Seeing God equally in all is true seeing.
Krishna speaks to Arjuna
समं सर्वेषु भूतेषु तिष्ठन्तं परमेश्वरम् |विनश्यत्स्वविनश्यन्तं यः पश्यति स पश्यति ||१३-२८||
samaṃ sarveṣu bhūteṣu tiṣṭhantaṃ parameśvaram . vinaśyatsvavinaśyantaṃ yaḥ paśyati sa paśyati ||13-28||
Use this verse to build equal vision.
Meaning
One who sees the Supreme Lord equally present in all beings, the imperishable within the perishing, truly sees.
Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).
In plain words
True vision sees the imperishable Divine in all perishing bodies.
Word-by-word meaning
Tap a word to see its meaning.
Explanation
This is one of the key verses of Chapter 13. Bodies change and perish, but the Supreme is equally present in all. Seeing this produces compassion and humility.
Read the traditional commentary
Krishna delivers a definition of true sight that resounds through the chapter: 'he who sees, he truly sees' (yah pashyati sa pashyati). And what does such a one see? The Supreme Lord dwelling equally (samam) in all beings — the imperishable abiding within the perishable. Bodies are born and they die, but the one indwelling reality remains undying through all the coming and going.
The word samam, 'equally,' is the heart of the verse. The Divine is not more present in the saint than in the sinner, nor more in the human than in the humblest creature; the same imperishable presence shines impartially in all. To see this is genuine vision; everything else is partial blindness, mistaking the changing surface for the whole.
This perception is the soil of compassion and reverence. When we behold the deathless Lord equally in everyone we meet, our divisions and contempt fall away, and we relate to all beings as carriers of the same sacred presence.
In daily life
Treat every being with dignity because the Divine is present within.
A person can reduce prejudice by remembering the same Paramatma is present in all hearts.
Try this today
Before judging someone, remember the imperishable within them.
I see the same Divine in all beings.Reflect
Do I see the same Divine in people I dislike?
Private — only you can see this
Quick check
What does ‘सर्वेषु भूतेषु तिष्ठन्तम्’ mean in this verse?
Krishna on compassion, in other chapters
- 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 7.7Behind the scattered jewels of life runs one hidden thread of the Divine — learn to feel the cord, not just the beads.
- Verse 8.3The imperishable Brahman lives as your own deepest Self, and even action is its creative expression unfolding through you.
Swipe left for 13.29 · Seeing God in all prevents harm.
Questions about Bhagavad Gita 13.28
Who says Bhagavad Gita 13.28, and to whom?
Krishna speaks to Arjuna in verse 13.28, in Chapter 13, Kshetra Kshetrajna Vibhaga Yoga (Kshetra Kshetrajna Vibhaga Yoga).
What does Bhagavad Gita 13.28 mean?
One who sees the Supreme Lord equally present in all beings, the imperishable within the perishing, truly sees. (Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).)
What is the lesson of Bhagavad Gita 13.28 for daily life?
Treat every being with dignity because the Divine is present within. A person can reduce prejudice by remembering the same Paramatma is present in all hearts.
What do the Sanskrit words in Bhagavad Gita 13.28 mean?
समम् — equally; सर्वेषु भूतेषु तिष्ठन्तम् — dwelling in all beings; परमेश्वरम् — the Supreme Lord; विनश्यत्सु अविनश्यन्तम् — the imperishable within the perishing; यः पश्यति सः पश्यति — he who sees, he truly sees.
Where does verse 13.28 come in the Bhagavad Gita?
It is verse 28 of 35 in Chapter 13, Kshetra Kshetrajna Vibhaga Yoga. The next verse is 13.29.