Gita 13.25
ध्यानेनात्मनि पश्यन्ति केचिदात्मानमात्मना |
अन्ये साङ् ख्येन योगेन कर्मयोगेन चापरे || 25||
dhyānenātmani paśhyanti kechid ātmānam ātmanā
anye sānkhyena yogena karma-yogena chāpare
The diversity in God’s creation extends to human souls, each with unique traits and spiritual inclinations. The Bhagavad Gita and Vedic scriptures recognise this variety and provide paths suited to different aspirants. Some seekers find joy in meditation and controlling the mind, others in cultivating knowledge about the soul, God, and Maya, while still others in dedicating their energy to selfless service of God. Regardless of the path—knowledge, meditation, or action—their true fulfilment comes when combined with devotion and done for God’s pleasure. True knowledge and action are complete only when they foster love for God.
The Shreemad Bhagavatam states:
sā vidyā tanmatir yayā (4.29.49)
“True knowledge is that which helps us develop love for God. The fulfilment of karma occurs when it is done for the pleasure of God.”
Gita 13.26
अन्ये त्वेवमजानन्त: श्रुत्वान्येभ्य उपासते |
तेऽपि चातितरन्त्येव मृत्युं श्रुतिपरायणा: || 26||
anye tv evam ajānantaḥ śhrutvānyebhya upāsate
te ’pi chātitaranty eva mṛityuṁ śhruti-parāyaṇāḥ
Most people come to spirituality not through formal training, but by hearing about it from others. In the Vedic tradition, especially in the Shreemad Bhagavatam, King Parikshit asked Shukadev the question: “How can we purify the undesirable entities in our hearts, such as lust, anger, greed, envy, hatred, etc.?”
Shukadev replied:
śhṛiṇvatāṁ sva-kathāṁ kṛiṣhṇaḥ puṇya-śhravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ
hṛidy antaḥ stho hy abhadrāṇi vidhunoti suhṛit satām
(Bhagavatam 1.2.17)
“Parikshit! Simply hear the descriptions of the divine Names, Forms, Pastimes, Virtues, Abodes, and saints of God from a saint. This will naturally cleanse the heart of the unwanted dirt of endless lifetimes.”
Hearing from saints is emphasised as a powerful means of purification. Shukadev tells King Parikshit that by listening to God’s names, pastimes, and virtues from saints, the impurities of the heart are cleansed. Hearing from genuine saints not only imparts true knowledge but also transmits their faith and enthusiasm, which inspire devotion and help seekers overcome obstacles on the spiritual path. Faith and enthusiasm thus become the foundation of devotion.
Gita 13.27
यावत्सञ्जायते किञ्चित्सत्वं स्थावरजङ्गमम् |
क्षेत्रक्षेत्रज्ञसंयोगात्तद्विद्धि भरतर्षभ || 27||
yāvat sañjāyate kiñchit sattvaṁ sthāvara-jaṅgamam
kṣhetra-kṣhetrajña-sanyogāt tad viddhi bharatarṣhabha
The Vedic philosophy teaches that all forms of life, however big or small, are combinations of the soul (source of consciousness) and the body (material energy). Unlike Abrahamic traditions, which recognise the soul only in humans, this view affirms that consciousness exists wherever life exists. Supporting this, J.C. Bose’s experiments in the early 20th century showed that even plants respond to emotions, music, and human presence, indicating that they too possess consciousness. These findings align with Shree Krishna’s teaching that all living beings, not just humans, have souls.
Gita 13.28
समं सर्वेषु भूतेषु तिष्ठन्तं परमेश्वरम् |
विनश्यत्स्वविनश्यन्तं य: पश्यति स पश्यति || 28||
samaṁ sarveṣhu bhūteṣhu tiṣhṭhantaṁ parameśhvaram
vinaśhyatsv avinaśhyantaṁ yaḥ paśhyati sa paśhyati
Shree Krishna teaches that true vision is not only seeing the soul within the body but also realising that God, the Supreme Soul, dwells in the hearts of all beings. This truth, affirmed in the Bhagavad Gita, Upanishads, Bhagavatam, and Ramayan, reveals God as the eternal, omnipresent Witness and Master who accompanies every soul through the cycle of life and death. Realising His presence in all transforms the spiritual seeker’s life.
eko devaḥ sarvabhūteṣhu gūḍhaḥ sarvavyāpī sarvabhūtāntarātmā (Śhwetāśhvatar Upaniṣhad 6.11)
“God is one. He resides in the hearts of all living beings. He is omnipresent. He is the Supreme Soul of all souls.”
bhavān hi sarva-bhūtānām ātmā sākṣhī sva-dṛig vibho (Bhagavatam 10.86.31)
“God is seated inside all living beings as the Witness and the Master.”
rām brahma chinamaya abināsī, sarba rahit saba ura pura bāsī (Ramayan)
Gita 13.29
समं पश्यन्हि सर्वत्र समवस्थितमीश्वरम् |
न हिनस्त्यात्मनात्मानं ततो याति परां गतिम् || 29||
samaṁ paśhyan hi sarvatra samavasthitam īśhvaram
na hinasty ātmanātmānaṁ tato yāti parāṁ gatim
The mind is pleasure-seeking by nature and, being a product of the material energy, is spontaneously inclined to material pleasures. The mind naturally runs toward material pleasures, leading to deeper material bondage. To rise above this, the intellect must be strengthened with true knowledge. When one realizes God as the Supreme Soul present in all beings, selfish motives and negative emotions dissolve. Such a person treats everyone with respect and service, free from attachment, hatred, or discrimination of caste, creed, gender, or status. By seeing God in all, the seeker elevates the mind and attains the supreme goal.
Gita 13.30
प्रकृत्यैव च कर्माणि क्रियमाणानि सर्वश: |
य: पश्यति तथात्मानमकर्तारं स पश्यति || 30||
prakṛityaiva cha karmāṇi kriyamāṇāni sarvaśhaḥ
yaḥ paśhyati tathātmānam akartāraṁ sa paśhyati
The Tantra Bhāgavat explains that ego—identifying with the body and believing oneself to be the doer—binds the soul to the cycle of birth and death. In reality, actions such as eating, walking, or speaking are carried out by the body, mind, and intellect, while the soul merely assumes responsibility for them. It is similar to how a President is held accountable for a nation’s decision to go to war, even though he does not fight in it himself.
Therefore, a seeker must act with balance: outwardly engaging in duties with full responsibility, yet inwardly realising the soul’s true nature as the non-doer, just as Maharishi Vasishtha instructed Shree Ram:
kartā bahir kartāntar loke vihara rāghava (Yog Vāsiṣṭha)
“Ram, while performing actions, outwardly exert yourself as though the results depend on you; but inwardly, realize yourself to be the non-doer.”
Summary: JKYog India Online Class- Bhagavad Gita [English]- 6.9.2025
