सर्वभूतेषु येनैकं भावम् अव्ययम् ईक्षते । अविभक्तं विभक्तेषु तज् ज्ञानं विद्धि सात्त्विकम् ॥
sarva-bhūteṣu yenaikaṃ bhāvam avyayam īkṣate | avibhaktaṃ vibhakteṣu taj jñānaṃ viddhi sāttvikam ||
Sāttvic jñāna: seeing ONE imperishable being in ALL — undivided among the divided.
Word by word (3)
- sarva-bhūteṣu yenaikaṃ bhāvam avyayam īkṣate
- — by which (yena) one (ekam) imperishable/unchanging being/reality (bhāvam avyayam) is seen/perceived (īkṣate) in all beings/existences (sarva-bhūteṣu) — sāttvic jñāna = perception of the One Imperishable in ALL
- avibhaktaṃ vibhakteṣu taj jñānaṃ viddhi sāttvikam
- — undivided/inseparate (avibhaktam) in the divided/multiple (vibhakteṣu) — that (tat) knowledge (jñānam) know (viddhi) as sāttvic (sāttvikaṃ) — the unity in multiplicity: the One undivided in the apparently many
- avibhaktaṃ vibhakteṣu
- — undivided among the divided — the characteristic non-dual perception: the apparent division (vibhakta = separated) is seen as not actually dividing the underlying One (avibhakta = undivided); this is the Upaniṣadic ekam eva advitīyam (One alone without second) applied as a mode of perception
That knowledge by which one sees a single imperishable Reality in all beings — undivided among the divided — know that knowledge to be sāttvic.
A modern analogy
Sāttvic jñāna is like recognizing that all waves in the ocean are expressions of the same water, regardless of their different shapes and sizes. The waves appear separate (vibhakta) but the water is not actually divided (avibhakta). The sāttvic knower sees all beings as waves of the One imperishable Reality — different forms, same essence. This is not just a philosophical position but a mode of actual perception.
V20 gives the sāttvic jñāna — the knowledge quality that directly embodies the Gita's non-dual philosophy. It is the most concise statement of the Advaita insight in the entire Gita: avibhaktam vibhakteṣu (the undivided in the divided). This verse is the epistemological counterpart to V17's ethical teaching: just as V17 describes the one who acts without ego-bondage, V20 describes the one who knows without ego-separation. Both point to the same realized state.
Avibhaktam vibhakteṣu is a philosophical formula that precisely states the Advaita position without requiring the language of 'illusion.' The divided/multiple is real at the phenomenal level (vibhakteṣu — in the divided = the world is genuinely plural at the appearance level); but the underlying Reality is undivided (avibhaktam). This is the vivartavāda (apparent transformation) view: multiplicity is real as appearance; the One is real as essence. The sāttvic knower perceives both levels simultaneously — neither denying multiplicity nor getting lost in it.
Advaita lens
V20 is Shankaracharya's definitive verse for the advaita-jñāna. Ekam avyayam bhāvam (One Imperishable Being) = nirguṇa Brahman. Avibhaktam vibhakteṣu = the Advaita insight: brahma satyam, jagan mithyā. But V20 is careful: it says 'undivided IN the divided' — not 'division is unreal.' The appearance of division is noted; what is affirmed is the underlying non-division of the One. This is the advaita of Ch.13's kṣetra-kṣetrajña in its purest expression.
Bhakti lens
For the devotee, V20's sāttvic jñāna is the knowledge that the One Lord pervades all forms. Seeing God in all beings (sarva-bhūteṣu) is the devotee's ultimate experience. The Lord is avibhakta (undivided) even in the vibhakta (divided) world of forms — He is present fully in each form without being diminished by appearing in many. This is the bhakta's realization when they see God's face in every face.
Karma-Yoga lens
For the karma yogin, V20's sāttvic jñāna is the direct seeing that makes fruit-renunciation natural. When the One undivided Being is seen in all, the ego-boundary that makes 'me' and 'my fruit' meaningful dissolves. The karma yogin who cultivates V20's perception naturally practices V9's kāryam ity eva saṅga-phala-tyāga — because with avibhaktam-vibhakteṣu seeing, the 'fruit belongs to me' claim loses its experiential basis.
Public-domain translations (4) compare all →
That by which a man sees the one Indestructible Reality in all beings, inseparate in the separated — that knowledge know thou as Sattvic. [1]
MISSING from index. [4]
That (knowledge) by which one imperishable entity is seen in all (existences), undivided among the divided — know that knowledge to be of the quality of goodness. [9]
That by which One Eternal Essence is viewed in all things, undivided in the divided, know that to be knowledge having the quality of goodness. [13]
This verse speaks to
Where this thread continues
Krishna's first words to Arjuna are a challenge: 'From where has this come over you?'
Dispassion toward sense-objects, no ego, and clearly seeing birth-death-age-disease as painful — this is jñāna!
Those whose sin has ended — virtuous in deed, freed from dvandva-delusion — worship Me with firm resolve.
Arjuna asks: what does the truly wise person look like? How do they speak, sit, and move?
Taking refuge in Me for liberation from old age and death — they know Brahman, Adhyātma, and all of Karma.
I am the strength of the strong, free from craving — and the desire in beings that does not conflict with dharma.