📿 Shloka Collection

Sarvatah Pani-Padam

Gita 13.14 Bhagavad Gita
📖 Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 13 — Kshetra Kshetragna Vibhaga Yoga
सर्वतः पाणिपादं तत्सर्वतोऽक्षिशिरोमुखम् ।
सर्वतः श्रुतिमल्लोके सर्वमावृत्य तिष्ठति ॥
Sarvatah pani-padam tat sarvato'kshi-shiro-mukham
Sarvatah shrutimat loke sarvam avritya tishthati
सर्वतः
on all sides
पाणिपादम्
having hands and feet
तत्
that (Brahman)
अक्षिशिरोमुखम्
having eyes, heads, and faces
श्रुतिमत्
having ears
लोके
in the world
सर्वम्
everything
आवृत्य
enveloping, pervading
तिष्ठति
it exists, it stands

This verse is poetry and philosophy braided together. Krishna says: that Brahman has hands and feet on every side, eyes and heads and faces on every side, ears on every side. It pervades everything in this world and remains.

This does not mean Brahman has a literal body. Wherever a hand is working, Brahman's power is at work. Wherever an eye is seeing, Brahman's awareness is present. It is not confined to one location. It is everywhere at once.

This description closely echoes the Shvetashvatara Upanishad (3.16), which uses similar language to describe the all-pervading nature of the Supreme.

In the Gita Press edition, this is the fourteenth shloka. This verse and the next three (13.15 through 13.17) together paint a portrait of Brahman through paradox and wonder.

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