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Bhagavad-gītā 18.61

ईश्वर: सर्वभूतानां हृद्देशेऽर्जुन तिष्ठति । भ्रामयन्सर्वभूतानि यन्‍त्रारूढानि मायया ॥ ६१ ॥
īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ
[eeshvarah sarva-bhootaanaam]
hṛd-deśe ’rjuna tiṣṭhati
[hrid-deshe ’rjuna tishthati]
bhrāmayan sarva-bhūtāni
[bhraamayan sarva-bhootaani]
yantrārūḍhāni māyayā
[yantraaroodhaani maayayaa]
Word-for-word
īśvaraḥ — the Supreme Lord sarva - bhūtānām — of all living entities hṛt - deśe — in the location of the heart arjuna — O Arjuna tiṣṭhati — resides bhrāmayan — causing to travel sarva - bhūtāni — all living entities yantra — on a machine ārūḍhani — being placed māyayā — under the spell of material energy .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ
īśvaraḥ
the Supreme Lord
sarva - bhūtānām
of all living entities
hṛd-deśe ’rjuna tiṣṭhati
hṛt - deśe
in the location of the heart
bhrāmayan sarva-bhūtāni
arjuna
O Arjuna
tiṣṭhati
resides
bhrāmayan
causing to travel
sarva - bhūtāni
all living entities
yantrārūḍhāni māyayā
yantra
on a machine
ārūḍhani
being placed
māyayā
under the spell of material energy .
Important Words
  • īśvaraḥ — the Supreme Lord
    Direct identification. The Paramātmā is being named as Īśvara — Lord, controller. Not merely an indwelling presence but the actual *governor* of the heart-machine.
  • hṛt-deśe — in the region of the heart
    Locative compound. Specifically *in the heart-place* — not vaguely 'within.' The verse points to a precise location, foundational to all subsequent meditation-yoga in the Vaiṣṇava tradition.
  • bhrāmayan — causing to wander
    Present participle. The Lord *causes the wandering* of all beings. Not merely permitting movement — actively producing it. This is a strong statement of divine governance.
  • yantra — on a machine
    The body named as a *yantra* — a machine. With ārūḍhāni (mounted), the living beings ride this mechanism. The mechanical-cum-conscious tension of embodied existence in one image.
  • māyayā — by māyā
    Instrumental. The instrument by which the wandering is produced — māyā, the Lord's energy of illusion. The whole system runs on māyā, and the system itself is the Lord's.
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.
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)
The Lord resides in every being's heart and spins them all on the machinery of māyā. The body-mind apparatus is His instrument; the wandering is His doing. The verse locates agency at the deepest level: not in the ego, but in Īśvara.
Further notes (विवरण · Vivaraṇa)
One of the Gītā's clearest Antaryāmin verses. The 'yantra' image — body as machine, beings as riders — radicalizes the doer-analysis of vv. 14-17: the fifth factor (daiva) is here personalized as Īśvara. Cross-ref: 15.15 ('sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭaḥ'). The next verse draws the practical conclusion: take refuge.
Prose order (अन्वय · Anvaya)
हे अर्जुन! ईश्वरः सर्व-भूतानां हृत्-देशे तिष्ठति, मायया यन्त्र-आरूढानि सर्व-भूतानि भ्रामयन् ।
he arjuna! īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṃ hṛt-deśe tiṣṭhati, māyayā yantra-ārūḍhāni sarva-bhūtāni bhrāmayan |
O Arjuna, the Lord dwells in the heart-region of all beings, causing all beings, mounted as on a machine, to revolve by His māyā.
Word split (पदच्छेद · Padaccheda)
ईश्वरः सर्व-भूतानां हृत्-देशे अर्जुन तिष्ठति । भ्रामयन् सर्व-भूतानि यन्त्र-आरूढानि मायया ॥
īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṃ hṛt-deśe arjuna tiṣṭhati | bhrāmayan sarva-bhūtāni yantra-ārūḍhāni māyayā ||
Grammar (व्याकरण · Vyākaraṇa)
SanskritIASTGrammarMeaning
ईश्वरः īśvaraḥ ईश्वर (m.) nom.sg. (nominative singular) the Lord
सर्व-भूतानाम् sarva-bhūtānām tatpuruṣa cpd. (compound) gen.pl. (genitive plural)n. of all beings
हृत्-देशे hṛt-deśe tatpuruṣa cpd. (compound) loc.sg. (locative singular)m. in the heart-region
अर्जुन arjuna अर्जुन (m.) voc.sg. (vocative singular) O Arjuna
तिष्ठति tiṣṭhati √स्था pres. (present) 3sg.par. (parasmaipada / active voice) stands
भ्रामयन् bhrāmayan √भ्रम् caus. (causative) pres. (present)part. nom.sg. (nominative singular)m. whirling
सर्व-भूतानि sarva-bhūtāni tatpuruṣa cpd. (compound) acc.pl. (accusative plural)n. all beings
यन्त्र-आरूढानि yantra-ārūḍhāni tatpuruṣa cpd. (compound) acc.pl. (accusative plural)n. mounted on a machine
मायया māyayā माया (f.) ins.sg. (instrumental singular) by māyā
Purport

