BG 13.28 — Kṣetra-Kṣetrajña-Vibhāga-Yoga

Bhagavad Gītā 13.28Chapter 13 · Kṣetra-Kṣetrajña-Vibhāga-Yoga · Krishna → Arjuna · anuṣṭubh

समं पश्यन् हि सर्वत्र समवस्थितमीश्वरम् ।

न हिनस्त्यात्मनात्मानं ततो याति परां गतिम् ॥

samaṃ paśyan hi sarvatra samavasthitam īśvaram

na hinasty ātmanātmānaṃ tato yāti parāṃ gatim

spokensingle-voice recital; rendered via IndicF5 conditioned on a Sanskrit reference clip

meaning

When you see the same Lord standing equally in all beings, you stop harming yourself, and from that seeing you reach the highest goal.

ekras · bhāṣya

Seeing Ishvara samam — equally — sarvatra — everywhere — established. He does not hinasti — does not harm — atmana atmanam — the self by the self. From this seeing he reaches param gatim, the supreme goal. The verse turns the equal-vision into ethics: such seeing protects the seer from self-harm. Misidentification with the body is the self harming itself; correct seeing dissolves the self-harm and opens the supreme goal.

Shankara reads samam pashyan as the recognition that the one undivided Ishvara stands unchanging in all beings from Brahma down to the immovable. While beings perish, Parameshvara remains absolutely distinct, nirvishesha, eka. The one who sees thus truly sees; all others, like a man with cataracts seeing multiple moons, mistake the field for the witness and harm themselves by that mistaking.

Madhusudana reads with characteristic precision the same parinamamana — unchanging — Ishvara, eka-rupa amid the chanchala jagat. The seeing protects against the two modes of atma-himsa — the obscuring of the real Self through avidya, and the discarding of each false-self body only to don another. The jnani recognizes ayam aham asmi through shastra-drishti and dissolves the anatmani-atma-abhimana that has been fueling the rebirth-machine.

Ramanuja reads the verse as the jiva recognizing Ishvara as antaryamin dwelling as sheshin of all bodies — from gods downward — with identical jnana-eka-akarata, while bodies bear varied and unequal forms. Seeing thus, the jiva does not harm itself but is rescued — the bhava-jala-dhi, the ocean of samsara, is no longer the bhakta's home; param gati is his.

Madhva reads on the bheda-frame: the jiva who sees Ishvara equally present and steadily established in all beings sees rightly without collapsing the pancha-bheda — Lord-jiva, Lord-matter, jiva-jiva, jiva-matter, matter-matter. Na hinasti atmana atmanam: such a seer does not harm the self by the self — meaning he does not project onto his eternally distinct atman the false agency or false identity that breeds samsara.

Vallabha reads three forms of the atman here — antaryamin, purusha, avyakta — and focuses on the first: one who sees the Paramatman as antaryamin standing equally in all beings, even in bodies subject to vinasha that is the nature of sat-prakriti-karya, that person sees truly. Such seeing is the prasada-form of the chapter's whole teaching.

Shridhara reads the verse as the corrective to avidya-born samsara: the Paramatman standing sama as sat-rupa in all sthavara-jangama beings, and avinashyantam within the vinashyat forms — this double seeing is samyag-darshana, right vision. The seer who sees both does not become the dehatma-darshi who descends into asurya-loka named in the Isha Upanishad. Param gati follows the seeing.

Context

where

Chapter 13 · Kṣetra-Kṣetrajña-Vibhāga-Yoga · meter anuṣṭubh

who speaks

Krishna → Arjuna

preceded by — BG 13.27

Whoever sees the imperishable Lord abiding equally in all perishable beings, that one truly sees.

What's going on

When you see the same Lord standing equally in all beings, you stop harming yourself, and from that seeing you reach the highest goal.

