Bhagavad Gita BG 8.4
Chapter 8, Verse 4 — Meaning, Translation & Explanation
अधिभूतं क्षरो भावः पुरुषश्चाधिदैवतम् । अधियज्ञोऽहमेवात्र देहे देहभृतां वर ॥
adhibhutam ksharo bhavah purushas cadhidaivatam adhiyajno 'ham evatra dehe dehabhrAm vara
Meaning
Adhibhuta is the perishable being/nature. Adhidaiva is the Purusha (the divine cosmic person). Adhiyajna — I myself am that, here in this body, O Best of the embodied.
Understanding
The answers to questions 4-6: (1) Adhibhuta = ksharah bhavah (the perishable/mutable being — material nature in its changing aspect). (2) Adhidaiva = Purusha (the cosmic divine person — the super-individual intelligence governing the senses and devas). (3) Adhiyajna = aham eva — I MYSELF (Krishna) am the adhiyajna, present atra dehe (here, in this very body). The divine that is the principle of sacrifice, the sustaining intelligence of all action — that is Krishna, dwelling in every body.
Word by Word
| Word | IAST | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| क्षरः | ksharah | perishable, mutable, flowing |
| भावः | bhavah | being, existence, nature |
| पुरुषः | purushah | the cosmic person, divine intelligence |
| अधियज्ञः | adhiyajnah | the principle of sacrifice, the cosmic sacrificer |
| देहभृताम् | dehabhrAm | of the embodied (those who bear/carry a body) |
| अधिभूतम् | adhibhūtam | the field of matter |
| क्षरः | kṣaraḥ | perishable, the mutable |
| भावः | bhāvaḥ | existence, entity |
| पुरुषः | puruṣaḥ | the cosmic person, the divine being |
| च | ca | and |
| अधिदैवतम् | adhidaivatam | the divine principle |
| अधियज्ञः | adhiyajñaḥ | the lord of sacrifice |
| अहम् | aham | I (am) |
| एव | eva | alone |
| अत्र | atra | here |
| देहे | dehe | in the body |
| देहभृतां | dehabhṛtāṃ | of embodied beings |
| वर | vara | O best |