अव्यक्तं व्यक्ितमापन्नं मन्यन्ते मामबुद्धयः ।
परं भावमजानन्तो ममाव्ययमनुत्तमम् ॥
परं भावमजानन्तो ममाव्ययमनुत्तमम् ॥
Hindi · हिन्दी
बुद्धिहीन मनुष्य मेरे सर्वश्रेष्ठ अविनाशी परमभावको न जानते हुए अव्यक्त मनइन्द्रियोंसे पर मुझ सच्चिदानन्दघन परमात्माको मनुष्यकी तरह ही शरीर धारण करनेवाला मानते हैं ॥
English
The unwise think I have taken a visible form from the unseen. They do not know my imperishable, supreme nature.
What this verse means
People without clear understanding think Krishna has taken on a limited human body. They do not recognize his imperishable, highest nature beyond what the senses can see.
Context & commentary
On the battlefield of Kurukshetra, Arjuna is overwhelmed and Krishna begins revealing a deeper way of seeing. Here Krishna explains that ordinary minds mistake his visible human form for his full reality, missing his imperishable supreme nature.
Why this verse still matters
You meet someone who seems ordinary, and you dismiss the depth behind their calm face. Later you realise you were only seeing the surface. This verse warns against shrinking what is vast into what is familiar.
The takeaway
Not everything visible is the full reality. Reverence grows when you stop reducing the vast to the familiar.
Word-by-word translation
अव्यक्तम् (the unmanifest) / व्यक्तिम् (manifest form) / आपन्नम् (entered into) / मन्यन्ते (they think) / माम् (me) / अबुद्धयः (the unwise) / परम् (supreme) / भावम् (nature/state) / अजानन्तः (not knowing) / मम (my) / अव्ययम् (imperishable) / अनुत्तमम् (unsurpassed)
This verse is part of Bhagavad Gita Chapter 7: Jnana Vijnana Yoga — Knowledge and Wisdom, which contains 30 verses.
Explore related themes: avyakta (10 verses)