ममैवांशो जीवलोके जीवभूतः सनातनः।मनःषष्ठानीन्द्रियाणि प्रकृतिस्थानि कर्षति।।15.7।।
mamai eva aṁśaḥ jīva‑loke jīvabhūtaḥ sanātanaḥ; manaḥ ṣaṣṭhān indriyāṇi prakṛti‑sthāni karṣati
Translation
The embodied souls in this material world are My eternal fragmental parts, but bound by material nature they struggle with the six senses, including the mind.
Word Meanings
mama — My; eva — certainly; aṁśaḥ — fragmental particle; jīva‑loke — in the world of conditional life; jīva‑bhūtaḥ — the conditioned living entity; sanātanaḥ — eternal; manaḥ — the mind; ṣaṣṭhāni — the six; indriyāṇi — senses; prakṛti — material nature; sthāni — situated; karṣati — struggles hard
Understanding the Verse
In this verse Lord Krishna reveals the ontological status of every living being. The term "aṁśa" denotes a fragment or particle of the Supreme; thus each jīva is not a separate, independent entity but a minute portion of the Divine. This perspective dismantles the ego‑centric view that we are isolated beings and instead situates us within the all‑pervading reality of the Lord.
The qualifier "sanātana" emphasizes that this divine fragment is eternal; it has neither beginning nor end. However, the jīva becomes "jīvabhūtaḥ" – a conditioned living entity – when it enters the material world (jīvaloka). Here, the material nature (prakṛti) is the field of illusion that veils the soul's true nature, causing it to identify with the body, mind, and senses.
Krishna points out that the mind (manaḥ) and the six sense‑organs (ṣaṣṭhāni indriyāṇi) are "prakṛti‑sthāni"—situated in material nature. These faculties are the instruments through which the jīva interacts with the external world, yet they are also the primary channels of attachment and desire. When the senses are influenced by the modes of nature, the mind becomes restless, leading the soul to "karṣati," i.e., to strive, grasp, and cling to fleeting objects of the senses.
The word "karṣati" is not merely a neutral activity; it connotes a hard‑working, almost frantic struggle. This struggle manifests as the endless cycle of seeking pleasure, avoiding pain, and accumulating material wealth—all of which keep the soul bound to samsara. The verse thus diagnostically identifies the root cause of human suffering: the identification with the mind‑sense complex that is rooted in material nature.
Understanding this truth is the first step toward liberation. When a seeker recognises that the true self is a divine fragment, untouched by material fluctuations, the mind and senses can be gradually subdued through yoga and devotion. The Bhagavad Gita repeatedly advises developing discrimination (viveka) and detachment (vairagya) to transcend the endless pulling of the senses. By aligning one’s consciousness with the Supreme, the soul can cease its frantic "karṣaṇam" and rest in its original, luminous state.
Therefore, Chapter 15, Verse 7 serves as a concise yet profound summary of the human condition: eternal divine fragments temporarily entangled in material nature, wrestling with the mind and senses. Recognising this allows the practitioner to steer the struggle from a place of bondage toward a purposeful ascent to spiritual freedom.
