Mūla — the verse
Gita Press numberingअहमात्मा गुडाकेश सर्वभूताशयस्थितः।
अहमादिश्च मध्यं च भूतानामन्त एव च
aham ātmā guḍākeśha sarva-bhūtāśhaya-sthitaḥ
aham ādiśh cha madhyaṁ cha bhūtānām anta eva cha
Anuṣṭubh
Translation
Swami Gambhīrānanda · follows Śaṅkara-bhāṣyaO Gudakesa, I am the Self residing in the hearts of all beings, and I am the beginning, middle, and end of all beings.
हिन्दी अनुवाद — Swami Tejomayānanda
हे गुडाकेश (निद्राजित्) ! मैं समस्त भूतों के हृदय में स्थित सबकी आत्मा हूँ तथा सम्पूर्ण भूतों का आदि, मध्य और अन्त भी मैं ही हूँ।।
Pronunciation — Vaamshii
from Vaamshiiअह मात् मा गुडा केश
सर्व भूता शयस् थितः
अह मादिश् च मध्यञ् च
भूता नामन्त एव च
॥ २० ॥
Read each split group as one breath-unit; hyphens join pādas kept whole for the meter or a compound word. Symbols: # upadhmānīya (visarga before p/ph), % jihvāmūlīya (visarga before k/kh), ऽ avagraha (an elided a). Full method →
Word by word
padārthaahamI
ātmāsoul
guḍākeśhaArjun, the conqueror of sleep
sarva-bhūtaof all living entities
āśhaya-sthitaḥseated in the heart
ahamI
ādiḥthe beginning
chaand
madhyammiddle
chaand
bhūtānāmof all beings
antaḥend
evaeven
chaalso
Themes
from The Thematic Companion to the Bhagavad GītāMeaning — Questions & Solutions
from Q&A with KnA10.20“I am the Self; I am Brahman.”
“I am the Self (ātmā), Guḍākeśa, seated in the heart of all beings; I am the beginning, the middle and the end of all beings too.” Before the long external list, K plants the internal truth first: seek Me not only out there in sun and mountain, but in here, as the very Self in every heart. The vibhūti that follow are the outward glories; this verse is the inward one — and it is placed first, lest the seeker chase Him across the cosmos while missing Him in his own chest.