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Bhagavad-gītā 13.31

यदा भूतपृथग्भावमेकस्थमनुपश्यति । तत एव च विस्तारं ब्रह्म सम्पद्यते तदा ॥ ३१ ॥
yadā bhūta-pṛthag-bhāvam
[yadaa bhoota-prithag-bhaavam]
eka-stham anupaśyati
[eka-stham anupashyati]
tata eva ca vistāraṁ
[tata eva cha vistaaram]
brahma sampadyate tadā
[brahma sampadyate tadaa]
Word-for-word
yadā — when bhūta — of living entities pṛthak - bhāvam — separated identities eka - stham — situated in one anupaśyati — one tries to see through authority tataḥ eva — thereafter ca — also vistāram — the expansion brahma — the Absolute sampadyate — he attains tadā — at that time .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
yadā bhūta-pṛthag-bhāvam
yadā
when
bhūta
of living entities
pṛthak - bhāvam
separated identities
eka-stham anupaśyati
eka - stham
situated in one
anupaśyati
one tries to see through authority
tata eva ca vistāraṁ
tataḥ eva
thereafter
ca
also
vistāram
the expansion
brahma sampadyate tadā
brahma
the Absolute
sampadyate
he attains
tadā
at that time .
Important Words
  • pṛthak - bhāvam — separated identities
    Compound: pṛthak (separate) + bhāva (existence, nature). Ordinary perception fragments reality into countless distinct beings. The whole verse's argument is that this fragmentation is a phase of seeing, not its end.
  • eka - stham — situated in one
    Compound: eka (one) + stha (situated). The many identities are finally rooted in one source. This is the moment Brahman-realization opens.
  • anupaśyati — one tries to see through authority
    Anu- + √dṛś. The prefix anu carries the sense of *following* — seeing in line with, in the wake of, the seers who saw before. Realization here is not invention but inheritance.
  • vistāram — the expansion
    From vi- + √str — "spread out, expand." The one source *expands* into the many. Diversity is not opposed to unity; it is unity unfurled.
  • sampadyate — he attains
    Sam- + √pad — "to arrive, to enter into." The verb of arrival. Brahman-attainment is *consequent* on the unifying vision — not a separate practice. The seeing is itself the attainment.
When a sensible man ceases to see different identities due to different material bodies and he sees how beings are expanded everywhere, he attains to the Brahman conception.
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)
When the seer sees that the variety of beings rests in one underlying source, and that the manifold expansion of the world springs from that One — that is the moment of brahma-sampatti, becoming Brahman.
Further notes (विवरण · Vivaraṇa)
The verse maps a two-step recognition: ontological unity (one source) and dynamic emergence (expansion from the One). Both must be seen — the unity alone risks collapsing the world into illusion, and the diversity alone misses the source. 'Brahma sampadyate' (one becomes Brahman) — read by Advaita as identity-realization, by Vaiṣṇavas as brahma-bhāva, the qualitative likeness preparatory to mat-bhāva of v. 19.
Prose order (अन्वय · Anvaya)
यदा (साधकः) भूत-पृथक्-भावम् एक-स्थम्, ततः एव च विस्तारं (जातम् इति) अनुपश्यति, तदा ब्रह्म सम्पद्यते ॥
yadā (sādhakaḥ) bhūta-pṛthak-bhāvam eka-stham, tataḥ eva ca vistāraṃ (jātam iti) anupaśyati, tadā brahma sampadyate ||
When one perceives the distinct multiplicity of beings as resting in the One, and (sees) its expansion arising from that very (One), then he becomes Brahman.
Word split (पदच्छेद · Padaccheda)
यदा भूत-पृथक्-भावम् एक-स्थम् अनुपश्यति । ततः एव च विस्तारं ब्रह्म सम्पद्यते तदा ॥
yadā bhūta-pṛthak-bhāvam eka-stham anupaśyati | tataḥ eva ca vistāraṃ brahma sampadyate tadā ||
Grammar (व्याकरण · Vyākaraṇa)
SanskritIASTGrammarMeaning
यदा yadā ind. (indeclinable), correlative when
भूत-पृथक्-भावम् bhūta-pṛthak-bhāvam भूत + पृथक् + भाव (m.) acc.sg. (accusative singular), tatpuruṣa cpd. (compound) the separate state of beings
एक-स्थम् eka-stham एक + स्थ (adj.) acc.sg. (accusative singular)m., upapada tatpuruṣa cpd. (compound) resting in the One
अनुपश्यति anupaśyati अनु+√दृश् pres. (present) 3sg.par. (parasmaipada / active voice) perceives (insightfully)
ततः tataḥ ind. (indeclinable), ablative-correlative from that
एव eva ind. (indeclinable), emphatic alone
च ca ind. (indeclinable) and
विस्तारम् vistāram विस्तार (m.) acc.sg. (accusative singular) expansion / spread
ब्रह्म brahma ब्रह्मन् (n.) acc.sg. (accusative singular) Brahman
सम्पद्यते sampadyate सम्+√पद् pres. (present) 3sg.ātm. (ātmanepada / middle voice) becomes / attains
तदा tadā ind. (indeclinable), correlative then
Purport

