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Shloka 42

Kṛṣṇa’s Impending Departure; Uddhava’s Surrender; King Yadu and the Avadhūta’s Twenty-Four Gurus

Beginnings

अन्तर्हितश्च स्थिरजङ्गमेषु ब्रह्मात्मभावेन समन्वयेन । व्याप्त्याव्यवच्छेदमसङ्गमात्मनो मुनिर्नभस्त्वं विततस्य भावयेत् ॥ ४२ ॥

antarhitaś ca sthira-jaṅgameṣu brahmātma-bhāvena samanvayena vyāptyāvyavacchedam asaṅgam ātmano munir nabhastvaṁ vitatasya bhāvayet

ചിന്താശീലനായ മുനി ദേഹത്തിനുള്ളിൽ ജീവിച്ചാലും സ്വയം ബ്രഹ്മസ്വഭാവമുള്ള ശുദ്ധാത്മാവാണെന്ന് അറിയണം. ചല-അചലമായ എല്ലാ ജീവരൂപങ്ങളിലും ജീവാത്മാവ് പ്രവേശിച്ചിരിക്കുന്നതും, പരമാത്മാവ്—ഭഗവാൻ—അന്തര്യാമിയായി എല്ലായിടത്തും ഒരേസമയം സന്നിഹിതനാണെന്നും കാണണം. ആകാശം എല്ലായിടത്തും വ്യാപിച്ചിട്ടും അസംഗവും വിഭജിക്കാനാകാത്തതുമാകുന്നതുപോലെ, ആത്മ-പരമാത്മ സ്വരൂപം ധ്യാനിക്കണം.

antarhitaḥhidden (within)
antarhitaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता) / Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootantar + √dhā (धातु)
Formभूतकृदन्त, क्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; उपसर्ग/अव्ययपूर्वपद ‘antar-’ (अन्तर्हित = hidden/within)
caand
ca:
Nipāta (निपात)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootca (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय, समुच्चय (conjunction)
sthira-jaṅgameṣuamong the stationary and moving beings
sthira-jaṅgameṣu:
Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootsthira (प्रातिपदिक) + jaṅgama (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, बहुवचन; समासः—द्वन्द्वः (स्थिराणि च जङ्गमानि च)
brahma-ātma-bhāvenaby the sense of Brahman as the Self
brahma-ātma-bhāvena:
Karaṇa (करण)
TypeNoun
Rootbrahman (प्रातिपदिक) + ātman (प्रातिपदिक) + bhāva (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (ब्रह्मात्मभावः = being Brahman-Self)
samanvayenaby (inner) integration/connection
samanvayena:
Karaṇa (करण)
TypeNoun
Rootsamanvaya (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन (Instrumental singular)
vyāptyāby pervasion
vyāptyā:
Karaṇa (करण)
TypeNoun
Rootvyāpti (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन
avyavacchedamnon-separation; uninterruptedness
avyavacchedam:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Roota- (नञ्) + vyavaccheda (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; नञ्-समास/नकारान्त निषेध (negated form)
asaṅgamnon-attachment
asaṅgam:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Roota- (नञ्) + saṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; नञ्-प्रत्ययार्थ (negation)
ātmanaḥof the Self
ātmanaḥ:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootātman (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th case/Genitive), एकवचन
muniḥthe sage
muniḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootmuni (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन
nabhas-tvamthe nature of space/ether
nabhas-tvam:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootnabhas (प्रातिपदिक) + tva (तद्धित प्रत्यय)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; तद्धित ‘-त्व’ (abstract noun: ‘-ness’)
vitatasyaof the all-pervading (one)
vitatasya:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeAdjective
Rootvi + √tan (धातु) → vitata (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
Formभूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying nabhas)
bhāvayetshould contemplate/meditate upon
bhāvayet:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Root√bhū (धातु)
Formविधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; causative sense in usage ‘to contemplate/bring to mind’ (भावयेत्)

Although air exists within the sky, the sky, or space, is different from air. Even in the absence of air, space or sky is present. All material objects are situated within space, or within the vast material sky, but the sky remains undivided and, although accommodating all objects, never actually mixes with anything. In the same way one can understand the situation of both the individual soul and the Supersoul. The individual soul is all-pervading, because there are innumerable jīvātmās, which enter within all things; yet, as confirmed in Vedic literature, each individual ātmā remains infinitesimal. The Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad (5.9) states:

D
Dattātreya (Avadhūta)
K
King Yadu

FAQs

This verse teaches that the Self is like the sky—all-pervading, undivided, and untouched—though it seems “within” all beings; it remains unattached and unlimited.

King Yadu asked for the Avadhuta’s wisdom; the Avadhuta explains contemplations learned from nature, here using the sky as a meditation to realize the Self’s pervasion and detachment.

Practice seeing experiences and relationships without possessiveness—like space that holds everything yet clings to nothing—while remembering your deeper identity beyond changing roles and emotions.