FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

Bhagavad-gītā 10.20

అహమాత్మా గుడాకేశ సర్వభూతాశయస్థిత: । అహమాదిశ్చ మధ్యం చ భూతానామన్త ఏవ చ ॥ ౨౦ ॥
aham ātmā guḍākeśa
[aham aatmaa gudaakesha]
sarva-bhūtāśaya-sthitaḥ
[sarva-bhootaashaya-sthitah]
aham ādiś ca madhyaṁ ca
[aham aadish cha madhyam cha]
bhūtānām anta eva ca
[bhootaanaam anta eva cha]
Word-for-word
aham — I ātmā — the soul guḍākeśa — O Arjuna sarva - bhūta — of all living entities āśaya - sthitaḥ — situated within the heart aham — I am ādiḥ — the origin ca — also madhyam — middle ca — also bhūtānām — of all living entities antaḥ — end eva — certainly ca — and .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
aham ātmā guḍākeśa
aham
I
ātmā
the soul
guḍākeśa
O Arjuna
sarva-bhūtāśaya-sthitaḥ
sarva - bhūta
of all living entities
āśaya - sthitaḥ
situated within the heart
aham
I am
aham ādiś ca madhyaṁ ca
ādiḥ
the origin
ca
also
madhyam
middle
ca
also
bhūtānām anta eva ca
bhūtānām
of all living entities
antaḥ
end
eva
certainly
ca
and .
Important Words
  • ātmā — the soul, the Supersoul
    Here specifically paramātmā — the indwelling form of the Lord in every heart. The verse claims a non-trivial identity: the inmost reality of every being is Kṛṣṇa Himself in His Supersoul aspect.
  • guḍākeśa — O Arjuna (conqueror of sleep)
    Vocative compound: guḍāka (sleep) + īśa (lord). Arjuna's title as one who has mastered sleep. The address fits: only the wakeful, the one who has conquered slumber, can hear that He sits in every heart.
  • āśaya - sthitaḥ — situated within the heart
    Compound: āśaya (resting-place, heart) + sthitaḥ (situated). Locates the Supersoul precisely. Not a vague pervasion — a specific seat, hṛd-deśa, the heart-region of every being.
  • ādiḥ — the origin
    Beginning. Echoes the prabhavaḥ of verse 8 and the ādi-devam of verse 12. Each repetition tightens the claim: of every being, Kṛṣṇa is where the timeline starts.
  • madhyam — middle
    Not only beginning and end, but the in-between. The sustaining present. The verse closes every gap: there is no moment in a being's existence that is not Kṛṣṇa.
  • antaḥ — end
    Same word as verse 19's 'limit,' but here 'end of beings.' Even dissolution is Kṛṣṇa. The being does not exit into nothing; it exits back into its source.
I am the Supersoul, O Arjuna, seated in the hearts of all living entities. I am the beginning, the middle and the end of all beings.
Purport

In this verse Arjuna is addressed as Guḍākeśa, which means “one who has conquered the darkness of sleep.” For those who are sleeping in the darkness of ignorance, it is not possible to understand how the Supreme Personality of Godhead manifests Himself in various ways in the material and spiritual worlds. Thus this address by Kṛṣṇa to Arjuna is significant. Because Arjuna is above such darkness, the Personality of Godhead agrees to describe His various opulences. Kṛṣṇa first informs Arjuna that He is the soul of the entire cosmic manifestation by dint of His primary expansion. Before the material creation, the Supreme Lord, by His plenary expansion, accepts the puruṣa incarnation, and from Him everything begins. Therefore He is ātmā, the soul of the mahat-tattva, the universal elements. The total material energy is not the cause of the creation; actually the Mahā-viṣṇu enters into the mahat-tattva, the total material energy. He is the soul. When Mahā-viṣṇu enters into the manifested universes, He again manifests Himself as the Supersoul in each and every entity. We have experience that the personal body of the living entity exists due to the presence of the spiritual spark. Without the existence of the spiritual spark, the body cannot develop. Similarly, the material manifestation cannot develop unless the Supreme Soul, Kṛṣṇa, enters. As stated in the Subāla Upaniṣad, prakṛty-ādi-sarva-bhūtāntar-yāmī sarva-śeṣī ca nārāyaṇaḥ: “The Supreme Personality of Godhead is existing as the Supersoul in all manifested universes.” The three puruṣa-avatāras are described in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. They are also described in the Nārada Pañcarātra, one of the Sātvata-tantras. Viṣṇos tu trīṇi rūpāṇi puruṣākhyāny atho viduḥ: the Supreme Personality of Godhead manifests three features – as Kāraṇodaka-śāyī Viṣṇu, Garbhodaka-śāyī Viṣṇu and Kṣīrodaka-śāyī Viṣṇu – in this material manifestation. The Mahā-viṣṇu, or Kāraṇodaka-śāyī Viṣṇu, is described in the Brahma-saṁhitā (5.47) . Yaḥ kāraṇārṇava-jale bhajati sma yoga-nidrām: the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa, the cause of all causes, lies down in the cosmic ocean as Mahā-viṣṇu. Therefore the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the beginning of this universe, the maintainer of the universal manifestations, and the end of all energy.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
20. O conqueror of sleep, I am the soul of prakṛti, situated as the spirit within each universe, and within each living entity. I alone am the creation, maintenance and destruction of all creatures.
Commentary

