Undivided devotion reaches the all-pervading Supreme.
Krishna speaks to Arjuna
पुरुषः स परः पार्थ भक्त्या लभ्यस्त्वनन्यया |यस्यान्तःस्थानि भूतानि येन सर्वमिदं ततम् ||८-२२||
puruṣaḥ sa paraḥ pārtha bhaktyā labhyastvananyayā . yasyāntaḥsthāni bhūtāni yena sarvamidaṃ tatam ||8-22||
Use this verse to deepen one-pointed devotion.
Meaning
O Partha, that Supreme Person, in whom all beings exist and by whom all this is pervaded, is attained by undivided devotion.
Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).
In plain words
The Supreme Person is attained through undivided devotion.
Word-by-word meaning
Tap a word to see its meaning.
Explanation
Krishna gives the direct path: ananya bhakti, undivided devotion. The Supreme is not outside existence; all beings rest in Him and He pervades everything. Devotion becomes the way to relate personally to this all-pervading reality.
Read the traditional commentary
Having described the supreme abode, Krishna reveals how it is reached — and the answer is profoundly simple. That highest Person (parah purushah), within whom all beings dwell and by whom the whole universe is pervaded, is attained by ananya bhakti: unswerving, undivided devotion.
This is the heart of the chapter's message. The vast cosmic vistas, the subtle yogic techniques, the timeless metaphysics — all converge on a single accessible path: wholehearted love of God. The word ananyaya — 'with no other' — means devotion that has no rival in the heart, no divided loyalty.
The Supreme is described as both immanent and transcendent: he holds all beings within himself, and he pervades everything that exists. Such an infinite reality might seem impossibly remote, yet Krishna assures Arjuna it is reached not by intellectual feats but by love. To the devotee who turns the whole heart toward him, the all-pervading Lord becomes attainable.
In daily life
Practice devotion that is not split by ego, fear, or distraction.
A person can turn daily work, prayer, and service toward one center: Krishna.
Try this today
Choose one distraction to reduce during prayer.
My devotion becomes undivided and centered in Krishna.Reflect
What divides my devotion?
Private — only you can see this
Quick check
What does ‘येन सर्वम् इदम् ततम्’ mean in this verse?
Krishna on single mindedness, in other chapters
- Verse 9.13Greatness of soul is an undivided heart — devotion that flows naturally from seeing the Divine as the source of all.
- Verse 15.12The light of sun, moon, and fire is a single divine radiance — God's splendor lighting the world.
- Verse 6.30See the Divine in all things and in everyone, and you will never be separated from God, nor God from you.
- Verse 7.17The purest devotion seeks the Divine for nothing but Itself — and there, love flows mutually between the soul and God.
Swipe left for 8.23 · Spiritual direction matters.
Questions about Bhagavad Gita 8.22
Who says Bhagavad Gita 8.22, and to whom?
Krishna speaks to Arjuna in verse 8.22, in Chapter 8, Aksara Brahma Yoga (Aksara Brahma Yoga).
What does Bhagavad Gita 8.22 mean?
O Partha, that Supreme Person, in whom all beings exist and by whom all this is pervaded, is attained by undivided devotion. (Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).)
What is the lesson of Bhagavad Gita 8.22 for daily life?
Practice devotion that is not split by ego, fear, or distraction. A person can turn daily work, prayer, and service toward one center: Krishna.
What do the Sanskrit words in Bhagavad Gita 8.22 mean?
पुरुषः सः परः — that Supreme Person; पार्थ — O Partha (Arjuna); भक्त्या लभ्यः तु अनन्यया — is attainable by unswerving devotion; यस्य अन्तःस्थानि भूतानि — within whom all beings dwell; येन सर्वम् इदम् ततम् — by whom all this is pervaded.
Where does verse 8.22 come in the Bhagavad Gita?
It is verse 22 of 28 in Chapter 8, Aksara Brahma Yoga. The next verse is 8.23.