Bhagavad Gita BG 10.20
Chapter 10, Verse 20 — Meaning, Translation & Explanation
अहमात्मा गुडाकेश सर्वभूताशयस्थितः । अहमादिश्च मध्यं च भूतानामन्त एव च ॥
aham atma gudakesha sarva-bhutashaya-sthitah aham adish ca madhyam ca bhutanam anta eva ca
Meaning
I am the Atman, O Gudakesha, dwelling in the heart of all beings. I am the beginning, the middle, and the very end of beings.
Understanding
The foundational vibhuti — the first and most universal: aham atma sarva-bhutashaya-sthitah (I am the Atman dwelling in the heart/core of all beings). Not a particular vibhuti among others but the ground of all vibhutis. Gudakesha — 'one with thick hair' or 'conqueror of sleep,' a title for Arjuna. And the triple: aham adi (beginning), madhyam (middle), anta (end) of all beings. The Divine is the origin, sustainer, and dissolution of every being. All three phases of every being's existence are the Divine.
Word by Word
| Word | IAST | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| गुडाकेश | gudakesha | O Gudakesha (Arjuna — conqueror of sleep/thick-haired) |
| आशयस्थितः | ashaya-sthitah | dwelling in the heart/core, situated in the abode |
| आदिः | adih | beginning, origin |
| मध्यम् | madhyam | middle, sustaining phase |
| अन्तः | antah | end, dissolution |
| अहम् | aham | I am |
| आत्मा | ātmā | the Self |
| गुडाकेश | guḍākeśa | O Arjuna (conqueror of sleep) |
| सर्व-भूत | sarva-bhūta | of all beings |
| आशय-स्थितः | āśaya-sthitaḥ | seated in the heart |
| अहम् | aham | I am |
| आदिः | ādiḥ | the beginning |
| च | ca | and |
| च | ca | and |
| भूतानाम् | bhūtānām | of beings |
| अन्तः | antaḥ | the end |
| एव | eva | also |
| च | ca | and |