Arjuna was not the supreme knower, and his decision to fight or not to fight was confined to his limited discretion. Lord Kṛṣṇa instructed that the individual is not all in all. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, or He Himself, Kṛṣṇa, as the localized Supersoul, sits in the heart directing the living being. After changing bodies, the living entity forgets his past deeds, but the Supersoul, as the knower of the past, present and future, remains the witness of all his activities. Therefore all the activities of living entities are directed by this Supersoul. The living entity gets what he deserves and is carried by the material body, which is created in the material energy under the direction of the Supersoul. As soon as a living entity is placed in a particular type of body, he has to work under the spell of that bodily situation. A person seated in a high-speed motorcar goes faster than one seated in a slower car, though the living entities, the drivers, may be the same. Similarly, by the order of the Supreme Soul, material nature fashions a particular type of body to a particular type of living entity so that he may work according to his past desires. The living entity is not independent. One should not think himself independent of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The individual is always under the Lord’s control. Therefore one’s duty is to surrender, and that is the injunction of the next verse.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
61. O Arjuna, the Lord is situated in the heart of all living entities. He engages them in action by His energy, like dolls moving by strings.
Commentary

Having stated the views of the advocates of innate nature (svabhāva) [Note: According to the theory of Svabhāva-vāda, nature and its properties are the cause of everything.] in two verses, the Lord now states His own view. The Lord, Nārāyaṇa, is the antaryāmī. yaḥ pṛthivyāṁ tiṣṭhan pṛthivyā antaro, yaṁ pṛthivī na veda, yasya pṛthivī śarīraṁ, yaḥ pṛthivīm antaro yamayati He is situated within the earth. The earth does not know Him. The earth is His body. He controls the earth from within. Bṛhad Āraṇyaka Upaniṣad 3.6.3 yac ca kiñcij jagaty asmin dṛśyate śrūyate’pi vā antar-bahiś ca tat sarvaṁ vyāpya nārāyaṇaḥ sthitaḥ Nārāyaṇa is spread everywhere inside and outside of everything seen or heard of in the universe. Mahānārāyaṇa Upaniṣad 13.5 As is stated in these śrutis, the Lord is situated in the heart. What does He do? By His own śakti (māyayā) He makes all living entities engage in their respective actions (bhrāmayan). [Note: Svabhāva by itself cannot make the living entities do anything.] The living entities, like artificial dolls attached to a device with strings, are made to move by māyā. Or another meaning is: all living entities mounted in their bodies are made to move by māyā.

Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa Gauḍīya
Translation
61. O Arjuna, the Lord is situated in the heart of all living entities. By His energy, He engages them, mounted in their bodies, in action.
Commentary

Seeing that Arjuna still seemed to have the false concept of thinking he knew everything, and because of Arjuna’s inability to give that up, the Lord then teaches in a different way in two verses O Arjuna, though you think that your knowledge is your own, you know that onlyh through the Supreme Lord as the antaryāmi. That Lord is situated in the hearts of all beings from Brahmā down to the non-moving creatures, and He makes them wander about by His śakti (māyayā). He describes these living entities. They are mounted on the apparatus characterized by body, senses and prāṇas (yantra ārūḍhāni), constructed by māyā according to their karmas (māyayā). A comparison is suggested using the ornament called rūpaka (metaphor). The Lord makes the living entities move about just as a puppeteer mounts artificial beings on wooden devices with strings attached (yantra ārūḍhāni) and makes them move about.

