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Chapter 15 · The Yoga of the Supreme Person · 20 verses

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How to study this verse, in six steps
  1. 1Remember who is speaking. Kṛṣṇa is speaking. Take the verse as He directs.
  2. 2Say the verse and its words. Read the Sanskrit, then each word with its meaning.
  3. 3Read the translation as it is. Let the translation say what it says, without adding your own meaning.
  4. 4Read the purport. Hear the verse through the disciplic succession.
  5. 5Bring your own question. Ask: where does this verse meet my life, my trouble, my doubt?
  6. 6Act on it, remembering Kṛṣṇa. Carry one instruction into your work today.
Read the full guide: how to read the Bhagavad-gītā ›
Soul & knowledgeChapter 15 · The Yoga of the Supreme Person
15.915.11

Bhagavad-gītā As It Is · Text 15.10

The jīva as Krishna’s eternal fragmental part

Jīva · The soul

उत्क्रामन्तं स्थितं वाऽपि भुञ्जानं वा गुणान्वितम् ।

विमूढा नानुपश्यन्ति पश्यन्ति ज्ञानचक्षुष: ॥ १० ॥

utkrāmantaṁ sthitaṁ vāpi

bhuñjānaṁ vā guṇānvitam

vimūḍhā nānupaśyanti

paśyanti jñāna-cakṣuṣaḥ

Translation

The foolish cannot understand how a living entity can quit his body, nor can they understand what sort of body he enjoys under the spell of the modes of nature. But one whose eyes are trained in knowledge can see all this.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

What this verse is saying, and where it sits in the story.

3 study points

Seeing Through Spiritual Knowledge

  1. 1

    Those without knowledge cannot understand how the soul leaves a body or enjoys under material nature, but those trained in knowledge can.

  2. 2

    Prabhupāda explains that the soul is different from the body. Lust and desire hide this understanding and keep one caught in material happiness and distress.

  3. 3

    Learn spiritual knowledge from a genuine spiritual master and become Kṛṣṇa conscious to leave material suffering and reach the spiritual world.

Key points from the purport

Why we do not see this ‘change of bodies’ happening

Foolish mentality – Cannot see:

How living entity quits the body

What sort of body he enjoys under the modes of material nature

“Jnana-caksusah” (Eyes trained in knowledge) – Can see all this clearly

a

‘Jnana-caksusah’ — Without knowledge one cannot see things clearly

What kind of knowledge – Hearing from Bhagavad-gita and other scriptures from bona-fide spiritual masters

Real fortunate person – trained to see all these things

b

Fools — Persons fooled by ‘lust’ and ‘desire’ cannot comprehend the changes of bodies

c

Attitude of Krishna conscious devotees

Highly developed Krishna conscious individuals try their best to give this knowledge to people in general

Because they know conditioned life is very troublesome

One must liberate himself and go to spiritual world

Connected verses · 1

Texts 15.10 & 15.11

What is the cure for this ignorance? Krishna says knowledge. Those “whose eyes are trained in knowledge” by hearing and learning sastra can see. Lack of sastric learning brings about the following result explained in Text 15.11

Further reading

Transmigration

Goal should be to leave material world and return to spiritual world

All living entities are eternally part and parcel of Krishna, yet they struggle from body to body in search of pleasure

Transcendentalists can see this clearly, but the blind materialists cannot see this

Chapter 15, section II: Transmigration
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. utkrāmantamquitting the body
  2. sthitamsituated in the body
  3. vā apieither
  4. bhuñjānamenjoying
  5. vāor
  6. guṇa-anvitamunder the spell of the modes of material nature
  7. vimūḍhāḥfoolish persons
  8. nanever
3

Key ideas in this verse

The spiritual concepts this verse connects to.

Key ideas: ātmā, jñāna.

4

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

What does BG 15.10 establish in Śrīla Prabhupāda's translation and purport, and how does it connect to soul & knowledge?

Practice

Spend five minutes reflecting on what in you does not change.

5

The story behind it

Mahābhārata episodes and stories from the purports that shed light on this verse.

All stories for chapter 15 ›
6

Related verses

Keep going: verses that carry this teaching further.

BG 15.7The living being belongs to KrishnaBG 15.8The jīva as Krishna’s eternal fragmental partBG 2.13The self endures bodily changeBG 4.34The humility of real inquiry
Live this todayDetachment Through Surrender to KṛṣṇaA practice from BG 15.3-4, close to this verse

Study notes are editorial summaries, not the translation. Confirm them in the original text and purport.

  1. Learn
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  3. Lead
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