(Image Courtesy Mahanidhiswami)

The Supreme Brahman Does Not Walk But He Does Walk He Is Far Away, But Also Close At Hand He Is Both Inside And Outside Of Everything

बहिरन्तश्च भूतानामचरं चरमेव च |
सूक्ष्मत्वात्तदविज्ञेयं दूरस्थं चान्तिके च तत् || 13.16||

bahir antaśh cha bhūtānām acharaṁ charam eva cha
sūkṣhmatvāt tad avijñeyaṁ dūra-sthaṁ chāntike cha tat|| 13.16||

Shloka Translation
BG – Ch. 13- Ver. 16:

He dwells both outside and inside all moving and non-moving living entities. He is incomprehensible because He is subtle. He is far away, yet also extremely close.

Explanation

“The Supreme Brahman does not walk, but He does walk; He is far away, but He is also close by. “He is both inside and outside everything,” Shree Krishna already stated that knowing God is true knowledge. However, He claims that the Supreme Entity is inexplicable in this passage.

This appears to be another contradiction, but what He means is that God cannot be known through the senses, thinking, or intellect. Because the intellect is formed of material energy, it is unable to communicate with God, who is Divine. If God bestows His grace on someone, however, that fortunate soul can come to know Him.

Verse & what we can learn

Shri Krishna expands on the concept of jneyam, or that which is to be known, which is Brahman, or the eternal essence. In this section, he goes on to explain how upaadhis, or conditionings, impair our perception of the everlasting nature. He starts by claiming that the eternal essence is undivided, unbroken, and unending. It can’t be cut up into small bits. However, due to the upaadhi influence of space, it appears as if the everlasting essence exists in diverse ways in different beings.

The body of a living being acts as an upaadhi, allowing us to sense the everlasting essence’s presence. How do we account for all of the formation, maintenance, and annihilation of names and forms in the universe if there is just one continuous and undivided eternal essence? Shri Krishna claims that the eternal essence is ultimately responsible for the universe’s lifecycle. All names and forms in the universe have existence, or “is-ness,” thanks to the eternal essence.

To acquire knowledge and to implement that knowledge in life one needs to be mentally and physically active and healthy and for that daily meditation is a great tool.

There are various types of meditation like Buddhist meditation, heartfulness meditation, mindfulness meditation, meditation for stress, and each meditation benefits are countless. There is also numerous meditation techniques for beginners which help in practicing daily meditation so go ahead and start your journey towards a peaceful and balanced life.

Is it dark and empty if the eternal essence cannot be grasped by the senses? In the next shloka, this is clarified.

Let’s learn to live with “The Gita” via Meditation Affinity…