Krishna is the eternal support of dharma.
Arjuna speaks to Krishna
त्वमक्षरं परमं वेदितव्यंत्वमस्य विश्वस्य परं निधानम् |त्वमव्ययः शाश्वतधर्मगोप्तासनातनस्त्वं पुरुषो मतो मे ||११-१८||
tvamakṣaraṃ paramaṃ veditavyaṃ tvamasya viśvasya paraṃ nidhānam . tvamavyayaḥ śāśvatadharmagoptā sanātanastvaṃ puruṣo mato me ||11-18||
Use this verse when values feel compromised.
Meaning
You are the supreme imperishable to be known; You are the ultimate support of this universe. You are eternal, the protector of everlasting dharma, the ancient Supreme Person.
Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).
In plain words
Arjuna recognizes Krishna as the imperishable support and protector of dharma.
Word-by-word meaning
Tap a word to see its meaning.
Explanation
The vision produces theological clarity. Krishna is not merely a powerful being inside the world; He is the ground, goal, and guardian of dharma.
Read the traditional commentary
Amid the overwhelming light, Arjuna's words rise into pure praise and recognition. He names Krishna aksaram, the Imperishable; param veditavyam, the supreme object of all knowledge; param nidhanam, the ultimate resting-place and treasure of the universe. The vision has confirmed in experience what the teaching declared in words.
Most beautiful is the phrase sasvata-dharma-gopta — the guardian of the eternal Dharma. Even within this terrifying display of cosmic power, Arjuna perceives that the Divine is the protector of righteousness, the one who upholds the moral order through all ages. He concludes sanatanah purusah mato me — 'You are the everlasting Person, this is my conviction'.
His earlier intellectual assent has now become unshakable certainty born of sight. The lesson is clear: when truth moves from belief into direct knowing, it is no longer something we hold; it holds us.
In daily life
When values feel unstable, anchor yourself in Krishna and dharma.
A leader under pressure can ask what protects dharma, not just what protects profit.
Try this today
Choose one dharmic value and act from it.
I stand with Krishna and dharma.Reflect
What value must I protect today?
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Quick check
What does ‘परम् निधानम्’ mean in this verse?
Krishna on dharma, in other chapters
- Verse 9.2The highest spiritual path is also the most accessible — a purifying truth you can verify in your own direct experience.
- Verse 14.2When you anchor your identity in the eternal rather than the changing, neither beginnings nor endings can shake you.
- Verse 15.6The supreme goal is a self-luminous, eternal home from which the soul never has to return.
- Verse 8.3The imperishable Brahman lives as your own deepest Self, and even action is its creative expression unfolding through you.
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Questions about Bhagavad Gita 11.18
Who says Bhagavad Gita 11.18, and to whom?
Arjuna speaks to Krishna in verse 11.18, in Chapter 11, Vishvarupa Darshana Yoga (Vishvarupa Darshana Yoga).
What does Bhagavad Gita 11.18 mean?
You are the supreme imperishable to be known; You are the ultimate support of this universe. You are eternal, the protector of everlasting dharma, the ancient Supreme Person. (Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).)
What is the lesson of Bhagavad Gita 11.18 for daily life?
When values feel unstable, anchor yourself in Krishna and dharma. A leader under pressure can ask what protects dharma, not just what protects profit.
What do the Sanskrit words in Bhagavad Gita 11.18 mean?
त्वम् अक्षरम् — You are the Imperishable; परमम् वेदितव्यम् — the supreme thing to be known; त्वम् अस्य विश्वस्य — You of this universe; परम् निधानम् — the supreme resting-place / treasure; त्वम् अव्ययः — You are the changeless.
Where does verse 11.18 come in the Bhagavad Gita?
It is verse 18 of 55 in Chapter 11, Vishvarupa Darshana Yoga. The next verse is 11.19.