First you should think of Me alone as the cause of all these vibhūtis by using just one of My portions. I am ātmā, the soul within prakṛti; I am the creator of the mahat-tattva, the puruṣa, the Paramātmā (Karaṇodakaśāyī). O one who conquers sleep (Guḍākeśa), you are qualified for meditation since you do not sleep. I am situated in the aggregate of all beings (vairājas), as the antaryāmī of the virāṭ (Garbhodakaśāyī). I am also situated within the hearts of all living entities, as the antaryāmī of the individuals (Kṣīrodakaśāyī). (Two meanings are given to the phrase sarva-bhutāśaya-sthitaḥ). I am the cause of the creation (adiḥ), the maintenance (madhyam) and the destruction of all entities.

Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa Gauḍīya
Translation
20. O conqueror of sleep, I am situated as the soul of prakṛti, as the soul of the aggregate jīvas within each universe, and as the soul within each living entity. I alone am the cause of creation, maintenance and destruction of all elements.
Commentary

Meditate upon Me as the cause of all vibhūtis in the form of My three Viṣṇu expansions for creation, maintenance and destruction of the mahattattva and other elements. O conquerer of sleep (guḍakeśa)! You are qualified to contemplate this, as you have conquered ignorance. You should think of Me as paramātmā of three forms (ātmā) for creation, maintenance and destruction, full of vibhūtis, knowledge and bliss, situated within the abode consisting of all elements (sarva bhūtāśaya sthitaḥ). Sarva bhūta refers to the basic prakṛti from pradhāna down to the earth element. I am situated within the abode of prakṛti made of all those elements, in the form of Viṣṇu in the karaṇa ocean. I am the antaryāmī within this prakṛti. I am also situated as the antaryāmī of the samāṣṭi virāḍ (aggregate person), in the form of Garbhodaśaya Viṣṇu, within the abode identifying itself as the aggregate (called vairāja) of all jīvas (sarva bhūta) in the universe . I am also situated as the antaryāmī of vyasṭi virāḍ (individual person), in the form of Kṣirodaśaya Viṣṇu, within all the individual jīvas (sarva bhūta). [Note: The phrase sarva bhūta has here been interpreted in three ways to indicate simulatneously the functions of the three puruṣa avatāras in one statement.] You should meditate on these three forms, understanding that they are My vibhūtis. Subāla Upaniṣad says: prakṛty-ādi-sarva-bhūtāntaryāmī sarva-śeṣī ca nārāyaṇaḥ Nārāyaṇa is the antaryāmī of prakṛti and other elements, and all living entities. He is the chief among all entities. Sātvata Tantra says: viṣṇos tu trīṇi rūpāṇi puruṣākhyāny atho viduḥ ekaṁ tu mahataḥ sraṣṭṛ dvitīyaṁ tantu-saṁsthitam tṛtīyaṁ sarva-bhūtasthaṁ tāni jṣātvā vimucyate They know the three forms of Viṣṇu as puruṣas. The first is the creator of the mahat tattva. The second is situated in the universe. The third is situated in all jīvas. Knowing these, one becomes liberated. That these puruṣas are the avatāras of the son of Vasudeva, Kṛṣṇa, is shown in three verse of Brahma Saṁhitā starting with the following: yaḥ kāraṇārṇava-jale bhajati sma yoga- nidrām ananta-jagad-aṇḍa-saroma-kūpaḥ ādhāra-śaktim avalambya parāṁ sva-mūrtiṁ govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi Govinda, the ultimate and Supreme Personality of Godhead [Lord Kṛṣṇa], lies sleeping unlimitedly on the Causal Ocean in order to create unlimited numbers of universes during that sleep. He lies on the water by His own internal potency, and I worship that original Supreme Godhead. Brahmā Saṁhitā 5.47 I am the cause of the creation (adiḥ) continuation (madhyam), and destruction (antaḥ) of all these beings. You should think of Me alone as the form of these three puruṣas as mentioned.

