Bhagavad Gita verses about Paramatma (God/Supreme self) dwelling in body of beings but not acting nor being entangled/affected (by it)
Given below are the relevant three successive verses in the Bhagavad Gita (English translation of verses below are slightly edited by me):
Chapter 13 verse 32, https://shlokam.org/bhagavad-gita/13-32 :
अनादित्वान्निर्गुणत्वात्परमात्मायमव्ययः ।
शरीरस्थोऽपि कौन्तेय न करोति न लिप्यते ॥ १३-३२॥
anāditvānnirguṇatvātparamātmāyamavyayaḥ
śarīrastho’pi kaunteya na karoti na lipyate
Being without beginning, and being devoid of qualities, the Supreme Self, the Imperishable, though dwelling in the body, O Kaunteya, neither acts, nor is tainted [Ravi: entangled/affected].
[Ravi: https://sanskritdictionary.org/lipyate translates lipyate as affected / entangled / attached / involved, and in the above verse context, translates it as entangled.]
Chapter 13 verse 33, https://shlokam.org/bhagavad-gita/13-33 :
यथा सर्वगतं सौक्ष्म्यादाकाशं नोपलिप्यते ।
सर्वत्रावस्थितो देहे तथात्मा नोपलिप्यते ॥ १३-३३॥
yathā sarvagataṃ saukṣmyādākāśaṃ nopalipyate
sarvatrāvasthito dehe tathātmā nopalipyate
As the all-pervading ether [Ravi: space] is not tainted [Ravi: affected by mixing], because of its subtlety, so too the Self, seated everywhere in the body, is not tainted [Ravi: affected by mixing].
[Ravi: The above verse link translates the word upalipyate as mixes and https://sanskritdictionary.org/upalipyate too translates it as mixes. So 'not tainted' is a good translation in this context of 'nopalipyate' which is a combined word from na meaning never (or not) and upalipyate. But I felt adding (not) 'affected by mixing' makes it clearer.]
https://www.holy-bhagavad-gita.org/chapter/13/verse/33 translates aakaasham as space, in this context. I prefer that translation in this context.]
Chapter 13 verse 34, https://shlokam.org/bhagavad-gita/13-34 :
यथा प्रकाशयत्येकः कृत्स्नं लोकमिमं रविः ।
क्षेत्रं क्षेत्री तथा कृत्स्नं प्रकाशयति भारत ॥ १३-३४॥
yathā prakāśayatyekaḥ kṛtsnaṃ lokamimaṃ raviḥ
kṣetraṃ kṣetrī tathā kṛtsnaṃ prakāśayati bhārata
Just as the one Sun illumines the whole world, so also the Lord-of-the-Field (PARAMATMAN) [Ravi: indweller/dweller in the body] illumines the whole Field [Ravi: body] O Bharata.
[Ravi: In Chapter 13 verse 2, https://shlokam.org/bhagavad-gita/13-2 , Krishna explains, "This body, O Kaunteya is called KSHETRA (the Field) ...". So in the above Chapter 13, verse 34 context, I prefer the translation of kshetra as body and kshetri as indweller in body or lord of the body. Therefore my preferred translation for above verse 34 is as follows:
Just as one Sun illumines the whole world, so also the lord of the body (or indweller of the body i.e. the Self) illumines (infuses with life) the whole body O Bharata.
BTW the word Ravi, which happens to be my first name 😊, is used in this verse. Ravi means the sun.]
[I thank shlokam.org, and have presumed that they will not have any objections to me sharing the above extract(s) from their website on this post which is freely viewable by all, and does not have any financial profit motive whatsoever. I also thank sanskritdictionary.org and holy-bhagavad-gita.org.]
Comments
Post a Comment