Skip to content
Live Gita
HomeExploreChatWisdomCoursesCommunityBookmarksSettings
Live Gita
HomeExploreChatWisdomCommunity
BG 7.9 — 7.9 I am the sweet fragrance in the earth and the brilliance in the fire, the life in all beings, and I am the austerity in ascetics.
← Ch. 7
BG 7.9Sign in to save

पुण्यो गन्धः पृथिव्यां च तेजश्चास्मि विभावसौ |
जीवनं सर्वभूतेषु तपश्चास्मि तपस्विषु ||७-९||

puṇyo gandhaḥ pṛthivyāṃ ca tejaścāsmi vibhāvasau . jīvanaṃ sarvabhūteṣu tapaścāsmi tapasviṣu ||7-9||


7.9 I am the sweet fragrance in the earth and the brilliance in the fire, the life in all beings, and I am the austerity in ascetics.

Word-by-word meanings

7.9 पुण्यः sweet? गन्धः fragrance? पृथिव्याम् in earth? च and? तेजः brilliance? च and? अस्मि am (I)? विभावसौ in fire? जीवनम् life? सर्वभूतेषु in all beings? तपः austerity? च and? अस्मि am (I)? तपस्विषु in ascetics.Commentary In Me as odour in the earth woven in Me as brilliance is the fire woven in Me as life all beings are woven in Me as austerity all ascetics are woven. I am the support (Adhishthanam or Asraya) for everything.I am the power or Sakti which helps the ascetics to control the mind

Commentaries

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

Swami Gambirananda

7.9 I am also the sweet fragrance in the earth; I am the brillinace in the fire, and the life in all beings; and I am the austerity of the ascetics.

Sri Shankaracharya

7.9 I am also the punyah, sweet; gandhah, fragrance; prthivyam, in the earth. The earth is dependent on Me who am its fragrance. The natural sweetness of smell in the earth is cited by way of suggesting sweetness of taste of water etc. as well. But foulness of smell etc. is due to contact with particular things, resulting from nescience, unholiness, etc. of worldly people. Ca, and ; asmi, I am; the tejah, brilliance; vibhavasau, in fire; so also (I am) the jivanam, life-that by which all creatures live; sarva-bhutesu, in all beings. And I am the tapah, austerity; tapasvisu, of ascetics. Ascetics are established in Me who am that austerity.

(Showing excerpt)

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 →
← 7.8
7.10→