Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 15:Yoga of the Supreme person: Text 15

sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭo
mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca
vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyo
vedānta-kṛd veda-vid eva cāham

Synonyms

sarvasya — of all living beings; ca — and; aham — I; hṛdi — in the heart; sanniviṣṭaḥ — situated; mattaḥ — from Me; smṛtiḥ — remembrance; jñānam — knowledge; apohanam — forgetfulness; ca — and; vedaiḥ — by the Vedas; ca — also; sarvaiḥ — all; aham — I am; eva — certainly; vedyaḥ — knowable; vedānta–kṛt — the compiler of the Vedānta; veda–vit — the knower of the Vedas; eva — certainly; ca — and; aham — I.

Translation

I am seated in everyone’s heart, and from Me come remembrance, knowledge and forgetfulness. By all the Vedas, I am to be known. Indeed, I am the compiler of Vedānta, and I am the knower of the Vedas.

At the end of Chapter 14, Krishna describes that one will be able to transcend the 3 modes through devotional service. But, to attain devotion to Him one needs to be detached from this material world. So how to get detached from this material world is described in detail in Chapter 15. Here a metaphor of a “Asvattha” , a banyan tree is used to teach us that this material world is a reflection of Spiritual world and all living entities are eternally part and parcel of Krishna, but we transmigrate from one body to another body in search for pleasure forgetting what is our real goal that is to leave this material world and attain spiritual world. Transcendentalist can clearly see this , but the blind materialist cannot see this at all.

Breaking down the purport:

First point is Krishna says that I am seated in everyone’s heart.

As explained in the Thirteenth Chapter of Bhagavad-gītā, there are two souls within the body. The body is called kṣetra, and there are two kṣetra-jñas, or

occupants of the body, namely the Super soul (Paramātmā) and the individual soul. The Super soul and the individual soul are like two birds sitting on the same tree (the material body). One bird, the individual, forgetful bird, is eating the fruit of the tree, not caring for the instructions of the other bird, which is only a witness to the activities of the first bird, who is his friend. In BG 18.61 also it is said, “The Supreme Lord is situated in everyone’s heart, O Arjuna, and is directing the wanderings of all living entities, who are seated as on a machine, made of the material energy. So Krishna is present in everyone’s heart even in ants & grasses etc. So we should be respectful to every living being.

Second point is Krishna establishes his position as our maintainer on both cosmic and personal levels and he himself says that he is the compiler of Vedanta and the knower of all Vedas. Few evidences are:-

• Splendor of the sun, moon, electricity and fire come from Supreme Personality of Godhead

• The Lord holds the earth which gives vegetables. Vegetables are nourished by moonshine which comes from the Lord

• To digest we need Krishna’s energy as fire and our life airs (both outgoing and incoming)

These descriptions help us to know how things are taking place in this material world and thus be established in knowledge. One who is entangled within the banyan tree can develop his Krishna consciousness by appreciating Krishna as the maintainer of the phenomenal world. It is shown how even conditioned living entities can appreciate and recognize Krishna. The Vedas describe a vast system of activities (divided into karma-kanda, jnana-kanda and upasana-kanda) which are designed to gradually purify the consciousness of the general mass of people. The ultimate end of all Vedic processes of purification is to realize Krishna.

Third point is Krishna says from me come remembrance, knowledge and forgetfulness.

Our existence in material world is due to our desire to enjoy ourself away from Krishna. Krishna fulfills our desire by keeping us in this material world. But when we are in this material world we are forced to accept the laws of material world and sometimes we remain in this material world birth after birth due to our forgetfulness of our eternal position and due to our desire to enjoy this material world. But when we are born in the material world we don’t remember anything about our past life. The Knowledge given by Paramātmā from within the core of the heart is explained by the modern scientist as intuition. They do not know wherefrom the intuition is coming but actually it comes from God. Therefore it is stated mattaḥ, “from Me,” smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca. For example) a small puppy immediately after its birth, not even opened his eyes searches for milk from his mother . Therefore it is said that a living entity begins his work according to his past deeds. Required knowledge is supplied to him, and

remembrance is given to him, and he forgets also about his past life

Fourth Point is Krishna says, by all the Vedas, I am to be known. I am the compiler of Vedānta, and I am the knower of the Vedas.

The Vedas give the right direction to people so that they can properly mold their lives and come back to Godhead, back to home. The Vedas also offers knowledge of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, and Kṛṣṇa in his incarnation as Vyāsadeva is the compiler of the Vedānta-sūtra. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam gives the real understanding of Vedānta-sūtra.

The Vedas provide perfection in three stages

First it makes one understand their relationship with the Supreme Personality of God head and help in establishing the relationship with Supreme Personality of God head by giving them the intelligence.

Secondly it helps to understand different process of Vedas though which one can approach Krishna like performances of Vedic rituals, discussions of Vedic philosophy and worship of the Lord

Third it helps one to reach their goal. One attains the abode of Supreme Personality of God head.

The Supreme Lord is so full that for the deliverance of the conditioned soul he acts as the supplier and digester of foodstuff, the witness of his activity, and the giver of knowledge in the form of the Vedas ( Srimad Bhagavatam, Bhagavad Gita) and as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa he is worship able by the conditioned soul. Thus God is all-good and all-merciful.