Sūtras through this verse (54)

ĀnandagiriclassicalA

The two-niṣṭhā axisbetween

13.1Two niṣṭhās, three kāṇḍas — keystone.───→here13.28───→18.78Sealed: the means stands on the end stands.

RāmānujaclassicalA

World as the Lord's body (antaryāmin)between

13.2Field and knower both predicate Me.───→here13.28───→13.32Touches without being stained.

VallabhaclassicalD

Chapter-opening preludesbetween

13.2Architectural claim: the Lord's own bhāṣya.───→here13.28───→14.1Two-verse prelude names guṇa-vibhāga.

show all 54

ĀnandagiriclassicalB

Three hexads = tat tvam asibetween

13.1Vākyārtha hexad begins. Anchor.───→here13.28───→15.20Whole teaching named guhyatamaṃ śāstram.

ĀnandagiriclassicalD

Praśna-bīja chapter openingsbetween

13.1Ch 13 opens by binding to the middle hexad.───→here13.28───→18.1Final chapter compresses seed and answer.

ĀnandagiriclassicalE

Pūrvapakṣa via nanu / āśaṅkyabetween

13.1Boundary protected by stylized doubt.───→here13.28───→18.66Closing verse opened by doubt-and-answer.

ĀnandagiriclassicalG

Anūdyate, na vidhīyatebetween

13.7Twenty jñāna-qualities: still description.───→here13.28───→14.22Guṇātīta-lakṣaṇa follows the same rule.

ĀnandagiriclassicalJ

Prakṛti is never autonomousbetween

13.1Prakṛti's autonomy blocked at boundary. Anchor.───→here13.28───→14.1Modes belong to the Lord's prakṛti.

ĀnandagiriclassicalL

Akṣarayojanā — word-fit firstbetween

13.1Same discipline at the keystone chapter.───→here13.28───→18.1Final chapter opens with the same form.

Gauravmodernchaplaincy_kit_of_tools

Chaplaincy Kit Of Toolsbetween

13.7Itihasa stories and the witness virtues. 'Amanitvam adambhitvam ahimsa kshantir ───→here13.28───→17.15Mantra and speech. 'Anudvega-karam vakyam satyam priya-hitam cha yat, svadhyaya-

Gauravmoderninterfaith_cosmology

Interfaith Cosmologybetween

13.27'Samam sarveshu bhuteshu tishthantam parameshvaram.' The same Lord seated equal ───→here13.28───→18.46'Yatah pravrittir bhutanam yena sarvam idam tatam, sva-karmana tam abhyarchya si

Gauravmodernsanatana_dharma_101

Sanatana Dharma 101between

13.27Atman / Brahman pillar. 'Samam sarveshu bhuteshu tishthantam parameshvaram.' The───→here13.28───→18.66Closing pillar in the longer CHI deliveries. 'Sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam

Gauravmodernwitness_self_neti_neti

Witness Self Neti Netibetween

6.29'Sarva-bhuta-stham atmanam sarva-bhutani cha'tmani, ikshate yoga-yuktatma sarvat───→here13.28───→13.32'Anaditvan nirgunatvat paramatma'yam avyayah, sharira-stho'pi Kaunteya na karoti

RāmānujaclassicalC

Three ṣaṭkas (1–6 / 7–12 / 13–18)between

13.1Open the third ṣaṭka: field and knower.───→here13.28───→14.1Beyond sāṅkhya: the modes that bind.

RāmānujaclassicalF

Two prakṛtis · jīva as eternal aṃśabetween

13.22Witness, consenter, upholder.───→here13.28───→13.32Touches without being stained.

RāmānujaclassicalG

Māyā is real causal powerbetween

13.2Those who posit ajñāna in Brahman fail.───→here13.28───→18.61The yantrin reading forecloses the residue.

RāmānujaclassicalI

Vibhūti as evidence for antaryāminbetween

13.2The whole vibhūti clinches sāmānādhikaraṇya.───→here13.28───→18.42Even brāhmaṇa grounded here.

