सर्वेन्द्रियगुणाभासं सर्वेन्द्रियविवर्जितम्।असक्तं सर्वभृच्चैव निर्गुणं गुणभोक्तृ च।।13.15।।
sarvendriyagunabhasam sarvendriyavivarjitam asaktam sarvabhrtc caiva nirgumnam gunabhoktr ca
Translation
He appears as the embodiment of all qualities to all senses, yet He is free from the senses. He is unattached, the sustainer of all, indeed beyond qualities, yet He enjoys the modes of material nature.
Word Meanings
sarva — of all; indriya — senses; guṇa — of the qualities; ābhāsam — the original source; sarva — all; indriya — senses; vivarjitam — being without; asaktam — without attachment; sarva‑bhṛt — the maintainer of everyone; ca — also; eva — certainly; nirguṇam — without material qualities; guṇa‑bhoktṛ — master of the guṇas; ca — also.
Understanding the Verse
In this verse Lord Krishna reveals the paradoxical nature of the Supreme Reality, showing how the Divine can be simultaneously immanent and transcendent. The first phrase, ‘sarvendriya‑guṇābhāsam’, denotes that the Lord appears as the manifestation of all qualities (guṇas) to every sense organ. In other words, He is the source of all perceptible phenomena, the underlying principle that makes every sensory experience possible. This does not imply that He is limited to the senses; rather, He is the cause of their operation, the substratum upon which sensory impressions arise.
The second clause, ‘sarvendriya‑vivarjitam’, declares that despite being the source of all sense‑objects, the Lord remains untouched by them. He is beyond the reach of any sense organ, unaffected by the material world that those senses perceive. This emphasizes His detachment and purity – He does not become entangled in the multiplicity that He creates. The sense organs, though they perceive Him, cannot influence His immutable nature.
‘Asaktam’ reinforces this detachment by stating that the Supreme is without any attachment. He does not cling to the creation, nor does He derive any personal desire from it. His love is universal and unconditional, not based on possessiveness. This quality makes Him the perfect sustainer ‘sarva‑bhṛt’, who upholds all beings without being bound by them.
The verse then introduces the concept of ‘nirguṇa’, meaning beyond material qualities. Even though the Lord is the source of the three gunas – sattva, rajas and tamas – He himself remains untouched by their influence. He is ‘nirguṇa’, the unqualified, the absolute reality that transcends all relative descriptions. Yet paradoxically, He is also described as ‘guṇa‑bhoktṛ’, the enjoyer of the gunas. This indicates that while He pervades the modes of nature, He experiences them in a manner that is completely free from the bondage that afflicts ordinary beings. His enjoyment is a divine consciousness, not a desire‑driven participation.
The final ‘ca’ ties the two opposites together, showing that the Supreme Reality embodies both aspects simultaneously. This dual description is designed to guide the aspirant beyond intellectual speculation to a direct, experiential realization. By understanding that the Divine is both the source of all sensory experience and beyond it, one can develop a balanced devotion – reverence for the immanent presence while aspiring to the transcendent union that liberates the soul from the cycles of birth and death. The verse thus serves as a profound reminder that the ultimate reality is both intimately present in the world and utterly beyond it, inviting seekers to recognize and surrender to this supreme paradox.
