Bhagavad Gita BG 15.12
Chapter 15, Verse 12 — Meaning, Translation & Explanation
यदादित्यगतं तेजो जगद्भासयतेऽखिलम् । यच्चन्द्रमसि यच्चाग्नौ तत्तेजो विद्धि मामकम् ॥
yad aditya-gatam tejo jagad bhasayate 'khilam yac chandramasi yac cagnau tat tejo viddhi mamakam
Meaning
Know that splendor of the sun which illumines the entire world, which is in the moon and in fire — that splendor is Mine.
Understanding
Krishna reveals His cosmic immanence through light: yad aditya-gatam tejah (that splendor which belongs to the sun) jagad bhasayate 'khilam (illumines the entire world). Yac chandramasi (which is in the moon) yac cagnau (which is in fire). Tat tejah viddhi mamakam (know that splendor as Mine). The word tejah (splendor/radiance/energy) connects all three: solar light, lunar light, and fire-light all share one essential nature — and that nature is the Divine's own radiance. The Gita is declaring that the light by which we see everything — the very principle of luminosity in the universe — is Krishna's own light. This makes direct cosmic experience of the Divine possible: every time one sees the sunrise, moonrise, or fire, one is seeing a form of the Divine's own radiance. This is practical non-dualism.
Word by Word
| Word | IAST | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| आदित्यगतम् | aditya-gatam | belonging to/residing in the sun (Aditya) |
| तेजः | tejah | splendor, radiance, light, energy, brilliance |
| अखिलम् | akhilam | the entire, all, without remainder |
| चन्द्रमसि | chandramasi | in the moon (locative) |
| मामकम् | mamakam | Mine, belonging to Me (possessive) |
| यत् | yad | which |
| आदित्य-गतम् | āditya-gatam | in the sun |
| तेजः | tejaḥ | the brilliance |
| जगत् | jagat | the universe |
| भासयते | bhāsayate | illuminates |
| यत् | yac | which |
| चन्द्रमसि | candramasi | in the moon |
| यत् | yac ca | and which |
| अग्नौ | agnau | in fire |
| तत् | tat | that |
| तेजः | tejo viddhi | know that brilliance |
| ममकम् | māmakam | Mine |
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