RāmānujaclassicalK

Tri-guṇa diagnostic for the bhaktabetween

13.20Both natures cause the body's binding.───→here13.28───→14.5Three modes bind the soul.

RamsukhdasclassicalA

What binds you (and how to let go)between

13.21Clinging to modes is why you are reborn.───→here13.28───→15.1Cut the world-tree at its root, clinging.

RamsukhdasclassicalD

The three modes (sattva, rajas, tamas) at workbetween

13.21Clinging to modes causes any new birth.───→here13.28───→14.5Three modes bind the imperishable.

RamsukhdasclassicalI

The Lord already inside the heartbetween

13.17The Knowable lives as the inner light.───→here13.28───→15.15Seated in every heart; memory comes from Me.

RamsukhdasclassicalK

The body is not yoursbetween

13.20Nature causes the act; you only experience.───→here13.28───→15.7Self drags the senses like wind drags scent.

Ramsukhdasclassical

Sādhaka Sañjīvanī commentary at this versebetween

───→here13.28───→

Gauravmodernthree_yogas_braid

Three Yogas Braidexit

12.12'Shreyo hi jnanam abhyasaj jnanad dhyanam vishishyate, dhyanat karma-phala-tyaga───→here13.28───→

Madhvaclassicalmadhva_pratibimba

Madhva Pratibimbabetween · other

9.9Like one detached, not actually───→here13.28───→13.30Seer of non-action by Hari's light

AbhinavaguptaclassicalE

Field and field-knower as Parameśvarabetween

13.12Hands and feet on every side, beyond all.───→here13.28───→15.16Two persons inside the field, one beyond.

MadhvaclassicalT2

Soul depends on Lord — the gap that does not closebetween

13.23Soul and Lord coexist in the body, not as one.───→here13.28───→15.8The Lord carries the soul from body to body.

MadhvaclassicalT5

Mirror-and-image — how seeming-action worksbetween

9.9He sits like one detached, not actually detached.───→here13.28───→13.30The seer of non-action sees by Hari's light.

ŚrīdharaclassicalA

The Gītā as raft across griefbetween

13.2For their rescue, truth-knowledge is uttered.───→here13.28───→18.66I shall release you from every wrong.

ŚrīdharaclassicalL

Chapter prefaces as the bhāṣya's spinebetween

13.2I lift my devotees, so I now teach truth.───→here13.28───→14.1Now, the highest of all knowings.

VallabhaclassicalF

Soul as part of the highest Personbetween

13.3The soul is part of the supreme Person.───→here13.28───→15.7The soul is My eternal part — its ānanda hidden. .

VallabhaclassicalJ

Strategic silence — pointers, not absencesbetween

13.24The threefold-knower catalogue goes to silence.───→here13.28───→17.12The threefold yajña/dāna/tapas catalogue is skipped.

VallabhaclassicalK

Aphorism, gloss, full commentarybetween

13.2The Lord himself writes the third ṣaṭka. .───→here13.28───→15.15The bhāṣya-author is named by the Lord himself.

ŚrīdharaclassicalG

Soul as His portion, neither cut nor identicalapproach

───→here13.28───→14.26Fit for the state of brahman, not fused.

AbhinavaguptaclassicalA

Knowing and acting are one powerexit

11.34Already slain — the question is finally retired.───→here13.28───→

AbhinavaguptaclassicalC

Vision is the structural centerexit

11.49Cosmic returns to gracious; ananya means non-dual.───→here13.28───→

AbhinavaguptaclassicalD

Avatāra: appearance without departureexit

11.46Cosmic and gracious one self-luminous.───→here13.28───→

MadhvaclassicalT8

Direct vision — the only proximate causeexit

13.25Three classes, one ladder, each class on a different rung.───→here13.28───→

ŚrīdharaclassicalI

His evenness as ground for refugeexit

13.10A steady evenness is the seeker's mark.───→here13.28───→

VallabhaclassicalE

Three paths, one teaching orderexit

13.2The third ṣaṭka is the Lord's own bhāṣya.───→here13.28───→

ŚaṅkaraclassicalE

Ignorance is the only enemybetween

13.2One Self lights every body as one sun lights all.───→here13.28───→18.66Beginningless habit ends only with self-knowledge.

