FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

Bhagavad-gītā 13.18

జ్యోతిషామపి తజ్జ్యోతిస్తమస: పరముచ్యతే । జ్ఞానం జ్ఞేయం జ్ఞానగమ్యం హృది సర్వస్య విష్ఠితమ్ ॥ ౧౮ ॥
jyotiṣām api taj jyotis
[jyotishaam api taj jyotis]
tamasaḥ param ucyate
[tamasah param uchyate]
jñānaṁ jñeyaṁ jñāna-gamyaṁ
[jnaanam jneyam jnaana-gamyam]
hṛdi sarvasya viṣṭhitam
[hridi sarvasya vishthitam]
Word-for-word
jyotiṣām — in all luminous objects api — also tat — that jyotiḥ — the source of light tamasaḥ — the darkness param — beyond ucyate — is said jñānam — knowledge jñeyam — to be known jñāna - gamyam — to be approached by knowledge hṛdi — in the heart sarvasya — of everyone viṣṭhitam — situated .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
jyotiṣām api taj jyotis
jyotiṣām
in all luminous objects
api
also
tat
that
jyotiḥ
the source of light
tamasaḥ param ucyate
tamasaḥ
the darkness
param
beyond
ucyate
is said
jñānaṁ jñeyaṁ jñāna-gamyaṁ
jñānam
knowledge
jñeyam
to be known
jñāna - gamyam
to be approached by knowledge
hṛdi sarvasya viṣṭhitam
hṛdi
in the heart
sarvasya
of everyone
viṣṭhitam
situated .
Important Words
  • jyotiṣām — in all luminous objects
    Genitive plural. Among lights — sun, moon, fire, intellect — He is the light of those lights. The Upaniṣadic phrase "the light of lights" lives in this single word.
  • tamasaḥ — the darkness
    Genitive — "of darkness." The Lord is *param* (beyond) tamas. Tamas here is both literal darkness and the mode of ignorance. He is past both, neither dim nor mistaken.
  • jñānam — knowledge
    He is the knowing itself.
  • jñeyam — to be known
    He is also what is to be known. Subject and object collapse into one Lord.
  • jñāna - gamyam — to be approached by knowledge
    And the method by which knowing approaches Him. Three roles — knower, known, means of knowing — held by one Person. The verse compresses a whole epistemology.
  • hṛdi — in the heart
    Locative singular. Not in the sky, not in some celestial realm — in the heart. The cosmic Lord of the previous verses is suddenly and intimately near. This single word reorients the whole chapter inward.
He is the source of light in all luminous objects. He is beyond the darkness of matter and is unmanifested. He is knowledge, He is the object of knowledge, and He is the goal of knowledge. He is situated in everyone’s heart.
Purport

The Supersoul, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is the source of light in all luminous objects like the sun, moon and stars. In the Vedic literature we find that in the spiritual kingdom there is no need of sun or moon, because the effulgence of the Supreme Lord is there. In the material world that brahma-jyotir, the Lord’s spiritual effulgence, is covered by the mahat-tattva, the material elements; therefore in this material world we require the assistance of sun, moon, electricity, etc., for light. But in the spiritual world there is no need of such things. It is clearly stated in the Vedic literature that because of His luminous effulgence, everything is illuminated. It is clear, therefore, that His situation is not in the material world. He is situated in the spiritual world, which is far, far away in the spiritual sky. That is also confirmed in the Vedic literature. Āditya-varṇaṁ tamasaḥ parastāt ( Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 3.8). He is just like the sun, eternally luminous, but He is far, far beyond the darkness of this material world. His knowledge is transcendental. The Vedic literature confirms that Brahman is concentrated transcendental knowledge. To one who is anxious to be transferred to that spiritual world, knowledge is given by the Supreme Lord, who is situated in everyone’s heart. One Vedic mantra ( Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 6.18) says, taṁ ha devam ātma-buddhi-prakāśaṁ mumukṣur vai śaraṇam ahaṁ prapadye. One must surrender unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead if he at all wants liberation. As far as the goal of ultimate knowledge is concerned, it is also confirmed in Vedic literature: tam eva viditvāti mṛtyum eti. “Only by knowing Him can one surpass the boundary of birth and death.” ( Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 3.8) He is situated in everyone’s heart as the supreme controller. The Supreme has legs and hands distributed everywhere, and this cannot be said of the individual soul. Therefore that there are two knowers of the field of activity – the individual soul and the Supersoul – must be admitted. One’s hands and legs are distributed locally, but Kṛṣṇa’s hands and legs are distributed everywhere. This is confirmed in the Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad (3.17): sarvasya prabhum īśānaṁ sarvasya śaraṇaṁ bṛhat. That Supreme Personality of Godhead, Supersoul, is the prabhu, or master, of all living entities; therefore He is the ultimate shelter of all living entities. So there is no denying the fact that the Supreme Supersoul and the individual soul are always different.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
18. This light of all luminaries is said to be beyond darkness. He is knowledge, what is to be known, and is obtained by the process of knowledge. He is situated in the heart of all.
Commentary

