I am to be meditated upon thus also:'

(Showing excerpt)

Swami Gambirananda

10.20 O Gudakesa, I am the Self residing in the hearts of all beings, and I am the beginning and the middle as also the end of (all) beings.

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

Want to explore this verse deeper?

Discuss with AI companion →
← 10.19
10.21→