ŚaṅkaraclassicalK

Liberation while still embodiedbetween

5.29Knowing Me, all wandering ceases at once.───→here13.28───→13.34One Self, untouched, in every body.

VedāntadeśikaclassicalC

Antaryāmin — the indweller as standing referentbetween

13.2'Cāpi' marks two — not one identity.───→here13.28───→15.15Memory and forgetting both come from Him.

VedāntadeśikaclassicalE

Pūrva-pakṣa — name the rival, close the doorbetween

13.3Knower and field: the boundary is sharp.───→here13.28───→18.66Counterfeit reasonings named, then rejected.

VedāntadeśikaclassicalF

Saṅgati — anticipation-and-resolutionbetween

13.1The kṣetra-question resolves 12.20's hint.───→here13.28───→18.1Tyāga-question resolves ch. 16-17's typology.

JayatīrthaclassicalC

Refuting Śaṅkara-style readings, named or unnamedbetween

13.5Brahma-sūtra is text, not just utterance.───→here13.28───→15.16Refusing kṣara=inert, akṣara=soul.

JayatīrthaclassicalI

Lakṣaṇā-control — literal preferred when availablebetween

13.5Brahma-sūtra is text, not paraphrase.───→here13.28───→15.16Bhūta covers jīva; literal range holds.

MadhusūdanaclassicalE

Devotion is how knowing actually arrivesbetween

13.13Only the formless can be the ultimately taught.───→here13.28───→15.1Krishna is the ground, not a partner-god.

MadhusūdanaclassicalH

Krishna with form is the ground beneath formless Brahmanbetween

13.13Not a power-of-the-Lord; the Lord himself, formless.───→here13.28───→14.27I am the foundation of formless Brahman itself.

ŚaṅkaraclassicalH

The Lord is friend of every beingexit

11.55Acting for Me, holding Me supreme — that is the road.───→here13.28───→

JayatīrthaclassicalA

Body and embodied — the inference runs on the dehī sideexit

13.5Field and knower: body-self cut returns.───→here13.28───→

MadhusūdanaclassicalA

Three groups of six: you, the Lord, the joiningexit

13.1The last six work what 'are' really means.───→here13.28───→

Ekrasmodernvairagya

Vairāgya — dispassion as instrumentbetween · v2

13.9Indifference to objects───→here13.28───→15.5Free of pride and delusion

Ekrasmodernparadox_of_doership

Paradox of doership — kartṛtvabetween · v2

13.20Prakriti causes, puruṣa enjoys───→here13.28───→18.16Wrong-seer fails the act

Śabda · lemmas (13 unique · 14 occurrences)

आत्मना·आत्मानम् ātman ×2 — the Self, soul; one's own self · instrumental masculine singular noun / accusative masculine singular noun
पश्यन् dṛś — to see (verbal root) · nominative masculine singular present participle verb · also at 1.38, 3.20, 5.8, 5.9, 6.20, 13.24 +2
सर्वत्र sarvatra — everywhere · also at 2.57, 6.29, 6.30, 6.32, 9.6, 12.3 +3
ईश्वरम् īśvara — the Lord, controller, God · accusative masculine singular noun
याति √yā — to go (verbal root) · present indicative 3rd person singular verb

show all 13

समम् sama — equal, same, even-minded · accusative masculine singular noun
हि hi — for, indeed, because (particle)
समवस्थितम् √samavasthā — (sam- + avasthā: state) · accusative masculine singular participle noun
न na — not (negation particle)
हिनस्ति √hiṃs — to harm, injure (verbal root) · present indicative 3rd person singular verb
ततस् tatas — from there, then, therefore
पराम् para — highest, supreme, beyond, other · accusative feminine singular noun
गतिम् gati — going, motion, path, destination · accusative feminine singular noun

