Chapter 8 · Verse 22

Path of the Eternal God

पुरुषः स परः पार्थ भक्त्या लभ्यस्त्वनन्यया। यस्यान्तःस्थानि भूतानि येन सर्वमिदं ततम्

puruṣhaḥ sa paraḥ pārtha bhaktyā labhyas tvananyayā yasyāntaḥ-sthāni bhūtāni yena sarvam idaṁ tatam

Word Meanings

puruṣhaḥ — the Supreme Divine Personality; saḥ — he; paraḥ — greatest; pārtha — Arjun, the son of Pritha; bhaktyā — through devotion; labhyaḥ — is attainable; tu — indeed; ananyayā — without another; yasya — of whom; antaḥ-sthāni — situated within; bhūtāni — beings; yena — by whom; sarvam — all; idam — this; tatam — is pervaded

Language:

Translation

That Supreme Person, O Arjuna, within whom all beings dwell and by whom all this is pervaded, is attainable only through unwavering, single-minded devotion.

Commentary

पुरुषः Purusha? सः that? परः highest? पार्थ O Partha? भक्त्या by devotion? लभ्यः is attainable? तु verily? अनन्यया without another object (unswerving)? यस्य of whom? अन्तःस्थानि dwelling within? भूतानि beings? येन by whom? सर्वम् all? इदम् this? ततम् pervaded.Commentary All the beings (effects) dwell within the Purusha (the Supreme Person? the cause) because every effect rests within its cause. Just as the effect? pot? rests within its cause? the clay? so also all beings and the worlds rest within their cause? the Purusha. Therefore the whole world is pervaded by the Purusha.Sri Sankara explains exclusive devotion as Jnana or knowledge of the Self.Purusha is so called because everything is filled by It (derived from the Sanskrit root pur which means to fill) or because It rests in the body of all (derived from the Sanskrit root pur). None is higher than It and so It is the Supreme Person. (Cf.IX.4XI.38XV.6and7)