When one can see that the various bodies of living entities arise due to the different desires of the individual soul and do not actually belong to the soul itself, one actually sees. In the material conception of life, we find someone a demigod, someone a human being, a dog, a cat, etc. This is material vision, not actual vision. This material differentiation is due to a material conception of life. After the destruction of the material body, the spirit soul is one. The spirit soul, due to contact with material nature, gets different types of bodies. When one can see this, he attains spiritual vision; thus being freed from differentiations like man, animal, big, low, etc., one becomes purified in his consciousness and able to develop Kṛṣṇa consciousness in his spiritual identity. How he then sees things will be explained in the next verse.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
31. When one sees that all separate beings are situated in one prakṛti at the time of dissolution, and arise from that prakṛti at the time of creation, the person becomes Brahman.
Commentary

When one perceives that the various forms of the living beings, moving and non- moving (pṛthag-bhāvam), are situated in the one prakṛti at the time of pralaya, and sees at the time of creation the expansion of living entities from prakṛti, he becomes Brahman (brahma saṁpadyate). [Note: Brahman would here mean that the jīva attains qualities similar to the Lord.]

Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa Gauḍīya
Translation
31. When one sees that all separate beings are situated in one prakṛti at the time of dissolution, and arise from that prakṛti at the time of creation, he realizes ātmā.
Commentary

That jīva sees that all living entities, who have assumed various forms such as devas and men (bhūta pṛthag bhāvam), lose those distinctions of deva and men and variations of big and small and become one by entering prakṛti (ekastham) at the time of universal destruction. He sees that they disperse again from prakṛti as many forms at the time of creation. It is not that he sees that all the forms enter into himself and then disperse into many forms from himself. In other words when the jīva sees his ātmā distinct from prakṛti, he realizes (sampadyate) himself (brahma), manifesting the eight great qualities such as freedom from sin, distinct from prakṛti.

Bhūrijana Dāsa Gauḍīya
Commentary

When one is looking around and he sees so many material bodies and he ceases to see them as their field of activities, but one sees them for what they are ‑ the ksetrajna, the soul ‑ that is Brahman vision.

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

Only the body acts – Living entity is distinct from the field of activities

Focus of Learning

(a) A sensible man ceases to see different identities due to different material bodies

Thus absence of any material differentiation because of different bodies

(b) Sees how beings are expanded everywhere, and thus attains to the “Brahman conception”

Purified consciousness can thus develop Krishna consciousness

(a) Current situation of living entity – One has situated himself differently than in spiritual world

(b) Role of mind – Mind is generally addicted to sense gratification; When the mind turns to the

Supersoul, one becomes advanced

(a) Explains the man in real knowledge – To see the three things i.e. the body, its proprietor and the

Supersoul as the friend of the soul, in their proper perspective

(b) How such vision is possible – By good association with real knower of spiritual subjects

(c) Two meanings of “paramesvara”

Maybe used for individual soul because he is the master of the body and remains unaffected with the destruction of the body
Also refers to Supersoul – In any case both the soul and the Supersoul are indestructible

LINK BETWEEN TEXTS 13.31 & 13.32:

What does a person with Brahman vision see?

Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya Classical
Translation
13.31 Yada, when, at the time when; anupasyati, one realizes-having reflected in accordance with the instructions of the scriptures and the teachers, one realizes as a matter of one's own direct experience that 'All this is but the Self' (Ch. 7.25.2); that bhuta-prthak-bhavam, the state of diversity of living things; is ekastham, rooted in the One, existing in the one Self; and their vistaram, manifestation, origination; tatah, eva, is also from That-when he realizes that origination in such diverse ways as, 'the vital force is from the Self, hope is from the Self, memory [Smara, memory; see Sankaracarya's Comm. on Ch. 7.13.1.-Tr.] is from the Self, space is from the Self, fire is from the Self, water is from the Self, coming into being and withdrawal are owing to the Self, food is from the Self' (op. cit. 7.26.1); tada, then, at that time; brahma sampadyate, one becomes identified with Brahman Itself. This is the import. If the same Self be the Self in all the bodies, then there arises the possiblity of Its association with their defects. Hence this is said:
Śrī Rāmānujācārya Classical
Translation
13.31 When he perceives that the diversified 'modes of existence' of all beings as men, divinities etc., are founded on the two principles of Prakrti and Purusa; when he perceives that their existence as divine, human, short, tall etc., is rooted in 'one' common foundation, namely, in the Prakrti, and not in the self; when he sees that 'their expansion', i.e., the successive proliferaton into sons, grandsons and such varieties of beings, is from Prakrti alone - then he reaches the brahman. The meaning is that he attains the self devoid of limitations, in Its pure form of knowledge.
Śrī Abhinavagupta Classical
Translation
13.31 See Comment under 13.34
Swami Sivananda Classical
Translation
13.31 When a man sees the whole variety of beings as resting in the One, and spreading forth from That alone, he then becomes Brahman.
Commentary

13.31 यदा when? भूतपृथग्भावम् the whole variety of beings? एकस्थम् resting in the One? अनुपश्यति sees? ततः from that? एव alone? च and? विस्तारम् the spreading? ब्रह्म Brahman? सम्पद्यते (he) becomes? तदा then.Commentary A man attains to unity with the Supreme when he knows or realises through intuition that all these manifold forms are rooted in the One. As waves in water? atoms in the earth? rays in the sun? organs in the body? emotions in the mind? sparks in the fire? so verily are all forms rooted in the One. Wherever he turns his gaze he beholds only the one Self and enjoys the bliss of the Self.When he beholds the diversity of beings rooted in the One in accordance with the teachings of the scriptures and the preceptor? he realises through intuitive experience that all that he beholds is nothing but the Self and that the origin and the evolution of all is from That One alone. Compare with the Chhandogya Upanishad? 7.26.1.आत्मतः प्राण आत्मत आशा आत्मतः स्मरआत्मत आकाश आत्मतस्तेज आत्मत आपःआत्मत आविर्भावतिरोभावावात्मतोऽन्नम्।।Atmatah prana atmata asa atmatah smaraAtmata akasa atmatasteja atmata apahAtmata avirbhavatirobhavavatmatonnam.From the Self is life from the Self is desire from the Self is love from the Self is ether from the Self is light from the Self are the waters from the Self is appearance and disappearance from the Self is food.

Swami Gambhīrānanda Classical
Translation
13.31 When one realizes that the state of diversity of living things is rooted in the One, and that their manifestation is also from That, then one becomes identified with Brahman.
Shri Purohit Swami Classical
Translation
13.31 He who sees the diverse forms of life all rooted in One, and growing forth from Him, he shall indeed find the Absolute.
Related values & verses
Related values
Tyaga (Renunciation / Letting Go)Atma Nigraha (Self-control)Daksya (Resourcefulness / Skill)Abhaya (Fearlessness)
Related verses
BG 9.4 BG 10.8 BG 18.20 SB 1.5.20 SB 11.13.24 SB 10.87.26 CC Madhya 20.108-109 CC Ādi 2.96 CC Madhya 20.269 Chāndogya Upaniṣad 6.2.1Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad 2.1.1
Concepts
Bhava
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
When one sees that all the diversity of beings is one, expanding from one source — at that moment, he attains Brahman.
Practical Applications
  • Cultivate expansion-from-one-source vision.
  • Honor diversity as expression of unity, not opposition.
  • Use this verse against polarized thinking.
Reflection Questions
  • Where does my polarized thinking miss the underlying unity?
  • What practice trains the unifying view?
Analogy

Walk through a forest and you see ten thousand leaves — but they grow from a few trees, and the trees stand on one piece of ground. Walk through the species of life and you see ten thousand identities — but they grow from one source, and that source is Brahman. The sage's eye sees the ground beneath the leaves.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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