ईश्वरः सर्वभूतानां हृद्देशे ऽर्जुन तिष्ठति । भ्रामयन् सर्वभूतानि यन्त्रारूढानि मायया ॥
īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṃ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati | bhrāmayan sarva-bhūtāni yantrārūḍhāni māyayā ||
The Lord dwells in the heart of all beings — whirling all, as if mounted on a machine, by His māyā.
Word by word (3)
- īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṃ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati
- — the Lord/Īśvara (Īśvaraḥ = the master, the sovereign) dwells (tiṣṭhati = stands/remains) in the region of the heart (hṛd-deśe = hṛd + deśa = heart-region) of all beings (sarva-bhūtānām), O Arjuna — the Cosmic Sovereign as the indwelling Presence at the heart of every being
- bhrāmayan sarva-bhūtāni yantrārūḍhāni māyayā
- — causing to revolve/whirl (bhrāmayan = from bhram = to revolve, to wander; causative = causing-to-revolve) all beings (sarva-bhūtāni), as if mounted on a machine/yantra (yantrārūḍhāni = yantra + ārūḍha = machine-mounted, as-if-on-a-mechanism), by His māyā (māyayā = through-māyā) — the beings are like marionettes mounted on the machine of Prakṛti, whirled by the Lord's māyā
- yantrārūḍhāni māyayā bhrāmayan
- — causing to rotate, as-if-on-a-yantra (mechanism), by māyā; yantra = mechanism/machine (that which restrains and directs); the image of beings as yantra-riders is profound: each being moves according to the mechanism of Prakṛti (their guṇas, svabhāva, karma) — but the Power causing the rotation is the Īśvara dwelling within. This is simultaneously determinism (yantra) and divine sovereignty (Īśvara bhrāmayan): the machine runs, but the Lord at the center is its source
The Lord dwells in the hearts of all beings, O Arjuna, causing all beings, as if mounted on a machine, to revolve — by His māyā.
A modern analogy
V61 is one of the Gita's most vivid cosmological teachings. Imagine a great wheel (yantra) with many figures mounted on it — each figure spinning in its trajectory determined by where on the wheel it sits. The Lord dwells at the center, causing the rotation through māyā. The figures (beings) experience their spinning as autonomous movement, but the real source is the central Presence. The practical implication: take refuge in THAT center (V62) rather than in the peripheral spinning.
V61 answers V59-60's svabhāva-compulsion teaching with the deepest level of explanation: WHY is Prakṛti compelling? Because Īśvara is the indweller who causes the revolution through māyā. The yantra-āropita (machine-mounted) image precisely captures the relationship: the being is real but its movement is determined by the mechanism (Prakṛti/guṇas/svabhāva) that the Indwelling Lord causes to rotate. V61 then sets up V62: since the Lord is the heart-dweller who causes all movement, taking refuge in HIM (V62: tam eva śaraṇaṃ gaccha) is the only real solution.
Hṛd-deśe tiṣṭhati (dwells in the heart-region) connects V61 to the entire heart-dwelling tradition of the Gita: Ch.15 V15 (sarvasya cāham hṛdi sanniviṣṭo), Ch.10 V20 (aham ātmā guḍākeśa sarva-bhūtāśaya-sthitaḥ), and the upaniṣadic tradition of the ātman/brahman as the antaryāmin (inner controller). The yantra-māyā image is V61's specific contribution: the how (yantra = mechanism of Prakṛti) and the why (māyā = the divine power through which the mechanism operates).
Advaita lens
The Īśvara who bhrāmayan sarva-bhūtāni māyayā (causes all beings to revolve through māyā) is, in the advaita reading, Brahman functioning in its vyāvahārika (conventional/practical) role as world-creator-sustainer. The hṛd-deśe tiṣṭhati (dwelling in the heart) is the ātman itself — pure awareness — in its role as the witness and apparent controller. The yantrārūḍhāni māyayā image precisely captures the advaita insight: the beings (jīvas) appear to be separate autonomous movers, but the REALITY is the one Brahman/Īśvara at the heart of all, with the apparent multiplicity being māyā-powered rotation.
Bhakti lens
The Indwelling Lord (Īśvara hṛd-deśe tiṣṭhati) is the most intimate aspect of the Divine — more intimate than any external form. The bhakti reading: if the Beloved Lord is IN my heart, directing all my movements through māyā, then the greatest intimacy is to consciously align with that inner Presence (V62: tam eva śaraṇaṃ gaccha = flee to THAT as your refuge). The devotee who takes refuge in the inner Lord enters into a relationship with the very source of their existence.
Karma-Yoga lens
V61 is the deepest explanation of why karma-yoga works: the Karma-yogī acts according to svabhāva (V47-48) + offers to the Lord (V46) + takes refuge in the Lord (V56) — and this is NATURAL, because the Lord already dwells within as the innermost Cause. The karma-yogī's mac-citta (V57-58) is a conscious alignment with what is already true: the Lord is already at the center of the yantra. The karma-yogī simply stops pretending that the ego is driving, and consciously surrenders to the inner Lord.
Public-domain translations (4) compare all →
The Lord dwells in the hearts of all beings, O Arjuna, whirling by Maya all beings (as if) mounted on a machine. [1]
The Lord, O Arjuna, dwells in the hearts of all beings, causing all beings, by His Maya, to revolve, (as if) mounted on a machine. [4]
MISSING from index. [9]
The Lord, O Arjuna, dwells in the region of the heart of beings, turning all beings as if mounted on a machine, by his illusive power. [13]
This verse speaks to
Where this thread continues
This divine māyā of Mine, made of the guṇas, is hard to cross — but those who take refuge in Me alone do cross it.
I am your student. My mind is bewildered about what is right. Teach me.
With mind attached, practising yoga, taking refuge in Me — hear how you shall know Me fully, without doubt.
Whoever serves Me with unswerving avyabhicāriṇī bhakti transcends all three guṇas and becomes fit for Brahman.
Krishna declares: 'I am the ground of Brahman — the Immortal, the Immutable, eternal Dharma, and perfect Bliss.'
Destroyed is my delusion, memory restored by Your grace — I stand firm, free of doubt, and will do Your word.