The verse

Bhagavad Gita 15.10BG 15.10 · Chapter 15, Verse 10

Purushottama Yoga

A core teaching · expansive in mood · builds on earlier teachings

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

The verse
उत्क्रामन्तं स्थितं वापि भुञ्जानं वा गुणान्वितम् ।
विमूढा नानुपश्यन्ति पश्यन्ति ज्ञानचक्षुषः ॥

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.

— Krishna
Bhagavad Gita · 15.10
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 ॥
Themes:PurushottamaGunas
Word by word

The verse in reading order — each Sanskrit word with its meaning beneath. Tap a word to focus on it.

उत्क्रामन्तम्departingस्थितम्remainingवाorअपिalsoभुञ्जानम्enjoyingवाorगुणान्वितम्endowed with the qualitiesविमूढाःthe deludedनnotअनुपश्यन्तिperceiveपश्यन्तिseeज्ञानचक्षुषःthose with the eye of knowledge

Read literallydeparting · remaining · or · also · enjoying · or · endowed with the qualities · the deluded · not · perceive · see · those with the eye of knowledge

Understanding the verse

The deluded miss the self leaving, staying and enjoying; those with the eye of wisdom see it.

In plain words

What this verse means

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

On the battlefield

Context & commentary

With Arjuna frozen between duty and grief, Krishna explains that the true self is hidden from ordinary perception: it seems to move, stay, and enjoy through changing bodies, and wisdom alone can recognize it.

In your life

What it looks like today

In a hospital ward, families watch the monitors and the body, waiting for change. Krishna says the departing self stays hidden from ordinary eyes, and the eye of understanding sees what is happening.

The takeaway

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

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Krishna as the Supreme Person — Purushottama Yoga
Chapter 15 · The Yoga of the Supreme Person
Purushottama Yoga
20 verses
Read all verses in this chapter →

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

Common questions
What does Bhagavad Gita 15.10 mean?

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

Who speaks Bhagavad Gita 15.10?

Krishna speaks this verse, on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, in the chapter titled "Purushottama Yoga" (The Yoga of the Supreme Person).

Which chapter of the Bhagavad Gita contains verse 15.10?

Verse 10 sits in Chapter 15 of the Bhagavad Gita — Purushottama Yoga, "The Yoga of the Supreme Person". The chapter has 20 verses in total.

Why does Bhagavad Gita 15.10 matter today?

In a hospital ward, families watch the monitors and the body, waiting for change. Krishna says the departing self stays hidden from ordinary eyes, and the eye of understanding sees what is happening.

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