Shloka 13
The Lord’s Supervision of Embodiment: Fetal Development, Womb-Suffering, and the Jīva’s Prayer (Garbha-stuti) — and the Trap of Māyā
यस्त्वत्र बद्ध इव कर्मभिरावृतात्मा भूतेन्द्रियाशयमयीमवलम्ब्य मायाम् । आस्ते विशुद्धमविकारमखण्डबोधम् आतप्यमानहृदयेऽवसितं नमामि ॥ १३ ॥
yas tv atra baddha iva karmabhir āvṛtātmā bhūtendriyāśayamayīm avalambya māyām āste viśuddham avikāram akhaṇḍa-bodham ātapyamāna-hṛdaye ’vasitaṁ namāmi
Though I am a pure soul, I now appear bound by my deeds and, upheld by māyā made of elements, senses, and the mind’s abode, I lie within my mother’s womb. I bow to Him who is here with me yet untouched and changeless—unlimited, undivided consciousness—revealed within the repentant heart.
As stated in the previous verse, the jīva soul says, “I take shelter of the Supreme Lord.” Therefore, constitutionally, the jīva soul is the subordinate servitor of the Supreme Soul, the Personality of Godhead. Both the Supreme Soul and the jīva soul are sitting in the same body, as confirmed in the Upaniṣads. They are sitting as friends, but one is suffering, and the other is aloof from suffering.
FAQs
This verse teaches that the Lord, though always pure and unchanging, is situated within the heart as the indwelling witness and support, even when the living being feels burned by suffering.
Kapila instructs Devahuti on liberation by explaining how bondage is only apparent—arising from karma and māyā—while the Lord remains the pure, undivided consciousness present within.
Remembering the Lord as present within the heart helps one endure distress without despair, reduce identification with mental agitation, and cultivate devotion that loosens karmic conditioning.