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← Chapter 11: The Yoga of the Vision of the Universal Form

Verse 11.18

Speaker: Arjuna

Sanskrit

त्वमक्षरं परमं वेदितव्यं त्वमस्य विश्वस्य परं निधानम् | त्वमव्ययः शाश्वतधर्मगोप्ता सनातनस्त्वं पुरुषो मतो मे ||१८||

Transliteration (IAST)

tvam akṣaraṁ paramaṁ veditavyaṁ tvam asya viśvasya paraṁ nidhānam | tvam avyayaḥ śāśvata-dharma-goptā sanātanas tvaṁ puruṣo mato me ||18||

Word-by-Word Meanings

akṣaram-imperishable
paramam-supreme
veditavyam-to be known
param nidhānam-supreme resting place
avyayaḥ-inexhaustible
śāśvata-dharma-goptā-protector of eternal dharma
sanātanaḥ-eternal
puruṣaḥ-the Supreme Person

Translation

You are the imperishable, the supreme object of knowledge. You are the ultimate resting place of this universe. You are the inexhaustible protector of eternal dharma. You are the eternal Supreme Person - this is my conviction.

Commentary

Arjuna declares his understanding of Krishna's nature through direct vision. Ramanuja emphasizes that 'śāśvata-dharma-goptā' reveals the Lord as the eternal guardian of cosmic order, and 'sanātana puruṣa' identifies Him as the Puruṣottama described in Chapter 15.

Themes

dharmabhaktijnana