Bhagavad Gita BG 9.15
Chapter 9, Verse 15 — Meaning, Translation & Explanation
ज्ञानयज्ञेन चाप्यन्ये यजन्तो मामुपासते । एकत्वेन पृथक्त्वेन बहुधा विश्वतोमुखम् ॥
jnana-yajnena capy anye yajanto mam upasate ekatvena prthaktvena bahudha vishvato-mukham
Meaning
Others, worshipping through the yajna of knowledge, worship Me as the One, as the Separate, and as the Many facing in all directions.
Understanding
A taxonomy of how jnana-yogis worship. Jnana-yajna (the sacrifice of knowledge — offering one's entire mental life as worship). Three modes: (1) Ekatvena (as the One — non-dualist, advaita vision: all is One, the Supreme is the single undivided Absolute). (2) Prthaktvena (as the Separate — dualist, dvaita vision: the Supreme is distinct from the soul, worthy of worship as the transcendent Other). (3) Bahudha vishvatah-mukham (as the Many facing all directions — the Supreme in its multiform, all-pervading aspect, present in all beings and directions). All three are legitimate visions of the same Supreme — each reflects a facet of the infinite Reality.
Word by Word
| Word | IAST | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ज्ञानयज्ञेन | jnana-yajnena | through the yajna of knowledge (the sacrifice of one's cognitive life) |
| एकत्वेन | ekatvena | as the One, in the mode of unity/non-duality |
| पृथक्त्वेन | prthaktvena | as the Separate, in the mode of distinction/duality |
| बहुधा | bahudha | in many ways, as the manifold |
| विश्वतोमुखम् | vishvato-mukham | facing all directions, turned toward all (the omnidirectional Supreme) |
| ज्ञान-यज्ञेन | jñāna-yajñena | by the sacrifice of knowledge |
| च | ca | and |
| अपि | api | also |
| अन्ये | anye | others |
| यजन्तः | yajantaḥ | worshipping, sacrificing |
| माम् | mām | Me |
| उपासते | upāsate | worship, meditate on |
| पृथक्त्वेन | pṛthaktvena | as separate, in diversity |
| बहुधा | bahudhā | in many ways |
| विश्वतो-मुखम् | viśvato-mukham | facing all directions, the universal form |
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