Bhagavad Gita Chapter 13 Verse 23 Meaning
The Supreme Soul in this body is also called the observer, the permitter, the sustainer, the enjoyer, the great Lord, and the Supreme Self.
BG 13.23
उपद्रष्टाऽनुमन्ता च भर्ता भोक्ता महेश्वरः।परमात्मेति चाप्युक्तो देहेऽस्मिन्पुरुषः परः
upadraṣhṭānumantā cha bhartā bhoktā maheśhvaraḥ paramātmeti chāpy ukto dehe ’smin puruṣhaḥ paraḥ
Meaning
The Supreme Soul in this body is also called the observer, the permitter, the sustainer, the enjoyer, the great Lord, and the Supreme Self.
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What Does Bhagavad Gita 13.23 Mean?
The Gita addresses knowledge with characteristic directness here. The Supreme Soul in this body is also called the observer, the permitter, the sustainer, the enjoyer, the great Lord, and the Supreme Self. Within the broader arc of Chapter 13, this verse builds on Krishna's systematic exposition of body and soul. The verse operates on multiple levels. On the surface, it addresses Arjuna's immediate situation.
At a deeper level, it articulates a universal principle about body and soul that applies to every person navigating the complexities of moral and spiritual life. Applied to contemporary life, this teaching asks us to examine our relationship with body and soul. Not through self-judgment, but through honest observation that gradually shifts our center of gravity from reactive habit to conscious choice.
— Explained by the Nitya Team
What Is the Context of Bhagavad Gita 13.23?
Understanding the body (field) and the soul (knower of the field).
Key themes in this chapter include Body and soul, Knowledge, Nature.
How Can I Apply Bhagavad Gita 13.23 in Daily Life?
- •When you need steadiness while dealing with body and soul
- •When practicing knowledge amid uncertainty
- •When applying nature to real-life choices
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Related Verses
BG 13.2
The Blessed Lord said, "O Arjuna, this body is called the field; he who knows it is called the knower of the field by those who know them."
BG 13.8
Humility, unpretentiousness, non-injury, forgiveness, uprightness, service to the teacher, purity, steadfastness, and self-control.
BG 1.1
Dhritarashtra said, "What did my people and the sons of Pandu do when they had assembled together, eager for battle, on the holy plain of Kurukshetra, O Sanjaya?"
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