I am the goal, the supporter, the lord, the witness, the refuge, the friend, the source, the dissolution, the resting place, the treasure, and the imperishable seed.
— Krishna
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Bhagavad Gita · 9.18
Hindi · हिन्दी
क्रतु मैं हूँ, यज्ञ मैं हूँ, स्वधा मैं हूँ, औषध मैं हूँ, मन्त्र मैं हूँ, घृत मैं हूँ, अग्नि मैं हूँ और हवनरूप क्रिया भी मैं हूँ । जाननेयोग्य पवित्र, ओंकार, ऋग्वेद, सामवेद और यजुर्वेद भी मैं ही हूँ । इस सम्पूर्ण जगत्का पिता, धाता, माता, पितामह, गति, भर्ता, प्रभु, साक्षी, निवास, आश्रय, सुहृद्, उत्पत्ति, प्रलय, स्थान, निधान तथा अविनाशी बीज भी मैं ही हूँ ॥
Krishna says he is everything that supports, witnesses, shelters, begins, ends, and sustains existence.
02
On the battlefield
Context & commentary
Krishna widens the meaning of divine presence. After naming himself in sacred forms and cosmic roles, Krishna now says he is the goal, shelter, witness, source, and imperishable seed of all that exists.
03
In your life
What it looks like today
After a hard conversation with a doctor about a parent's illness, you sit in the parked car afraid of what comes next. Krishna calls himself both the source and the dissolution, so the ending and the beginning rest in the same place.
The takeaway
“You are not alone inside the world; the deepest reality is already holding, seeing, and guiding everything.”
Krishna says he is everything that supports, witnesses, shelters, begins, ends, and sustains existence.
Who speaks Bhagavad Gita 9.18?
Krishna speaks this verse, on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, in the chapter titled "Raja Vidya Raja Guhya Yoga" (The Royal Knowledge).
Which chapter of the Bhagavad Gita contains verse 9.18?
Verse 18 sits in Chapter 9 of the Bhagavad Gita — Raja Vidya Raja Guhya Yoga, "The Royal Knowledge". The chapter has 34 verses in total.
Why does Bhagavad Gita 9.18 matter today?
After a hard conversation with a doctor about a parent's illness, you sit in the parked car afraid of what comes next. Krishna calls himself both the source and the dissolution, so the ending and the beginning rest in the same place.
Goal, witness, refuge, friend, treasure, seed: Krishna lists eleven roles and claims all of them.
What this verse means
Krishna says he is everything that supports, witnesses, shelters, begins, ends, and sustains existence.
Context & commentary
Krishna widens the meaning of divine presence. After naming himself in sacred forms and cosmic roles, Krishna now says he is the goal, shelter, witness, source, and imperishable seed of all that exists.
What it looks like today
After a hard conversation with a doctor about a parent's illness, you sit in the parked car afraid of what comes next. Krishna calls himself both the source and the dissolution, so the ending and the beginning rest in the same place.
“You are not alone inside the world; the deepest reality is already holding, seeing, and guiding everything.”
Explore related themes: omnipresence (11 verses)