FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

Bhagavad-gītā 13.25

ध्यानेनात्मनि पश्यन्ति केचिदात्मानमात्मना । अन्ये सांख्येन योगेन कर्मयोगेन चापरे ॥ २५ ॥
dhyānenātmani paśyanti
[dhyaanenaatmani pashyanti]
kecid ātmānam ātmanā
[kechid aatmaanam aatmanaa]
anye sāṅkhyena yogena
[anye saankhyena yogena]
karma-yogena cāpare
[karma-yogena chaapare]
Word-for-word
dhyānena — by meditation ātmani — within the self paśyanti — see kecit — some ātmānam — the Supersoul ātmanā — by the mind anye — others sāṅkhyena — of philosophical discussion yogena — by the yoga system karma - yogena — by activities without fruitive desire ca — also apare — others .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
dhyānenātmani paśyanti
dhyānena
by meditation
ātmani
within the self
paśyanti
see
kecid ātmānam ātmanā
kecit
some
ātmānam
the Supersoul
ātmanā
by the mind
anye sāṅkhyena yogena
anye
others
sāṅkhyena
of philosophical discussion
yogena
by the yoga system
karma-yogena cāpare
karma - yogena
by activities without fruitive desire
ca
also
apare
others .
Important Words
  • dhyānena — by meditation
    The first path named — aṣṭāṅga-yoga, the contemplative direct seeing of the Paramātmā within. The path of the rare yogī.
  • sāṅkhyena — of philosophical discussion
    The second path — the analytical discrimination between matter and spirit. Sāṅkhya here means the *discriminative-knowledge* path, not necessarily the school of Kapila.
  • yogena — by the yoga system
    Paired with sāṅkhyena — together they name the jñāna-yoga path of cultivated discrimination.
  • karma - yogena — by activities without fruitive desire
    The third path — work offered without attachment to fruit. The path of Arjuna, of Janaka, of every active person who cannot retreat into meditation.
  • kecit — some
    Indefinite plural — "a few here and there." The contemplative path is for some, not for all. Honest about its rarity.
  • apare — others
    Each path gets its own pronoun — kecit, anye, apare. Three groups, three roads, one destination. The grammar honors the diversity.
Some perceive the Supersoul within themselves through meditation, others through the cultivation of knowledge, and still others through working without fruitive desires.
Classical Sanskrit analysis शास्त्रीय विश्लेषण
How Sanskrit scholars read this verse — split, rearranged, grammar-tagged. For the plain English distilled meaning, jump to Plain meaning below.
Auto-generated study layers — original analysis of the public-domain śloka. Review against a published edition for academic work.
Plain meaning (तात्पर्य · Tātparya)
Multiple roads lead in: dhyāna for the meditative, sāṅkhya-yoga for the analytical, karma-yoga for the active. Kṛṣṇa lists three established paths to seeing the Self, refusing to absolutize any single method.
Further notes (विवरण · Vivaraṇa)
Compact summary of the methodological pluralism running through chapters 2–6. The triple ātmani-ātmānam-ātmanā (loc-acc-ins) is rhetorically charged: in the self (the field of meditation), the Self (the object of seeing), by the self (the meditator's own purified instrument). The next verse adds a fourth path for those who cannot manage any of these by themselves.
Prose order (अन्वय · Anvaya)
केचित् ध्यानेन आत्मना आत्मनि आत्मानं पश्यन्ति । अन्ये सांख्येन योगेन (पश्यन्ति), अपरे च कर्म-योगेन (पश्यन्ति) ॥
kecit dhyānena ātmanā ātmani ātmānaṃ paśyanti | anye sāṃkhyena yogena (paśyanti), apare ca karma-yogena (paśyanti) ||
Some, through meditation, see the Self in the self by the self. Others (see it) through the yoga of analytic knowledge; and still others through the yoga of action.
Word split (पदच्छेद · Padaccheda)
ध्यानेन आत्मनि पश्यन्ति केचित् आत्मानम् आत्मना । अन्ये सांख्येन योगेन कर्म-योगेन च अपरे ॥
dhyānena ātmani paśyanti kecit ātmānam ātmanā | anye sāṃkhyena yogena karma-yogena ca apare ||
Grammar (व्याकरण · Vyākaraṇa)
SanskritIASTGrammarMeaning
ध्यानेन dhyānena ध्यान (n.) ins.sg. (instrumental singular) by meditation
आत्मनि ātmani आत्मन् (m.) loc.sg. (locative singular) in the self
पश्यन्ति paśyanti √दृश् pres. (present) 3pl.par. (parasmaipada / active voice) they see
केचित् kecit किम् + चित् indef.pron. (pronoun) nom.pl. (nominative plural)m. some
आत्मानम् ātmānam आत्मन् (m.) acc.sg. (accusative singular) the Self
आत्मना ātmanā आत्मन् (m.) ins.sg. (instrumental singular) by the (purified) self / mind
अन्ये anye अन्य (adj.) nom.pl. (nominative plural)m. others
सांख्येन sāṃkhyena सांख्य (n.) ins.sg. (instrumental singular) by analytic knowledge
योगेन yogena योग (m.) ins.sg. (instrumental singular) by yoga
कर्म-योगेन karma-yogena कर्म (n.) + योग (m.) ins.sg. (instrumental singular), tatpuruṣa cpd. (compound) by the yoga of action
अपरे apare अपर (adj.) nom.pl. (nominative plural)m. still others
Purport

