Bhagavad-gītā 11.18
Read once with your eyes. Read again aloud.
त्वमक्षरं परमं वेदितव्यं त्वमस्य विश्वस्य परं निधानम्। त्वमव्ययः शाश्वतधर्मगोप्ता सनातनस्त्वं पुरुषो मतो मे।।11.18।।
tvam akṣharaṁ paramaṁ veditavyaṁ tvam asya viśhvasya paraṁ nidhānam tvam avyayaḥ śhāśhvata-dharma-goptā sanātanas tvaṁ puruṣho mato me
Thou art the Imperishable, the Supreme Being, the one thing to be known. Thou art the great Refuge of this universe;. Thou art the undying Guardian of the Eternal Dharma, Thou art the Ancient. Purusha, I ween.
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 |
|---|---|
| tvam | you |
| akṣharam | the imperishable |
| paramam | the supreme being |
| veditavyam | worthy of being known |
| tvam | you |
| asya | of this |
| viśhwasya | of the creation |
| param | supreme |
| nidhānam | support |
| tvam | you |
| avyayaḥ | eternal |
| śhāśhvata-dharma-goptā | protector of the eternal religion |
| sanātanaḥ | everlasting |
| tvam | you |
| puruṣhaḥ | the Supreme Divine Person |
| mataḥ me | my opinion |
Read the Sanskrit as a connected thought built from tvam (you), nidhānam (support), and mataḥ me (my opinion). Ask what changes between the first and last term, and how that movement contributes to the universal form and personal refuge. State the connection in your own words, then check it against Bhagavad-gita 11.18.
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: Sequence request, granted sight, description, response, revelation, fear, apology and return to the familiar form.
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
Thou art the Imperishable, the Supreme Being, the one thing to be known
- 2
Thou art the great Refuge of this universe
- 3
Thou art the undying Guardian of the Eternal Dharma, Thou art the Ancient
Look, link, cover, teach
Look
Picture the universal form.
Link
Use the line starts: tvam akṣharaṁ / tvam asya / tvam avyayaḥ / sanātanas tvaṁ.
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 11.18, 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 11.18 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 11.18 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 11.18 must be verified before publication.
Independent translation pending reviewOther Gaudiya acharyas
Authorized Gaudiya editionsFor Bhagavad-gita 11.18, later teachers remain a further-reading route. Their wording and distinctive teaching structures require permission or a separate rights review.
Use an authorized edition