Of the sun, moon and other light bodies, He is the illuminator (tad-jyotih), by which the sun shines, by whose power light radiates. The śruti says: yena suryah tapati tejasendhah By His power the sun burns. Taittirīya Brāhmaṇa 3.12.9.7, 5 na tatra sūryo bhāti na candra-tārakaṁ nemā vidyuto bhānti kuto’yam agniḥ tad eva bhāntam anubhāti sarvaṁ There, the sun does not shine, nor do the moon or stars. There, lightning does not flash, what to speak of fire. Everything shines in obedience to He who shines. Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.5.15 aditya varṇaṁ tamasaḥ parastāt He is like the sun, beyond ignorance. Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 3.8 Jṣānam means what is revealed by the function of intelligence. The Lord is that jṣānam (awareness). Jṣeyam means that awareness which develops a specific form, qualities etc. (jṣeyam). The Lord is that object of awareness. He is attained by the process of knowledge (pridelessness etc.) mentioned previously (jṣāna-gamyam). Being the form of Paramātmā, He is situated as the regulator in the hearts of all living entities (dhiṣṭhitam).

Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa Gauḍīya
Translation
18. This light of all light bodies is said to be beyond matter. He is knowledge, to be known, and obtained by the process of knowledge. He is situated in the heart of all.
Commentary

Brahman (tat) is the illuminator (jyotih) of the luminaries like the sun (jyotiṣām). Śruti describes brahman as follows: na tatra sūryo bhāti na candra-tārakaṁ nemā vidyuto bhānti kuto’yam agniḥ tad eva bhāntam anubhāti sarvaṁ tasya bhāsā sarvam idaṁ vibhāti There, the sun, the moon, the stars, fire and lightning do not shine. They all shine after Him alone, who shines. His light illuminates all these. Kaṭha Upaniṣad 5.15 This brahman is beyond prakṛti (tamasaḥ param). It is not touched by prakṛti. The śruti says āditya-varṇaṁ tamasaḥ parastāt: He is like the sun, beyond darkness. (Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 3.8) The brahman is jṣānam, or pure, unchanging knowledge. The śruti says: vijṣānam ānanda-ghanaṁ brahma: brahman is knowledge and condensed bliss. (Bṛhad Āraṇyaka Upaniṣad 3.9.28) This jṣānam or brahman is to be known by the person desiring liberation, as the worthy object of surrender (jṣeyam). The śruti says taṁ ha devam ātma-buddhi-prakāśaṁ mumukṣur vai śaraṇam ahaṁ prapadye: I surrender to He who shelters those desiring liberation, the Lord who reveals self and intelligence. (Śvetaśvatara Upaniṣad 6.18) Brahman is said to be approached by the process of knowledge (jṣāna gamyam). tam eva viditvātimṛtyum eti: knowing Him, one attains liberation. (Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣsad 3.8) He is situated as the controller (dhiṣṭitam) [Note: The other reading viṣṭhitam, meaning situated.] in the heart of every living entity. Śruti says antaḥ-praviṣṭaḥ śāstā janānām: He has entered within, and is the controller of all men. (Taittirīya Āraṇyaka 3.11.10) One should not say that the verses starting from verse 13 refer to the jīva because that has been the topic before that. They refer to the Supreme Lord, because the topic is also the Lord as a knower of the field, like the jīva. “Everywhere are His hands and feet” must refer to the Lord, because the same subject refers only to the Lord in the Śvetāśvatara and other Upaniṣads. This also follows the style of mixing topics (jīva and īśvara) commonly seen in the Upaniṣaḍs.

Bhūrijana Dāsa Gauḍīya
Commentary

The purpose of knowledge is to get out of this material world by knowing the Supreme Lord.