The Lord informs Arjuna that the conditioned souls can be divided into two classes as far as man’s search for self-realization is concerned. Those who are atheists, agnostics and skeptics are beyond the sense of spiritual understanding. But there are others, who are faithful in their understanding of spiritual life, and they are called introspective devotees, philosophers, and workers who have renounced fruitive results. Those who always try to establish the doctrine of monism are also counted among the atheists and agnostics. In other words, only the devotees of the Supreme Personality of Godhead are best situated in spiritual understanding, because they understand that beyond this material nature are the spiritual world and the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is expanded as the Paramātmā, the Supersoul in everyone, the all-pervading Godhead. Of course there are those who try to understand the Supreme Absolute Truth by cultivation of knowledge, and they can be counted in the class of the faithful. The Sāṅkhya philosophers analyze this material world into twenty-four elements, and they place the individual soul as the twenty-fifth item. When they are able to understand the nature of the individual soul to be transcendental to the material elements, they are able to understand also that above the individual soul there is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He is the twenty-sixth element. Thus gradually they also come to the standard of devotional service in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Those who work without fruitive results are also perfect in their attitude. They are given a chance to advance to the platform of devotional service in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Here it is stated that there are some people who are pure in consciousness and who try to find out the Supersoul by meditation, and when they discover the Supersoul within themselves, they become transcendentally situated. Similarly, there are others who also try to understand the Supreme Soul by cultivation of knowledge, and there are others who cultivate the haṭha-yoga system and who try to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead by childish activities.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
25. Some see Paramātmā through meditation in bhakti-yoga. Others practice jñāna-yoga or aṣṭāṅga-yoga, and others practice niṣkāma-karma-yoga.
Commentary

Alternative methods are mentioned in two verses. Some devotees, by contemplation of the Lord (dhyānena) in the mind (atmani) without help from any other process, spontaneously (ātmanā), not by any other process except bhakti, see the Paramātmā. This is understood from a later verse: bhaktyā mām abhijānāti (BG 18.55), only by devotion am I known. Others (anye), jñānīs, by distinguishing soul from body (sāṅkhyena), and others (apare), yogīs , by aṣṭāṅga-yoga (yogena), and others by niṣkāma-karma (karma-yogena), see Paramātmā. In this regard, jñāna-yoga, aṣṭāṅga-yoga and niṣkāma-karma-yoga are successive causes of each other and not direct causes of seeing Paramātmā. That is because their nature is sattvic (and thus the result can only be sattvic) but the nature of Paramātmā is beyond the guṇas. Moreover, it is said by the Lord: jñānaṁ ca mayi sannyaset A self-realized person who has cultivated scriptural knowledge up to the point of enlightenment and who is free from impersonal speculation, understanding the material universe to be simply illusion, should surrender unto Me both that knowledge and the means by which he achieved it. SB 11.19.1 bhakyāham ekayā grāhyaḥ Only by practicing unalloyed devotional service with full faith in Me can one obtain Me, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. S 11.14.21 Thus, after giving up jñāna, indicated in the first of the verses quoted, becoming free from jñāna, one sees Paramātmā by bhakti alone, indicated in the second verse.

Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa Gauḍīya
Translation
25. Some see paramātmā through meditation. Others see Him by jñāna yoga, astāṅga yoga and niṣkāma karma yoga.
Commentary

For attaining the great Lord, various practices are described in two verses. Some people, with pure consciousness, directly see Me, the great Lord (ātmānam), situated in the mind (ātmani), by meditation with knowledge as a secondary element (dhyānena), without help form anything else (ātmanā). Others see Me by sāṅkhya, by knowledge with meditation as a secondary element. Others see Me by aṣṭāṅga yoga with knowledge as a secondary element. Others see Me by niṣkāma karma, with knowledge and meditation included in it. [Note: The point seems to be that all these methods need some jñāna in order to reach the realization of paramātmā.]

Bhūrijana Dāsa Gauḍīya
Commentary

The Supersoul is jneyam, is the object of knowledge, He is the Purusa. This verse shows three different ways to attain Him. This was so much discussed in the first six chapters. The idea is that through yoga or dhyana (meditation) or through jnana (the cultivation of knowledge) and working without fruitive result ,karma (niskama karma yoga), the only goal to be obtained is the Supersoul.

Study Notes — Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Gauranga Priya Dāsa Study
Bhakti-śāstrī Notes, ISKCON Chowpatty (2009)
Theme

One can achieve this understanding (Texts 13.20 – 13.23) through various types of yogas

Some perceive the Supersoul through meditation (Dhyana)
Others through the cultivation of knowledge (Sankhya-yoga)
Still others through working without fruitive desire (Karma-yoga) LINK BETWEEN TEXTS 13.25 & 13.26: Can one advance if he cannot meditate, pursue sankhya or practice niskama-karma-yoga.

Focus of Learning

(a) Lord explains two classes of conditioned souls (Based on search for self-realization)

Faithful in spiritual life – Introspective devotees, philosophers and workers who have renounced fruitive results
Atheists, agnostics and skeptics are beyond the sense of spiritual understanding
It also includes those who establish the doctrine of monism

(b) Devotees of the Lord are best situated in spiritual understanding – Because

They know that beyond the material nature are spiritual world and Supreme Personality of Godhead, who expands as Paramatma

(c) Sankhya philosophers are also in the class of faithful

They analyze material world in twenty-four elements
They place the soul as the twenty-fifth element – gradually realize soul as transcendental to material elements
Realise the entity above the soul is Supersoul – the twenty-sixth element
Finally comes to devotional service in Krishna consciousness

(d) Renounced workers are also in the category of faithful and are perfect in their attitude

Also given a chance to progress in Krishna consciousness

(a) This verse indicates the result of knowledge – Knowledge of truly understanding the relationship

between soul and Supersoul

Liberation and return to the spiritual world

(b) The purpose of knowledge – To understand how the living entity has fallen into this material

world in a precarious condition

(c) Understand your position

Understand by personal endeavor in association with guru, sadhu and sastra
Revert to Krishna consciousness by understanding Bhagavad-gita as it is explained by the Supreme Personality of Godhead
Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya Classical
Translation
13.25 Dhyanena, through meditation: Meditation means contemplation (on the Self) after withdrawing into the mind with concentration the organs of hearing etc. from the objects like sound etc., and then withdrawing the mind into the indwelling conscious Self. Thus, from the citation of such illustrations as, 'the crane meditates, as it were, 'the earth meditates, as it were; the mountains meditate, as it were' (Ch. 7.6.1), it follows that meditation is a constant and uninterrupted current of thought like a line of pouring oil. Through that meditation, kecit, some yogis; pasyanti, realize; the indwelling conscious atmanam, Self; atmani, in (their) intellect; atmana, with the help of the internal organ that has been purified by meditation. Anye, others; sankhyena yogena, through Sankhya-yoga: Sankhya means thinking, 'These alities, viz sattva, rajas and tamas, are objects of my perception; I am the Self, distinct from them, a witness of their functions, eternal and different from the alities.' This Sankhya is Yoga. [By Sankhya is meant that knowledge which arises from the foregoing reflection. This knowledge is itself called Yoga (concentration of mind) inasmuch as it is similar to Yoga in leading to the realization of the Self.] Through that they realize the Self with the help of the internal organ. This is how it is to be construed. And anye, others; karma-yogena, through Karma-yoga-action itself being the Yoga: Action performed with the idea of dedication to God is figuratively called Yoga since it leads to Yoga. (others realize) with the help of that (action), through purification of the mind and rise of Knowledge. [The best among the yogis are competent for meditation (dhyana); the modiocre for reflection (Sankhya); and the lowest for Karma-yoga.]
Śrī Rāmānujācārya Classical
Translation
13.25 The different type of Yogis are described herein: (1) Some with perfect Yoga perceive the self (Atmanam) in the body with the mind (Atmana) by meditation. (2) Others with imperfect Yoga see the self, with mind rendered fit for Yoga, by Sankhya Yoga, namely, Jnana Yoga, (3) Still others, (a) unalified to practise Jnana Yoga, and (b alified but preferring an easier method, and (c) also distinguished persons like Janaka - all these perceive the self after being alified for Yoga by Karma Yoga which contains within itself knowledge (Jnana).
Śrī Abhinavagupta Classical
Translation
13.25 See Comment under 13.26
Swami Sivananda Classical
Translation
13.25 Some by meditation behold the Self in the self by the self, others by the Yoga of knowledge, and still others by the Yoga of action.
Commentary

