Unity does not erase diversity; it holds it.
Sanjaya narrates to King Dhritarashtra
तत्रैकस्थं जगत्कृत्स्नं प्रविभक्तमनेकधा |अपश्यद्देवदेवस्य शरीरे पाण्डवस्तदा ||११-१३||
tatraikasthaṃ jagatkṛtsnaṃ pravibhaktamanekadhā . apaśyaddevadevasya śarīre pāṇḍavastadā ||11-13||
Use this verse for unity-in-diversity reflection.
Meaning
Then Arjuna saw the entire universe, divided in many ways yet gathered in one place, within the body of the God of gods.
Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).
In plain words
Arjuna sees unity and diversity together in Krishna.
Word-by-word meaning
Tap a word to see its meaning.
Explanation
This verse captures the core of Vishvarupa: the entire universe, many and one, diverse and unified, all held in Krishna’s body.
Read the traditional commentary
Now the narration turns from Sanjaya's description to Arjuna's direct experience: apasyat, 'he saw'. With the divine eye granted to him, Arjuna beholds the whole universe — jagat krtsnam — resting in one place within the body of the deva-deva, the God of gods. The cosmos that seemed scattered across endless space he now witnesses gathered into a single living form.
The phrase pravibhaktam anekadha — 'divided into many' yet 'resting in one' — captures the great paradox at the heart of the vision. The world's infinite diversity and its underlying unity are seen together, at once. This is the realization the entire Gita points toward: multiplicity and oneness are not rivals but two faces of the same truth.
What philosophy can only describe, Arjuna here perceives directly. The many are real, and yet they abide forever in the One.
In daily life
See differences without losing the deeper unity.
A team can have many roles but one shared purpose.
Try this today
Look for one shared purpose beneath a conflict.
I see diversity held in divine unity.Reflect
Where do I see division but miss unity?
Private — only you can see this
Quick check
What does ‘एकस्थम्’ mean in this verse?
Krishna on realization, in other chapters
- Verse 13.31When you see all the world's diversity as the expansion of one reality, you awaken as that very reality.
- Verse 6.29A harmonized mind sees one Self in all beings and all beings in the Self — the vision of true oneness.
- Verse 14.4All beings, in every form of life, share one universal mother and one divine father — which makes every creature kin.
- Verse 4.9Truly understanding the divine nature — not as theory but as living insight — frees us from endless cycles and unites us with it.
Swipe left for 11.14 · Awe should become humility.
Questions about Bhagavad Gita 11.13
Who says Bhagavad Gita 11.13, and to whom?
Sanjaya narrates to King Dhritarashtra in verse 11.13, in Chapter 11, Vishvarupa Darshana Yoga (Vishvarupa Darshana Yoga).
What does Bhagavad Gita 11.13 mean?
Then Arjuna saw the entire universe, divided in many ways yet gathered in one place, within the body of the God of gods. (Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).)
What is the lesson of Bhagavad Gita 11.13 for daily life?
See differences without losing the deeper unity. A team can have many roles but one shared purpose.
What do the Sanskrit words in Bhagavad Gita 11.13 mean?
तत्र — there; एकस्थम् — resting in one place; जगत् कृत्स्नम् — the whole universe; प्रविभक्तम् अनेकधा — divided into many groups; अपश्यत् — saw.
Where does verse 11.13 come in the Bhagavad Gita?
It is verse 13 of 55 in Chapter 11, Vishvarupa Darshana Yoga. The next verse is 11.14.