[2. Only the devotee can understand the field of activities (the body), the process of knowledge, and both the soul and the Super soul. (19) ]

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

He is the “Source of all knowledge and enlightenment”

Source of light in all luminous objects
Is beyond the darkness of matter and is unmanifested
He is knowledge, object of knowledge and goal of knowledge
He is situated in everyone’s heart

Focus of Learning

(a) Examples in Vedic Literatures

Lord’s presence in everyone’s heart does not imply that He is divided
e.g. Analogy: Sun, if at meridian, is in one place but if we go 5000 miles in all directions; everyone experiences the sun’s presence on their head
Vedic literatures say: “One Vishnu” is present everywhere by His omnipotence
Vedic Hymns confirm Him as the ‘origin of all’ and ‘rest of all’

(b) “As devouring all”

Explained in Chapter 11 – “I have come to devour all in the form of time”

(a) Supreme Truth is outside and inside of all living beings

Ref. Vedic Literatures explains that “Narayana is residing both outside and inside of every living entity”; present in both the spiritual world and the material world and He is far away, but also near

(b) Because He is subtle, He is beyond the power of the material senses to see or to know

Material mind and senses cannot understand Him
Only possible, if senses are purified by Krishna consciousness
Ref. Bg. 11.54: “bhaktya tv….” and Brahma Samhita: “premanjana…”
That Krishna described the knowable in Text 13.16 as avijneyam, unknowable, indicates that the Supersoul cannot be understood by the material senses. Only by hearing with devotion from transcendental sources can He be understood

LINK BETWEEN TEXTS 13.18 & 13.19: Krishna ends his explanation of the ‘knowable’ by describing to

Arjuna the qualifications of one able to understand these topics.

SUMMARISED THEME 13B

CHARACTERISITICS OF THE SUPERSOUL

A) Supersoul as the object of knowledge (Jneya) – (13.14 – 13.18)

All pervading – His hands, legs, eyes, ears, heads and faces are everywhere
Original source of all senses, yet He is without senses
Unattached, although He is the maintainer of all living entities
Transcendental to the modes of material nature, although He is the master of all modes
All reconciling – Outside and inside of all living beings
Subtle and beyond the perception of material senses
Undivided – Although appears divided among all beings
Maintainer of all, also devours and develops all
Source of all knowledge and enlightenment
Situated in one’s heart

B) Supersoul as the knower of the field (Ksetra-jna) – (13.3)

Superknower – Knower of all bodies
Supreme proprietor and controller
Infallible and always superior to the spirit soul

(a) Supersoul is the source of light of sun, moon, stars

Ref. Vedic literatures: Spiritual kingdom has no need of sun or moon because the effulgence of the Lord is there
Material world – Brahmajoyti is covered by mahat-tattva and therefore we need the sun, moon etc.

(b) This establishes that the Supreme Lord is not in the material world but far far away – beyond the

darkness of the material world

Ref. Svetasvatara Upanisad 3.8 – “aditya varnam tamsah parastat”

(c) His knowledge is transcendental

Ref. Vedic literatures – “Brahman is concentrated transcendental knowledge”
To one anxious to go to spiritual world, knowledge is given by the Lord in the heart
Ref. Vedic literatures (Svetasvatara Upanisad) explains the goal of ultimate knowledge:
“Only by knowing Him – One can surpass the boundaries of birth and death”

(d) He is everyone’s heart

But He is different from the soul (There are two knowers)
He has hands and legs everywhere, but jiva’s hands and legs are localized
Ref. Svetasvatara Upanisad – Supreme Personality of Godhead is Prabhu or master of all living entities and therefore He is the shelter of all living entities
Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya Classical
Translation
13.18 Tat, that Knowable; is the jyotih, Light; api, even; jyotisam, of the lights-of the sun etc. For the lights like the sun etc. shine because they are enkindled by the light of consciousness of the Self, as is known from Upanisadic texts like, 'Illumined by whose light the sun shines' (Tai. Br. 3.12.9.7), 'By Its light all this shines variously' (Sv. 6.14), and from the Smrti also, as here (in the Gita) itself: 'That light in the sun৷৷.' (15.12), etc. It is ucyate, spoken of as; param, beyond, untouched by; tamasah, darkness; ignorance. For cheering up anyone who may become disheartened by thinking that Knowledge etc. is difficult to attain, the Lord says: It is jnanam, Knowledge-humility etc. (verse 7, etc.); jneyam, the Knowable, which has been spoken of in, 'I shall speak of that which is to be known' (12); and jnana-gamyam, the Known. The Knowable itself is referred to as jnanagamyam, when after being known, It becomes the result of Knowledge. But when It is an object to be known, It is called jneyam. All these three which are such, visthitam, specially exist; hrdi, in the hearts, in the intellects; sarvasya, of all, of all creatures. For these three are, indeed, perceived there. This verse is begun for concluding the topic under discussion:
Śrī Rāmānujācārya Classical
Translation
13.18 This (self) alone is the 'light' which illuminates things like the sun, a lamp, a gem etc. It is knowledge alone in the form of the effulgence of the self which illuminates a lamp, the sun etc. But a lamp etc., dispel the darkness that intervenes between the sense of sight and its subject. Their illuminating power is limited to this extent. This is said to be beyond Tamas (darkness). The term Tamas denotes Prakrti in its subtle state. The meaning is that the self transcends Prakrti. Therefore, It is to be comprehended as knowledge, i.e., to be understood as of the form of knowledge. It is attainable by means of knowledge - such as modesty etc., already described. It is present in the heart of all, i.e., It is specially settled, or present in the heart of all beings like men etc.
Śrī Abhinavagupta Classical
Translation
13.13-18 Jneyam etc. upto visthitam. Beginningless is the Supreme Brahman : by means of the attributes (descriptions) like these, [the Bhagavat] describes the Brahman as being not separate from the Supreme Consciousness (or action) expressed in every utterance and [thus] gracing [the seeker] to infer his [or Its] own nature. These attributes however have already been explained. Hence what is the use of a fruitless repetition ?
Swami Sivananda Classical
Translation
13.18 That, the Light of all lights, is said to be beyond darkness: knowledge, the knowable and the goal of knowledge, seated in the hearts of all.
Commentary