Bhūrijana Dāsa Gauḍīya
Commentary

'Beings' refers to 'sentient beings'.

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

Reveals Krishna to be the cause of everything

SUMMARIZED THEME 10B

LORD KRISHNA MENTIONS A FEW OF HIS UNLIMITED OPULENCES (10.20 – 10.39)

PLEASE NOTE: This categorization with headings are not based on any specific authority but for ease of

memorization we have divided them into the following categories.

FOCUS OF LEARNING IN 10.20

(a) Arjuna as ‘Gudakesh’

One who has conquered the darkness of sleep
Thus one can understand how Krishna manifests Himself in various ways

(b) Krishna is the beginning, middle and end of all beings

Krishna manifests as three Purusha avartars in the material creation – Maha-Vishnu, Garbhodakasayi-Vishnu and Ksirodakasayi-Vishnu (Ref. Satavata-tantra)
Maha-Vishnu is the cause of all causes (Ref. Brahma Samhita 5.47)
Therefore Krishna is the beginning, middle and end of all the energy

(c) Lord as the Supersoul – Krishna, as the Supersoul in the heart of all living entities as Ksirodakasayi

Vishnu; Maha Vishnu is the Supersoul of Mahat-Tattva

Ref. Subala Upanisad – “The Supreme Personality of Godhead is existing as the Supersoul in all manifested universes”

FOCUS OF LEARNING IN 10.19

(a) Krishna is unlimited – Not possible to comprehend the greatness by our limited senses

(b) Then why do devotees try to understand Krishna – because:

Not on the principle to know Krishna fully at any specific time or any state of life
Rather topics of Krishna are so relishable, they appear as nectar
Devotees enjoy them and take transcendental pleasure

(c) Importance of the word ‘Pradhanyatah’ (Principal) – Krishna knows the limits of the living entities

and therefore agrees to state only the principal manifestations of His different energies.

(d) Importance of the word ‘Vibhuti’ – Refers to the opulences by which He controls the whole

manifestation. It indicates “an exceptional opulence”

PRACTICAL APPLICATION OF SECTION IV

Lord Krishna opulence is visible through the manifestations of His energies in the world. It is interesting

to see how Krishna present His glories. In general, He presents a group within the world, and then shows

how He is the prominent aspect

SUMMARISED THEME 10C*

POINTS IN PURPORTS OF 10.21 – 10.42

1. Aditya – Total 12 in number; Krishna is the principal

2. Sun – Chief of all luminaries twinkling in the sky

3. Position of moon – It is one of the stars which implies that there is only one sun in every universe (as

against modern science) and all the stars reflect the light of the sun

4. Difference between matter and spirit – Matter has no consciousness

5. Rudras – Total 11 in number; Lord Siva is predominant (In charge of mode of ignorance)

6. Kuvera – The master treasurer of demigods

7. Meru – A mountain famous for its rich natural resources

8. Asvattha – One of the highest, most beautiful trees / People often worship as daily morning ritual

9. Gandarvas – Living entities who sing beautifully; The best singer is Chitraratha

10. Uccaihsrava – The horse; Airavata the elephant – The two entities who came out from the nectar

11. King is a representative of Krishna because he is the maintainer of the kingdoms

12. Surabhi cows – Found in spiritual world, can give milk anytime and any amount

13. Kandarpa – Sex desire for presenting good sons

14. Off all the creations Krishna is the beginning, middle and end – As Maha-Vishnu He expands,

Brahma (Guna-avartar) is the secondary creator and Lord Shiva (Guna-avartar) is the annihilator. All

these agents are incarnations of material qualities of the Supreme Lord

15. Logicians – Different kinds of Logic

‘Jalpa’ – Supporting ones argument with evidence that also supports the opposing side
‘Vitanda’ – Merely trying to defeat one’s opponent
‘Vada’ – The actual conclusion

