Bhagavad-gītā 13.18
Read once with your eyes. Read again aloud.
ज्योतिषामपि तज्ज्योतिस्तमसः परमुच्यते।ज्ञानं ज्ञेयं ज्ञानगम्यं हृदि सर्वस्य विष्ठितम्।।13.18।।
jyotiṣhām api taj jyotis tamasaḥ param uchyate jñānaṁ jñeyaṁ jñāna-gamyaṁ hṛidi sarvasya viṣhṭhitam
The Light even of lights, It is said to be beyond darkness; Knowledge, and the One Thing to be known, the Goal of' knowledge, dwelling in the hearts of all.
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 |
|---|---|
| jyotiṣhām | in all luminarie |
| api | and |
| tat | that |
| jyotiḥ | the source of light |
| tamasaḥ | the darkness |
| param | beyond |
| uchyate | is said (to be) |
| jñānam | knowledge |
| jñeyam | the object of knowledge |
| jñāna-gamyam | the goal of knowledge |
| hṛidi | within the heart |
| sarvasya | of all living beings |
| viṣhṭhitam | dwells |
Keep the verse in view while connecting jyotiṣhām (in all luminarie), uchyate (is said (to be)), and viṣhṭhitam (dwells). Ask what changes between the first and last term, and how that movement contributes to the field, its knower and the supreme knower. State the connection in your own words, then check it against Bhagavad-gita 13.18.
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: Distinguish field, individual knower, Supreme knower, knowledge and knowable while noting this edition’s 35-verse numbering.
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
The Light even of lights, It is said to be beyond darkness
- 2
the One Thing to be known, the Goal of' knowledge, dwelling in the hearts of all
- 3
jyotiṣhām: in all luminarie
Look, link, cover, teach
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Link
Use the line starts: jyotiṣhām api / jñānaṁ jñeyaṁ.
Cover
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Teach
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A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Bhagavad-gita As It IsFor Bhagavad-gita 13.18, 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 13.18 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 13.18 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 13.18 must be verified before publication.
Independent translation pending reviewOther Gaudiya acharyas
Authorized Gaudiya editionsFor Bhagavad-gita 13.18, later teachers remain a further-reading route. Their wording and distinctive teaching structures require permission or a separate rights review.
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