Sanskrit
सर्वभूतस्थितं यो मां भजत्येकत्वमास्थितः । सर्वथा वर्त्तमानोऽपि स योगी मयि वर्तते ॥
sarvabhūtasthitaṃ yo māṃ bhajaty ekatvam āsthitaḥ sarvathā vartamāno'pi sa yogī mayi vartate
Translation
He who, established in unity, worshippeth Me abiding in all beings, that Yogi liveth in Me, whatever his mode of living.
Annie Besant · The Bhagavad-Gita, translated by Annie Besant (4th ed., 1922) — Wikisource · Public Domain
Explanation
This makes an important allowance the ascetic-sounding instructions of verses 10–17 might seem to rule out: external circumstances of living — “however he may be living” — don’t disqualify someone who worships from that unified vision. The inner state, not the outer form of life, is what the text is tracking. Sarvathā vartamāno ‘pi — “in whatever way he lives” — reopens the door the meditation section seemed to narrow: the devotee established in oneness need not be a forest recluse.
Study deeper
Word by word
- sarvabhūtasthitaṃ yo māṃसर्वभूतस्थितं यो मां
- Me, seated in all beings, whom (sarva-bhūta-sthitam + yaḥ + mām)
- bhajaty ekatvam āsthitaḥभजत्य् एकत्वं आस्थितः
- one worships, established in oneness (bhajati + ekatvam + āsthitaḥ)
- sarvathā vartamāno'piसर्वथा वर्तमानोऽपि
- however he may be living (sarvathā + vartamānaḥ + api)
- sa yogī mayi vartateस योगी मयि वर्तते
- that yogi abides in Me (saḥ + yogī + mayi + vartate)
Commentary
Site Commentary
This verse quietly forecloses a misreading the earlier instructions (solitary seat, regulated diet, withdrawal of the senses) could easily invite — that this discipline is only for renunciates. By insisting “whatever his mode of living,” Krishna decouples the inner unity from any particular external form of life, protecting the teaching from being mistaken for a lifestyle prescription rather than an inner one.
Original commentary written for this site · © Amit Singh — original commentary
Concepts
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Lessons
Personal
- Don't assume you need to overhaul your outer circumstances — quit your job, move away, change your whole routine — before an inner discipline can take hold. This verse insists the inner state is what's tracked, not the external form your life happens to take.
Professional
- You don't need a radically different career or role to practice steadiness at work — the discipline of staying centered under pressure is available inside whatever job you're already doing, not contingent on first landing the 'right' external circumstances.
Family & Social
- Whatever form your family or social life currently takes — busy, imperfect, unconventional — you don't need to fix its shape before working on your own inner steadiness within it. The inner practice travels with you regardless of the outer arrangement.
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