Bg. 13.34 · Bhagavad-gita As It Is

Devanagari

यथा प्रकाशयत्येक: कृत्स्‍नं लोकमिमं रवि: । क्षेत्रं क्षेत्री तथा कृत्स्‍नं प्रकाशयति भारत ॥ ३४ ॥

Verse text

yathā prakāśayaty ekaḥ kṛtsnaṁ lokam imaṁ raviḥ kṣetraṁ kṣetrī tathā kṛtsnaṁ prakāśayati bhārata

Synonyms

yathā — as ; prakāśayati — illuminates ; ekaḥ — one ; kṛtsnam — the whole ; lokam — universe ; imam — this ; raviḥ — sun ; kṣetram — this body ; kṣetrī — the soul ; tathā — similarly ; kṛtsnam — all ; prakāśayati — illuminates ; bhārata — O son of Bharata.

Translation

O son of Bharata, as the sun alone illuminates all this universe, so does the living entity, one within the body, illuminate the entire body by consciousness.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

34. Just as one sun lights up the whole world, this Paramātmā illumines the whole body, O descendent of Bharata.

Translation (Baladeva Vidyabhusana)

34. Just as one sun lights up the whole world, this ātmā illumines the whole body, O descendent of Bharata.

Purport

There are various theories regarding consciousness. Here in Bhagavad-gītā the example of the sun and the sunshine is given. As the sun is situated in one place but is illuminating the whole universe, so a small particle of spirit soul, although situated in the heart of this body, is illuminating the whole body by consciousness. Thus consciousness is the proof of the presence of the soul, as sunshine or light is the proof of the presence of the sun. When the soul is present in the body, there is consciousness all over the body, and as soon as the soul has passed from the body there is no more consciousness. This can be easily understood by any intelligent man. Therefore consciousness is not a product of the combinations of matter. It is the symptom of the living entity. The consciousness of the living entity, although qualitatively one with the supreme consciousness, is not supreme, because the consciousness of one particular body does not share that of another body. But the Supersoul, which is situated in all bodies as the friend of the individual soul, is conscious of all bodies. That is the difference between supreme consciousness and individual consciousness.

Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

Using an example, the Lord shows how the Paramātmā, being the source of illumination, is not connected with the qualities of what He illuminates. Just as the sun, the illuminator, is not connected to the qualities of what He illuminates, the Paramātmā (kṣetrī) illumines everything and is not affected. The śruti says: sūryo yathā sarva-lokasya cakṣur na lipyate cākṣuṣair bāhya-doṣaiḥ ekas tathā sarva-bhūtāntarātmā na lipyate śoka-duḥkhena bāhyaḥ Just as the sun is the eye of all people but is not contaminated by the material faults of the eyes, so the Paramātmā within all beings is not contaminated by lamentation and suffering of the material world. Kaṭha Upaniṣad 5.11

Purport (Baladeva Vidyabhusana)

This ātmā, not contaminated by the qualities of the body, nourishes the body by its qualities. Just as the one sun illuminates the whole world with its light, so the jīva (kṣetrī) illuminates, or gives consciousness (prakāśayati) to the whole body (kṣetram) from head to foot by its consciousness. The author of Vedānta says guṇād vā lokavad: as a flame pervades a room by its rays, the soul pervades the whole body by its quality. (Vedānta Sūtra 2.3.24)

Surrender Unto Me

Krsna, in this last few verses, is giving examples to help us to understand. [5. Summary: One who sees the distinction between the body, its owner, and the Supersoul, and one who recognize the process of liberation, can attain the supreme goal. (35) ]