Verse 13.23
Speaker: Krishna
Sanskrit
उपद्रष्टानुमन्ता च भर्ता भोक्ता महेश्वरः | परमात्मेति चाप्युक्तो देहेऽस्मिन्पुरुषः परः ||२३||
Transliteration (IAST)
upadraṣṭānumantā ca bhartā bhoktā maheśvaraḥ | paramātmeti cāpy ukto dehe 'smin puruṣaḥ paraḥ ||23||
Word-by-Word Meanings
Translation
The Supreme Purusha in this body is also called the witness, the permitter, the sustainer, the experiencer, the great Lord, and the Supreme Self.
Commentary
Krishna describes the Supreme Self dwelling in the body through six designations. As witness (upadraṣṭā), it observes without participating; as permitter (anumantā), it sanctions the soul's choices; as sustainer (bhartā), it maintains existence. Shankaracharya identifies this Supreme Purusha with Brahman, while Ramanuja distinguishes it as God (Vishnu) who is the inner controller of the individual soul.