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

Supreme Lord is the master and puppeteer

He is situated in everyone’s heart
Directing the wanderings of all living entities, who are seated on a machine (made of material energy)

PRACTICAL APPLICATION OF SECTION VII

Perfection is available by focusing on the instructions of the Supersoul in the heart

Focus of Learning

(a) Result of following the Lord:

Anyone who voluntarily engages himself under the direction of the Supreme Lord becomes glorious
Anyone who refuses to act so – He gets compelled to act by the modes

(a) Examples of acting according to nature – Arjuna as a ksatriya has natural duty to fight

(b) Refusal to fight was under false ego – because he was fearing that by killing his relatives he

would incur sinful reactions

(c) Forgetfulness of conditioned soul – Forget the relationship with Supreme Personality of

Godhead and considering himself as the master of his actions

(d) Conclusion – Unhesitatingly execute the order of Supreme Personality of Godhead – That will

keep one safe under all circumstances

Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya Classical
Translation
18.61 Arjuna, O Arjuna-one whose self is naturally white (pure), i.e. one possessing a pure internal organ. This follows from the Vedic text, 'The day is dark and the day is arjuna (white) (Rg. 6.9.1). Isvarah, the Lord , Narayana the Ruler; tisthati, resides, remains seated; hrd-dese, in the region of the heart; sarva-bhutanam, of all creatures, of all living beings. How does He reside? In answer the Lord says: bhramayan, revolving; mayaya, through Maya, through delusion; sarva-bhutani, all the creatures; as though yantra-arudhani, mounted on a machine-like man' etc., made of wood, mounted on a machine. The word iva (as though) has to be thus understood here. Bhramayan, revolving, is to be connected with tisthati, resides (conveying the idea, 'resides৷৷.while revolving').
Śrī Rāmānujācārya Classical
Translation
18.61 Lord Vasudeva, who is the ruler over all, lives in 'the heart of all beings,' i.e., in the region from which arises all knowledge which is at the root of all secular and spiritual activities. How and doing what does He exist? He exists enabling, by His Maya (power), 'all beings who are mounted, as it were, on the machine Prakrti' in the form of body and senses created by Himself, to act in accordance with their Gunas of Sattva and others. It was already expressed in 'And I am seated in the hearts of all. From Me are memory, knowledge and their removal also' (15.15) and in 'From Me proceed everything' (10.8). The Srutis also proclaim 'He who, dwelling in the self' (Br. U. Madh., 3.7.22). He now explains the way to get rid of the Maya:
Śrī Abhinavagupta Classical
Translation
18.61 See Comment under 18.62
Swami Sivananda Classical
Translation
18.61 The Lord dwells in the hearts of all beings, O Arjuna, causing all beings, by His illusive power, to revolve as if mounted on a machine.
Commentary

18.61 ईश्वरः the Lord? सर्वभूतानाम् of all beings? हृद्देशे in the hearts? अर्जुन O Arjuna? तिष्ठति dwells? भ्रामयन् causing to revolve? सर्वभूतानि all beings? यन्त्रारूढानि mounted on a machine? मायया by illusion.Commentary Isvara The Lord the Ruler of the universe Narayana.The Lord abides in the hearts of all beings. It is He Who has given a gift of this marvellous machine to you. It is by His power that all bodies move. The Lord is the real Actor within.By Maya By causing illusion.He causes all beings to revolve like wooden dolls mounted on a machine. (Cf.X.20.XIII.18)

Swami Gambhīrānanda Classical
Translation
18.61 O Arjuna, the Lord resides in the region of the heart of all creatures, revolving through Maya all the creatures (as though) mounted on a machine!
Shri Purohit Swami Classical
Translation
18.61 God dwells in the hearts of all beings, O Arjuna! He causes them to revolve as it were on a wheel by His mystic power.
Related values & verses
Related values
Tyaga (Renunciation / Letting Go)Karuna (Kindness / Compassion)Ahimsa (Non-violence / Compassion)Tapas (Austerity / Discipline)Atma Nigraha (Self-control)Daksya (Resourcefulness / Skill)Abhaya (Fearlessness)
Related verses
BG 15.15 BG 13.23 BG 10.20 SB 1.2.11 SB 11.11.11 SB 3.26.18 CC Madhya 20.264 CC Madhya 22.102 CC Madhya 6.156 Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 6.11Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad 3.1.1
Concepts
Maya
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
The Supreme Lord is situated in the heart of every living being and is directing the wanderings of all who are seated as on a machine.
Practical Applications
  • Recognize the Lord as inner director.
  • Stop pretending you direct alone.
  • Cultivate awareness of His presence.
Reflection Questions
  • Where do I act as if I'm the sole director?
  • What does shared direction offer?
Analogy

An archer thinks he aims, but his hand is steadied by another hand he cannot see. Every living being on the wheel is such an archer — moving, yes, but moved. The Lord seated in the heart is the unseen steady hand inside every machine.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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