उपद्रष्टाऽनुमन्ता च भर्ता भोक्ता महेश्वरः ।
परमात्मेति चाप्युक्तो देहेऽस्मिन्पुरुषः परः ॥
परमात्मेति चाप्युक्तो देहेऽस्मिन्पुरुषः परः ॥
Hindi · हिन्दी
यह पुरुष प्रकृतिशरीर के साथ सम्बन्ध रखनेसे उपद्रष्टा, उसके साथ मिलकर सम्मति, अनुमति देनेसे अनुमन्ता, अपनेको उसका भरणपोषण करनेवाला माननेसे भर्ता, उसके सङ्गसे सुखदुःख भोगनेसे भोक्ता, और अपनेको उसका स्वामी माननेसे महेश्वर बन जाता है । परन्तु स्वरूपसे यह पुरुष परमात्मा कहा जाता है । यह देहमें रहता हुआ भी देहसे पर सम्बन्धरहित ही है ॥
English
The inner self becomes the witness, consent-giver, supporter, enjoyer, and great lord through its relation with the body. Yet in its true nature, it is called the supreme self and remains beyond the body.
What this verse means
The inner self seems to take on many roles because it is linked with the body, but in its true nature it remains beyond the body.
Context & commentary
On the battlefield, Arjuna is frozen by confusion, and Krishna turns to the deepest distinction in chapter 13. After describing the field and its knower, he explains how the inner self appears to become witness, consent-giver, supporter, enjoyer, and ruler only through body-identification.
Why this verse still matters
You replay one mistake after a hard conversation and start calling yourself the failure, the fixer, the victim, the judge. This verse cuts through that blur: roles arise from identification, not from your deepest nature.
The takeaway
You are not trapped by every role you play. Beneath them, there is something untouched.
Word-by-word translation
उपद्रष्टा (witness) / अनुमन्ता (consenter) / च (and) / भर्ता (supporter) / भोक्ता (enjoyer) / महेश्वरः (great lord) / परमात्मा (supreme self) / इति (thus) / च (and) / अपि (also) / उक्तः (called) / देहे (in the body) / अस्मिन् (this) / पुरुषः (inner self) / परः (beyond)
This verse is part of Bhagavad Gita Chapter 13: Kshetra Kshetrajna Vibhaga — Field and Knower of the Field, which contains 35 verses.
Explore related themes: prakriti (31 verses), kshetrajna (20 verses)