16. Books of education – 14 divisions – Four Vedas, Six Supplements, the Vedanta-sutras, Books of logic,

books of religiosity and the Puranas

17. Time is a representative of Krishna – Because in due course of time there will be a great fire and

everything will be annihilated

18. Krishna is the generating principle of all that is yet to be – How? – All the six changes of the body

start from birth and that first generation is Krishna

19. Hymns of Sama Veda – Rich with beautiful songs played by demigods

20. Gayatri Mantra – The regulated poetry

Qualification/Eligibility –
Meant for spiritually advanced people
One must acquire qualities of goodness in order to chant Gayatri Mantra
Chanted by duly qualified Brahmans
Scriptural References –
Mentioned in Srimad Bhagavatam
Brahma is it’s initiator – It is passed down in disciplic succession
Very important in Vedic civilization
Purpose and Goal –
Especially meant for God realisation, it represents the Supreme Lord
When one attains success in chanting – Can enter the transcendental position
Considered to be the sound incarnation of Brahman

21. November/December – the month of collecting grains from the field in India

22. Vāsudeva referred to in this verse of Bhagavad-gita is Baladeva, or Balarama (Study 10.37 purport)

23. Kavi – Those who are capable of thinking thoroughly on any subject matter

LINK BETWEEN TEXTS 10.39 & 10.40: Krishna herein explains how we can see Him everywhere. Without

Krishna, nothing can be, and no one—moving or nonmoving—can exist. Whenever we see anything, we

can think, “The existence of this person, this tree, this building, this universe rests upon Krishna. Nothing

exists without Him.” After speaking this verse, which by itself can award us the vision to see Him everywhere,

Krishna sums up Chapter Ten.

Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya Classical
Translation
10.20 Gudakesa, O Gudakesa-gudaka means sleep, and isa means master; master of that (sleep) is gudakesa, i.e. one who has conered sleep; [See also under 1.24.-Tr.] or, one who has got thick hair; aham, I; am the atma, Self, the indwelling Self; who is to be ever-meditated on as sarva-bhuta-asaya [Asaya-that in which are contained the impressions of meditations (upasanas), actions and past experiences.]-sthitah, residing in the hearts of all beings. And, by one who is unable to do so, I am to be meditated on through the following aspects. I am capable of being meditated on (through them) becasue aham, I; am verily the adih, beginning, the origin; and the madhyam, middle, continuance; ca, as also; the antah, end, dissolution; bhutanam, of (all) beings. 'I am to be meditated upon thus also:'
Śrī Rāmānujācārya Classical
Translation
10.20 I am the Self dwelling in the heart of all beings who constitute My body. What is called 'Self' is in every way the supporter, controller and the principal of a body. It is further declared: 'And I am seated in the hearts of all; from Me are memory, knowledge and their removal' (15.15), and 'The Lord dwells, O Arjuna in the heart of every being causing them to spin round and round by His power, as if set on a wheel' (18.61). The Srutis also declare: 'He who, dwelling in all beings, is within all beings, whom all beings do not know, whose body all beings are, who controls all beings from within, is your Inner Controller, immortal Self (Br. U., 3.7.15); and 'He who, dwelling in the self is within the self, whom the self does not know, whose body the self is, and who controls the self from within, He is your Inner Controller and Immortal Self' (Sata. Br., 14.5.30). Thus, I am the Self of all beings and I am their beginning, the middle and also the end. The meaning is that I am the cause of their origination, sustentation and dissolution. Thus, having explained that the Lord's immanence in all beings, which are His manifestations having Him, as their Self, is the ground for naming them in the manner of Samanadhikaranya or co-ordinate predication with Him (i.e., predication that they are He Himself), Sri Krsna proceeds to present some specific or distinguished manifestations in the same style of co-ordinate predication. As the Lord abides as the Self in all, the final significance of all terms culminates in Him. Terms such as god, man, bird, tree etc., though they signify the respective physical forms of those objects, they culminate through them in the selves in them as their final significance. Just like that here it is going to be stated in the conclusion of the account of the manifestations of the Lord, that the Lord's immanence in them all as their Self is the basis for describing them in such co-ordinate predication (as He Himself). The text 'There is nothing, moving or unmoving, apart from Me' (10.39) says that they are inseparable from Him, and this inseparability is the result of their being under His control. This has been initially declared in the words 'All proceed from Me' (10.8). [This word Samanadhikaranya is translated by some also as 'grammatical co-ordination.' It is a context in which a number of words, usually having varying denotations, are used to signify an identical object. This kind of co-ordinate relation occurs in all the following verses in which Sri Krsna eates Himself with various objects having different denotations as Atman, Visnu among the Adityas, Indra, Marici, Sankara, Kubera, etc. Further explanation is given in the commentary.]
Śrī Abhinavagupta Classical
Translation
10.20 See Comment under 10.42
Swami Sivananda Classical
Translation
10.20 I am the Self, O Gudakesa, seated in the hearts of all beings; I am the beginning, the middle and also the end of all beings.
Commentary

