Purushottama Yoga · Verse 10

Bhagavad Gita 15.10

What changes is seen by the wise; the true self is not what moves.

Wisdom translation, edited by Ankur Shukla. Commentary AI-drafted, human-reviewed. Reviewed June 2026. Methodology →

उत्क्रामन्तं स्थितं वापि भुञ्जानं वा गुणान्वितम् ।
विमूढा नानुपश्यन्ति पश्यन्ति ज्ञानचक्षुषः ॥
Hindi · हिन्दी
शरीरको छोड़कर जाते हुए या दूसरे शरीरमें स्थित हुए अथवा विषयोंको भोगते हुए भी गुणोंसे युक्त जीवात्माके स्वरूपको मूढ़ मनुष्य नहीं जानते, ज्ञानरूपी नेत्रोंवाले ज्ञानी मनुष्य ही जानते हैं ॥
English
The deluded do not see the inner being departing, staying, or enjoying the world through the qualities. Those with the eye of understanding do see.

What this verse means

Ordinary sight cannot grasp the true self moving through bodies and experiences. Only clear understanding sees what is really happening.

Context & commentary

On the battlefield of Kurukshetra, Arjuna is frozen between duty and grief. Krishna explains that the true self is not visible to ordinary perception: it seems to move, stay, and enjoy through changing bodies, but only wisdom can recognize it.

Why this verse still matters

You watch yourself become a different person in every room: child, employee, partner, patient, critic. The verse says the deepest part of you is not any of those shifting masks.

The takeaway

It brings relief from identifying with every passing role, state, or sensation.

Word-by-word translation

उत्क्रामन्तम् (departing) / स्थितम् (remaining) / वा (or) / अपि (also) / भुञ्जानम् (enjoying) / वा (or) / गुणान्वितम् (endowed with the qualities) / विमूढाः (the deluded) / न (not) / अनुपश्यन्ति (perceive) / पश्यन्ति (see) / ज्ञानचक्षुषः (those with the eye of knowledge)

Explore related themes: gunas (47 verses), purushottama (14 verses)

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