Chapter 13 Shloka 27

समं सर्वेषु भूतेषु तिष्ठन्तं परमेश्वरम्।

विनश्यत्स्वविनश्यन्तं य: पश्यति स पश्यति।।२७।।

He who witnesses

the Eternal Supreme Lord as

abiding equally in all perishable beings,

that one truly sees.

Chapter 13 Shloka 27

समं सर्वेषु भूतेषु तिष्ठन्तं परमेश्वरम्।

विनश्यत्स्वविनश्यन्तं य: पश्यति स पश्यति।।२७।।

He who witnesses the Eternal Supreme Lord as abiding equally in all perishable beings, that one truly sees.

Little one,

a) He who perceives That Supreme One as pervading all beings;

b) He who perceives That Indestructible Essence as abiding equally in creation, sustenance and destruction;

– only that one sees.

1. That blemishless One abides in this totality.

2. That formless One is all forms.

3. That One pervades all spheres.

4. He who knows Him knows His essence:

­­–  that He permeates every form;

­­–  that naught exists but That Atma;

­­–  that naught exists but That Supreme Atma.

­­–  Just as in the simile of the dream naught exists but the dreamer, so also only the Supreme exists in this entire Creation.

This is the factual truth.

a) Nothing exists apart from the Atma.

b) If you identify yourself with the Atma, you will know that the Supreme Lord truly abides in all.

c) If you can transcend the body, you will know that the Atma pervades all equally.

d) When your attachment with the gross dwindles, then you will be able to perceive that the Atma abides in all.

e) When attachment with the gross is erased, you will know that the Atma abides equally in all.

f) When one’s attachment with one’s individuality ceases, one will awaken to the realisation of the Atma’s omnipresent existence.

Look Kamla! When the body, mind and intellect are no longer yours and belong wholly to the Supreme, then you will be able to understand the state of samadhi or absorption in the Self. When this body is no longer yours, then perhaps you will be able to perceive all this more clearly. Such an Atmavaan then realises that all are equal in the Atma. He knows then that differences in nature and attributes exist everywhere and in everything – but theAtma is One. He realises that the original fount of all is the Atma, the Truth – whether others perceive it as such or not. Differentiation of attributes lies only on the surface and are not in anybody’s control. All the qualitative differences lie within the sphere of Prakriti. From this point of view, all individuals are essentially blameless. The Atmavaan knows that the veil of attributes and the veil of ignorance have cloaked that eternal Embodiment of Bliss Itself; thus he bears only compassion towards all such ignorant souls. The behaviour and interaction of such a one with different people is very disparate due to the differences of attributes and nature of each one. However, even though his interaction may present differences, he looks upon all equally and impartially.

His interaction is in identification with the person in front of him. With the proud, he is pride itself and with the humble, he is humility itself. He often identifies with the wicked and, performing actions like them, endeavours to lift them from their nefarious ways; i.e. He dons a form similar to the one in front of him. Maybe this is the reason why he often has to face so much censure and criticism. Therefore the Lord says,

‘अवजानन्ति मां मूढा मानुषीं तनुमाश्रितम्।‘

“Those foolish souls who are ignorant of My Supreme Existence as the Peerless Lord of all beings, don human bodies and know Me not.”

(Chp.9, shloka 11)