नाशरूपोऽविनाशात्मा योऽन्तःस्थः सर्वजन्तुषु । गुप्तो योऽप्यतिरिक्तोऽपि सर्वभावेषु संस्थितः ॥ १६ ॥
nāśarūpō’vināśātmā yō’ntaḥsthaḥ sarvajantuṣu | guptō yō’pyatiriktō’pi sarvabhāvēṣu saṁsthitaḥ || 16 ||
Translation
who, in the form of what perishes, is imperishable in his self; who dwells within all creatures; who is hidden, and, though beyond all, abides in all things;
Word by word
- nāśa
- of what perishes
- rūpō
- (rūpaḥ) in the form
- avināśa
- imperishable
- ātmā
- in his self
- yō
- (yaḥ) who
- antaḥsthaḥ
- dwells within
- sarva
- all
- jantuṣu
- creatures
- guptō
- (guptaḥ) hidden
- api
- though
- atiriktō
- (atiriktaḥ) beyond
- bhāvēṣu
- things
- saṁsthitaḥ
- abides
Meaning
The commentary takes each pair in turn. As the manifold world he perishes; as he is in himself he does not. He is within every creature, and hidden there because he is so subtle; he is beyond them all, remaining as what is not the manifold, because he is so great; and yet he is present in every thing. Hidden and present, beyond and within: not a contradiction, but two ways of failing to grasp one who is not an object.