Praśna · so what (7)

01What is the practical difference between 'seeing the Ishvara equally' as an intellectual proposition versus as a lived perceptual shift — and how would you test in yourself which you are doing?
02The verse says the one who sees this does not injure the self by the self (na hinasty atmana atmanam) — what forms of self-injury does non-equal-seeing actually produce in ordinary life, and which of those do you recognize in yourself?

show all 7

03Shankara distinguishes true seeing from inverted seeing by the cataract-and-moon analogy: both people are 'looking,' only one is seeing. What would it mean for your current understanding to be the cataract version?
04Ramanuja's Ishvara is the antaryamin who sustains and controls from within — if that is literally true of every person you encounter today, how does that change what 'conflict' or 'disappointment' with another person means?
05The 'para gati' (supreme destination) is named as the fruit of this equal vision — is the vision itself the path, or is it the destination? Does the verse allow you to separate the seeing from the arriving?
06If Madhusudana is right that the unequal, unstable world is like gandharva-nagara (a mirage city) — not unreal but structurally illusory — what is the minimum change in your daily orientation that this analogy demands?
07Vallabha focuses on the antaryamin form as the 'easy grasp' — does your spiritual practice have an equivalent entry point that makes an otherwise abstract teaching graspable? What is it, and is it working?

Vyavahāra · try it in your life

Advaita

When a colleague's failure or a stranger's misfortune provokes contempt or relief, pause: Shankara's samyag-darshana asks whether you are seeing the one undivided Ishvara in them or the cataract-multiplied persons your avidya has fabricated. The test is internal — contempt and relief are symptoms of inverted vision.

Dvaita

Madhva's framework insists that the jiva never becomes Hari — the equal seeing is not merger but recognition of Hari's sovereign presence in all. Practically: devotion to Hari does not dissolve your individual responsibility or accountability; the dasa (servant) serves more precisely, not less, because the distinction is preserved.

show all 4

Bhakti

Shridhara's double seeing — sama in nature, avinaashyant in substance — gives a practical handle on grief: the body of a person you love is vinaShyat (perishing) by nature, but the sat-rupa (being-nature) of the Parameshvara in them is not. The practice is not suppression of grief but its honest reframing through viveka (discernment).

Advaita-Bhakti

Madhusudana's waking-from-dream image makes the application immediate: you are not asked to destroy the world but to stop taking it for what it is not. Today, one thing you are treating as stable, permanent, or necessary for your wellbeing — name it, and ask whether the shastra-chakshuSha (scriptural eye) would call it gandharva-nagara.

Adhiṣṭhāna · substrate signature

substratev2.6-frozen

parserByT5-Sanskrit-multitask (Nehrdich/Hellwig/Keutzer EMNLP 2024)

mūlaBelvalkar critical edition (BORI 1947), via Ambuda multi-witness

show all metadata

weightsa=1 · b=0.01 · e_v=0.005 · z=0.2 · h=0 · th=0.01

anchorfit on Ramsukhdas's Sādhak Sañjīvanī (1980), frozen across the eight-commentator panel; cross-validated R@4 = 71.6% on Śaṅkara

extracted2026-04-21

methodPaper 1, Section II.B

↓ view raw per-verse object (JSON)↗ per-verse-object schema ↗ substrate code (MIT) + data (CC-BY 4.0)

The schema generalizes to any bounded-polysemy corpus with discrete primary text units, attested witness traditions, identifiable schools, and formal substrate. Port the per-verse object; refit weights on a domain-appropriate Layer-3 anchor; ship.

Bhagavad Gītā Chapter 13, Verse 28: Krishna to Arjuna — Kṣetra-Kṣetrajña-Vibhāga-Yoga