Bhagavad Gita 18.61
īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ
hṛd-deśe ’rjuna tiṣṭhati
bhrāmayan sarva-bhūtāni
yantrārūḍhāni māyayā
The Lord within all hearts resides,
And there, O Arjuna, gently guides;
All beings move through life’s vast span,
On māyā’s machine, within his plan.
My dear Lord, that you stay constantly with me through every moment of my life means that you consider every moment of life valuable, that you consider life itself valuable, and that you consider me valuable. Help me reconceptualize my life as something to be cherished because, through every experience that happens to me, you present me an opportunity to come closer to you, the most cherished reality.
O all-attractive Lord, protect me from the illusion that life in itself is wonderful, for that leads to attachment and fills my journey with illusion’s pitfalls and real falls. But protect me also from the illusion that life is simply dreadful, for that fills me with aversion and keeps me on the same emotional plane, with my consciousness still fixated on the world.
O benevolent Lord, may your love for me, as evidenced in your unceasing presence with me, inform my understanding of life so that I recognize that, however life may seem to be going materially, positively or negatively, it always remains within the purview of your supremely auspicious plan. And may your love for me transform my vision of life so that I see it not pessimistically as the domain of illusion, but optimistically as an adventurous journey in learning about you and ultimately learning to love you.
***
18.61 The Supreme Lord is situated in everyone’s heart, O Arjuna, and is directing the wanderings of all living entities, who are seated as on a machine, made of the material energy.

Leave A Comment