10.20 अहम् I? आत्मा the Self? गुडाकेश O Gudakesa? सर्वभूताशयस्थितः seated in the hearts of all beings? अहम् I? आदिः the beginning? च and? मध्यम् the middle? च and? भूतानाम् of (all) beings? अन्तः the end? एव even? च and.Commentary O Gudakesa I am the soul (Pratyagatma) which exists in the hearts of all beings and I am also the source or origin? the middle or stay? and the end of all created beings. I am the birth? the life and the death of all beings. Meditate on Me as the innermost Self.Gudakesa means either coneror of sleep or thickhaired.He who is able to meditate on the Self with Abheda Bhavana (attitude of nonduality)? is a alified aspirant (Adhikari) of the first class. He who is not able to meditate on the Self should think of the Lord in those things which are mentioned below. This type of meditation is for the aspirants of the middle class.

Swami Gambhīrānanda Classical
Translation
10.20 O Gudakesa, I am the Self residing in the hearts of all beings, and I am the beginning and the middle as also the end of (all) beings.
Shri Purohit Swami Classical
Translation
10.20 O Arjuna! I am the Self, seated in the hearts of all beings; I am the beginning and the life, and I am the end of them all.
Related values & verses
Related values
Tyaga (Renunciation / Letting Go)Atma Nigraha (Self-control)Daksya (Resourcefulness / Skill)Abhaya (Fearlessness)
Related verses
BG 13.23 BG 15.15 BG 18.61 SB 1.2.11 SB 3.26.18 SB 2.2.8 CC Ādi 2.21 CC Madhya 20.162 CC Madhya 22.30 Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad 3.1.1Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 6.11
Study Q&A referencing this verse
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
I am the Self situated in the heart of all living beings — I am the beginning, middle, and end.
Practical Applications
  • Recognize Kṛṣṇa in the heart of every being you meet.
  • Treat every encounter as opportunity to honor Him.
  • Reduce abstract devotion in favor of concrete recognition.
Reflection Questions
  • Whom have I encountered today without recognizing Him within?
  • What does recognition cost? What does it give?
Analogy

A single thread, hidden inside a string of beads, holds every bead in its place — pull the thread, and the necklace ceases to exist. So Kṛṣṇa is the inner ātmā strung through every living being. Each bead thinks it sparkles on its own; the thread is the secret of its being there at all.

Stories
Kapila to Devahūti

Kapila Muni, the avatāra of Viṣṇu born to Devahūti, taught his mother sāṅkhya — but not the godless variety. He explained that the Supersoul situated within every being is none other than the Lord; the soul's whole journey is the discovery of this resident.

The third canto of the Bhāgavatam records his teaching almost as a commentary on this verse: aham ātmā guḍākeśa sarva-bhūta-āśaya-sthitaḥ. Kapila gave the doctrine; Devahūti realized it; the worldview spread through her line. The verse is the trunk; Kapila's instructions are its branches.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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