Gita 06.31 – See oneness in Krishna’s various manifestations – not Krishna and the soul
sarva-bhūta-sthitaṁ yo māṁ
bhajaty ekatvam āsthitaḥ
sarvathā vartamāno ’pi
sa yogī mayi vartate (Bg 6.31)
Word-for-word:
sarva-bhūta-sthitam — situated in everyone’s heart; yaḥ — he who; mām — Me; bhajati — serves in devotional service; ekatvam — in oneness; āsthitaḥ — situated; sarvathā — in all respects; vartamānaḥ — being situated; api — in spite of; saḥ — he; yogī — the transcendentalist; mayi — in Me; vartate — remains.
Translation:
Such a yogī, who engages in the worshipful service of the Supersoul, knowing that I and the Supersoul are one, remains always in Me in all circumstances.
Explanation:
sarva-bhūta-sthitaṁ yo māṁ: One who sees Me situated in all beings. The word “yaḥ” means such a person, and “māṁ” means Me. Kṛṣṇa is referring to two manifestations here—the manifestation of the Supersoul situated in all living beings, and Himself as Kṛṣṇa.
bhajaty ekatvam āsthitaḥ: Such a person worships Me as the one supreme
sarvathā vartamāno ’pi: Although engaged in all kinds of activities
sa yogī mayi vartate: Such a yogī always dwells in Me.
This verse provides a link between verses 29 and 30. Verse 29 states: sarva-bhūta-stham ātmānaṁ sarva-bhūtāni cātmani īkṣate yoga-yuktātmā sarvatra sama-darśanaḥ. This verse describes seeing the Supreme Being who resides in all hearts and in whom everything exists. Such a person sees everything with equal vision—sama-darśanaḥ.
The next verse, 6.30, states: yo māṁ paśyati sarvatra sarvaṁ ca mayi paśyati tasyāhaṁ na praṇaśyāmi sa ca me na praṇaśyati—one who sees Me everywhere and sees everything in Me is never lost to Me, nor am I ever lost to him.
In one sense, the two verses are very similar, at least in their first two lines. Verse 6.29a, sarva-bhūta-stham ātmānaṁ is very similar to 6.30a, yo māṁ paśyati sarvatra. Similarly, 6.29b, sarva-bhūtāni cātmani, and 6.30b, sarvaṁ ca mayi paśyati, convey a closely related vision.
In 6.29, the Supreme Being is referred to in the third person, whereas in 6.30, He is referred to in the first person. In 6.31, Kṛṣṇa states that these two are actually one. Why does Kṛṣṇa refer to the same reality in such a seemingly complex way—first in the third person, then in the first person, and finally declare that both are the same?
The point is that Kṛṣṇa is describing progressively higher levels of realization. There is one Absolute Truth, but He manifests as Brahman, Paramātmā, and Bhagavān. When He manifests in these multiple ways, there is a corresponding progression in realization. Verse 29 describes realization of Kṛṣṇa as Paramātmā, while verse 30 describes realization of Kṛṣṇa as Bhagavān. Someone might wonder whether these are two different realizations. Kṛṣṇa clarifies this doubt in verse 31 by stating that they are not different; in fact, they are one and the same.
Accordingly, He states bhajaty ekatvam āsthitaḥ—Kṛṣṇa is speaking about oneness (ekatvam). However, the oneness He refers to is not the oneness of the individual soul with God; rather, it is the oneness of the Supersoul with Kṛṣṇa. In other words, He is describing the oneness between two manifestations of the Supreme—the Supersoul present in the hearts of all living beings and Kṛṣṇa Himself.
Such a person who can see the oneness of the different manifestations of God will, in all situations (sarvathā vartamāno ’pi), remain situated in Me (sa yogī mayi vartate). Normally, in this world, when faced with confusion, temptation, or illusion, we often slide away from Kṛṣṇa. But here Kṛṣṇa explains that those who can perceive the oneness between His Supersoul manifestation and Himself will always remain situated in Him. This indicates a level of spiritual realization so elevated that the ups and downs of life no longer disturb such a person. By this deep spiritual vision, one transcends material existence. Such a yogī always dwells in Kṛṣṇa (sa yogī mayi vartate).
For instance, when taking darśana of the Lord, one can meditate on the fact that the Kṛṣṇa perceived externally and the Kṛṣṇa present internally within the heart are one and the same. Both manifestations should be served, remembering their oneness, and this understanding helps one advance on the spiritual path.
When there is an opportunity to serve Kṛṣṇa in His deity manifestation—by bowing down, singing, worshipping, or performing pūjā—it should be done wholeheartedly. Similarly, when one feels intimately connected with the Supersoul in the heart, experiences the inner guiding voice of Kṛṣṇa, or encounters inspiration or the restraint of conscience from wrongdoing, it should be remembered that this is the same beloved Lord speaking to us.
In this way, Kṛṣṇa guides both externally and internally. A verse from Śrīmad Bhāgavatam (11.29.6) states: yo ’ntar bahis tanu-bhṛtām aśubhaṁ vidhunvann ācārya-caittya-vapuṣā sva-gatiṁ vyanakti—The Lord, who is situated internally and externally (antar bahiḥ), removes all impurities (aśubhaṁ vidhunvann) and directs one toward an auspicious destination (sva-gatiṁ vyanakti), where lasting happiness can be attained.
When one is thus aware of Kṛṣṇa’s munificence in His Bhagavān and Paramātmā manifestations, and understands that these are not two separate entities but the same Supreme Personality of Godhead, this advanced theistic realization protects one from illusion and keeps one firmly situated in enlightenment.
Thank you.
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