13.25 ध्यानेन by meditation? आत्मनि in the self? पश्यन्ति behold? केचित् some? आत्मानम् the Self? आत्मना by the self? अन्ये others? सांख्येन योगेन by the Yoga of knowledge (by the Sankhya Yoga)? कर्मयोगेन by Karma Yoga? च and? अपरे others.Commentary There are severla paths to reach the knowledge of the Self according to the nature or temperament and capacity of the individual. The first path is the Yoga of meditation taught by Maharshi Patanjali. The Raja Yogins behold the Supreme Self in the self (Buddhi) by the self (purified mind). Meditation is a continous and unbroken flow of thought of the Self like the flow of oil from one vessel to another. Through concentration hearing and the other senses are withdrawn into the mind. The senses are not allowed to run towards their respective sensual objects. They are kept under proper check and control through the process of abstraction. Then the mind itself is made to abide in the Self through constant meditation on the Self. The mind is refined or purified by meditation. The mind that is rendered pure will naturally move towards the Self. It is not attracted by nor is it attached to the sensual objects.Sankhya Yoga is Jnana Yoga. The aspirant does Vichara (analysis? reflection) and separates himself from the three alities of Nature? the three bodies and the five sheaths and identifies himself with the witness (Self). He thinks and feels? I am distinct from the three alities. I am the silent witness. I am unattached. I am nondoer. I am nonenjoyer. I am immortal? eternal? selfexistent? selfluminous? indivisible? unborn and unchanging.The Karma Yogi surrenders his actions and their fruits to the Lord. He has Isvarapana Buddhi (intelligence that offers everything to God). This produces purity of mind which gives rise to knowledge of the Self. Karma Yoga brings about concentration of the mind through the purification of the mind. It leads to Yoga through the purification of the mind and so it is spoken of as Yoga itself.Those who practise Sankhya Yoga are the highest class of spiritual aspirants. Those who practise the Yoga of meditation are aspirants of the middling class. Those who practise Karma Yoga are the lowest class of spiritual aspirants. The aspirants of the middling and lowest class soon become aspirants of the highest class through rigorous Sadhana or spiritual practices. (Cf.V.5VI.46)

Swami Gambhīrānanda Classical
Translation
13.25 Through meditation some realize the Self in (their) intellect with the help of the internal organ; others through Sankhya-yoga, and others through Karma-yoga.
Shri Purohit Swami Classical
Translation
13.25 Some realise the Supreme by meditating, by its aid, on the Self within, others by pure reason, others by right action.
Related values & verses
Related values
Tyaga (Renunciation / Letting Go)Karuna (Kindness / Compassion)Ahimsa (Non-violence / Compassion)Tapas (Austerity / Discipline)Guru Bhakti (Reverence for Teacher)Atma Nigraha (Self-control)
Related verses
BG 6.10 BG 4.18 BG 5.4 SB 11.20.6 SB 3.32.32 SB 11.13.27 CC Madhya 19.149 CC Madhya 24.106 CC Madhya 25.103 Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 1.3Kaṭha Upaniṣad 1.2.23
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Some perceive the Supersoul within by meditation; others by cultivation of knowledge; others by working without fruitive desires.
Practical Applications
  • Honor the multiple paths and find your fit.
  • Don't envy those whose path differs.
  • Work your path with fidelity.
Reflection Questions
  • Which path fits my nature?
  • Where am I trying to imitate a different path?
Analogy

Three pilgrims set out for the same shrine. One takes the mountain road through silence; one the river road through chant; one the forest road through service. They arrive in the same courtyard at the same hour. The shrine is one; the roads are three. Choose your road by the gait of your feet, not by anyone else's praise of their own.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

← Read full Chapter 13