Bhagavad-gītā 18.61
Read once with your eyes. Read again aloud.
ईश्वरः सर्वभूतानां हृद्देशेऽर्जुन तिष्ठति।भ्रामयन्सर्वभूतानि यन्त्रारूढानि मायया।।18.61।।
īśhvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛid-deśhe ‘rjuna tiṣhṭhati bhrāmayan sarva-bhūtāni yantrārūḍhāni māyayā
The Lord, O Arjuna, dwells in the hearts of all beings, causing all beings, by His Mâyâ, to revolve, (as if) mounted on a machine.
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 |
|---|---|
| īśhvaraḥ | the Supreme Lord |
| sarva-bhūtānām | in all living being |
| hṛit-deśhe | in the hearts |
| arjuna | Arjun |
| tiṣhṭhati | dwells |
| bhrāmayan | causing to wander |
| sarva-bhūtāni | all living beings |
| yantra ārūḍhani | seated on a machine |
| māyayā | made of the material energy |
Keep the verse in view while connecting īśhvaraḥ (the Supreme Lord), tiṣhṭhati (dwells), and māyayā (made of the material energy). Ask what changes between the first and last term, and how that movement contributes to freedom through discernment and surrender. State the connection in your own words, then check it against Bhagavad-gita 18.61.
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: Follow the great recapitulation through renunciation, action, knowledge, duty, devotion, refuge and Sañjaya’s conclusion.
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 Lord, O Arjuna, dwells in the hearts of all beings, causing all beings, by His Mâyâ, to revolve, (as if) mounted on a machine
- 2
īśhvaraḥ: the Supreme Lord
- 3
tiṣhṭhati: dwells
Look, link, cover, teach
Look
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Link
Use the line starts: īśhvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ / bhrāmayan sarva-bhūtāni.
Cover
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Teach
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A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Bhagavad-gita As It IsFor Bhagavad-gita 18.61, 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 18.61 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 18.61 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 18.61 must be verified before publication.
Independent translation pending reviewOther Gaudiya acharyas
Authorized Gaudiya editionsFor Bhagavad-gita 18.61, later teachers remain a further-reading route. Their wording and distinctive teaching structures require permission or a separate rights review.
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