Bhagavad Gita 13.23 · Krishna
The witness within
उपद्रष्टानुमन्ता च भर्ता भोक्ता महेश्वरः।
परमात्मेति चाप्युक्तो देहेऽस्मिन्पुरुषः परः॥
upadraṣṭānumantā ca bhartā bhoktā maheśvaraḥparamātmeti cāpyukto dehe’asminpuruṣaḥ paraḥ
The highest spirit in this body is called the witness, the one who allows, sustains and experiences, the great Lord, the supreme Self.
Words
- paramātman
What it means
Krishna describes the paramatman, the supreme Self within every body. He gives it many names. The witness, quietly watching. The one who allows. The sustainer. The experiencer. The great Lord. You are never truly alone. The highest reality lives right inside you.
The story
Arjuna has felt alone in his crisis. Krishna tells him that the divine witness has been inside him all along, sustaining him through every moment.
In your life
Think of the comfort of someone sitting quietly beside you in a waiting room. Krishna says such a presence is always within. Tonight, before sleep, rest in that companionship.
You are never alone inside.