Bhagavad-gītā 10.20
Read once with your eyes. Read again aloud.
अहमात्मा गुडाकेश सर्वभूताशयस्थितः। अहमादिश्च मध्यं च भूतानामन्त एव च।।10.20।।
aham ātmā guḍākeśha sarva-bhūtāśhaya-sthitaḥ aham ādiśh cha madhyaṁ cha bhūtānām anta eva cha
I am the Self, O Gudâkesha, existent in the heart of all beings; I am the beginning, the middle, and also the end of all beings.
English rendering by Swami Swarupananda. Public domain first edition, 1909.
Build the sentence from its parts
Read across once, then cover the meanings and recover them from the Sanskrit forms.
| Sanskrit form | Meaning here |
|---|---|
| aham | I |
| ātmā | soul |
| guḍākeśha | Arjun, the conqueror of sleep |
| sarva-bhūta | of all living entities |
| āśhaya-sthitaḥ | seated in the heart |
| aham | I |
| ādiḥ | the beginning |
| cha | and |
| madhyam | middle |
| cha | and |
| bhūtānām | of all beings |
| antaḥ | end |
| eva | even |
| cha | also |
Use the word map to follow the relation among aham (I), cha (and), and cha (also). Ask what changes between the first and last term, and how that movement contributes to recognition of divine splendour. State the connection in your own words, then check it against Bhagavad-gita 10.20.
Original school explanation. Written independently from the Sanskrit word map. It is not a quotation, translation, or summary of a named modern commentary. Chapter lens: Move from the four-verse core to representative opulences without mistaking examples for an exhaustive inventory.
Five careful reading routes
The cards below are reading references, not claims about what an acharya says in this verse. Modern wording stays inside authorized editions. Classical commentary will appear only after an independent translation has passed scholarly and rights review.
Meaning map
Follow the thought
- 1
I am the Self, O Gudâkesha, existent in the heart of all beings
- 2
I am the beginning, the middle
- 3
also the end of all beings
Look, link, cover, teach
Look
Picture divine splendour.
Link
Use the line starts: aham ātmā / aham ādiśh.
Cover
Hide the verse and rebuild one line at a time.
Teach
Explain the flow to another person without looking.
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A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Bhagavad-gita As It IsFor Bhagavad-gita 10.20, consult the authorized BBT edition. No purport, translation, or author-attributed summary is reproduced here.
Find the authorized editionBhaktivinoda Thakura
Rasika-ranjanaA verified independent rendering for Bhagavad-gita 10.20 has not yet passed scholarly and rights review. Modern translations are not copied here.
Independent rendering pending reviewBaladeva Vidyabhushana
Gita-bhushana-bhashyaThe original work is classical. A newly commissioned or independently prepared translation for Bhagavad-gita 10.20 must be verified before publication.
Independent translation pending reviewVishvanatha Cakravarti Thakura
Sarartha-varshini-tikaThe original work is classical. A newly commissioned or independently prepared translation for Bhagavad-gita 10.20 must be verified before publication.
Independent translation pending reviewOther Gaudiya acharyas
Authorized Gaudiya editionsFor Bhagavad-gita 10.20, later teachers remain a further-reading route. Their wording and distinctive teaching structures require permission or a separate rights review.
Use an authorized edition