Yoga through Distinguishing the Field and the Knower of the Field
Verse 13.16
बहिरन्तश्च भूतानामचरं चरमेव च।सूक्ष्मत्वात्तदविज्ञेयं दूरस्थं चान्तिके च तत्।।13.16।।
bahir antaśh cha bhūtānām acharaṁ charam eva cha sūkṣhmatvāt tad avijñeyaṁ dūra-sthaṁ chāntike cha tat
Word Meanings
bahiḥ—outside; antaḥ—inside; cha—and; bhūtānām—all living beings; acharam—not moving; charam—moving; eva—indeed; cha—and; sūkṣhmatvāt—due to subtlety; tat—he; avijñeyam—incomprehensible; dūra-stham—very far away; cha—and; antike—very near; cha—also; tat—he
Translation · English
It is within and without all beings, both the unmoving and the moving; It is subtle and unknowable, and It is near and far away.
Deep Meaning · English
In this profound verse, Lord Krishna guides Arjuna toward the realization of the non-dual Reality that transcends all sensory perception. By describing the Divine as being simultaneously inside and outside of all beings, moving and motionless, He shatters our limited, localized conceptions of God. This indicates that the ultimate Truth, or Brahman, is not an object to be found in a specific location but is the very ground of existence itself. The paradox of the 'moving and the non-moving' signifies that while the phenomenal world undergoes constant flux, the substratum—the Knower of the Field—remains eternally changeless. The mention of 'subtlety' (sūkṣhmatvāt) explains why the intellect fails to grasp this Truth. Just as the space within a jar is identical to the space outside it, the Atman is ever-present and intimate, yet seemingly 'far away' to those who identify only with the ego and the body. To realize that this infinite, subtle consciousness is both the farthest horizon and the closest witness is to collapse the distance between the seeker and the Sought. It is an invitation to move beyond dualistic observation and rest in the direct experience of the Divine’s omnipresence.
The ultimate Reality is so omnipresent and subtle that it remains hidden in plain sight, existing simultaneously as the distant witness and the inner heart of every creature.
Connected Verses
It highlights the Lord residing in the hearts of all, reinforcing the 'antike' (very near) nature of the Divine essence.
This preceding verse establishes the foundation by describing the Knower of the Field as having hands, feet, and eyes everywhere, setting the stage for his omnipresence.
Krishna explicitly states here that all beings reside in Him, but He is not contained by them, mirroring the 'inside-outside' paradox.
This verse reinforces the distinction between the ever-existent reality and the fleeting, transient nature of the material world.
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