Yoga through Distinguishing the Field and the Knower of the Field
Verse 13.16
बहिरन्तश्च भूतानामचरं चरमेव च।सूक्ष्मत्वात्तदविज्ञेयं दूरस्थं चान्तिके च तत्।।13.16।।
bahir antaśh cha bhūtānām acharaṁ charam eva cha sūkṣhmatvāt tad avijñeyaṁ dūra-sthaṁ chāntike cha tat
Word Meanings
bahiḥ—outside; antaḥ—inside; cha—and; bhūtānām—all living beings; acharam—not moving; charam—moving; eva—indeed; cha—and; sūkṣhmatvāt—due to subtlety; tat—he; avijñeyam—incomprehensible; dūra-stham—very far away; cha—and; antike—very near; cha—also; tat—he
Translation · English
It is within and without all beings, both the unmoving and the moving; It is subtle and unknowable, and It is near and far away.
Deep Meaning · English
In this verse, Bhagavan Krishna describes the paradoxical nature of the Absolute (Brahman), which exists simultaneously within and without every created being. By stating that the Reality is both moving (charam) and non-moving (acharam), He highlights that the changing forms of the world are merely ripples on the surface, while the substratum remains eternally changeless. It is the 'subtlety' (sukshmatva) of this divine presence that renders it incomprehensible to the senses; just as the ether pervades space yet remains unseen, the Knower of the Field is the closest reality to the seeker, yet resides beyond the reach of the limited intellect.
The Divine is the seamless, omnipresent foundation that remains simultaneously the furthest goal and the intimate, indwelling witness of every soul.
Connected Verses
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This confirms the omnipresence of the Supreme Soul, stating that it dwells in all beings, manifesting through all senses despite being beyond them.
This emphasizes the panentheistic truth that all beings dwell in the Divine, yet the Divine remains transcendent beyond those beings.
This establishes the fundamental ontological distinction between the fleeting nature of the seen world and the eternal reality of the Knower.
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