13.18 ज्योतिषाम् of lights? अपि even? तत् That? ज्योतिः Light? तमसः from darkness? परम् beyond? उच्यते is said (to be)? ज्ञानम् knowledge? ज्ञेयम् that which is to be known? ज्ञानगम्यम् attainable by knowledge? हृदि in the heart? सर्वस्य of all? विष्ठितम् seated.Commentary The Supreme Self illumines the intellect? the mind? the sun? moon? stars? fire and lightning. It is selfluminous? The sun does not shine there? nor do the moon and the stars? nor do these lightnings shine and much less this fire. When It shines? everything shines after It all these shine by Its Light. (Kathopanishad 5.15 also Svetasvataropanishad 6.14)Knowledge Such as humility. (Cf.XIII.7to11)The knowable As described in verses 12 to 7.The goal of knowledge? i.e.? capable of being understood by wisdom.These three are installed in the heart (Buddhi) of every living being. Though the light of the sun shines in all objects? yet the suns light shines more brilliantly in all bright and clean objects such as a mirror. Even so? though Brahman is present in all objects? the intellect shines with special effulgence received from Brahman. (Cf.X.20XIII.3XVIII.61)

Swami Gambhīrānanda Classical
Translation
13.18 That is the Light even of the lights; It is spoken of as beyond darkness. It is Knowledge, the Knowable, and the Known. It exists specially [A variant reading is dhisthitam.-Tr.] in the hearts of all.
Shri Purohit Swami Classical
Translation
13.18 It is the Light of lights, beyond the reach of darkness; the Wisdom, the only thing that is worth knowing or that wisdom can teach; the Presence in the hearts of all.
Related values & verses
Related values
Tyaga (Renunciation / Letting Go)Atma Nigraha (Self-control)Daksya (Resourcefulness / Skill)Abhaya (Fearlessness)
Related verses
BG 15.6 BG 10.11 BG 15.15 SB 3.9.3 SB 11.25.36 SB 8.3.6 CC Madhya 20.154 CC Madhya 21.49 CC Ādi 2.12 Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.15Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad 2.2.10
Concepts
Mantra
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
He is the source of light in luminous bodies; beyond darkness; knowledge, the object of knowledge, the goal of knowledge — situated in everyone's heart.
Practical Applications
  • Recognize Kṛṣṇa as both subject and object of knowledge.
  • Don't separate knowing-Him from being-Him.
  • Cultivate heart-awareness as the locus of His presence.
Reflection Questions
  • Where does my knowing of Him stop short of intimate heart-presence?
  • What deepens that intimacy?
Analogy

On a moonless night a single lamp in a temple sanctuary lights every face, every column, every offered flower — yet the lamp itself is the source of seeing, not a thing seen by some other light. Kṛṣṇa is that lamp. He is the light by which all other lights shine, and He is what those lights, when followed, finally reveal.

Stories
Ambarīṣa's heart steady on Kṛṣṇa

King Ambarīṣa, though emperor of the earth, kept his mind fixed always on the Lord's lotus feet. The Bhāgavatam describes how he engaged each of his senses in the Lord's service — eyes on the deity, ears on hari-kathā, tongue on prasāda, hands in temple cleaning.

When Durvāsā Muni, offended, sent a fiery weapon against him, the Lord's own Sudarśana cakra rose from Ambarīṣa's heart to defend him. The verse says hṛdi sarvasya viṣṭhitam — situated in the heart of everyone. Ambarīṣa had simply taken the verse seriously.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

← Read full Chapter 13