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Shloka 18.61
ईश्वरः सर्वभूतानां हृद्देशेऽर्जुन तिष्ठति | भ्रामयन्सर्वभूतानि यन्त्रारूढानि मायया ||१८-६१||
īśvaraḥ sarvabhūtānāṃ hṛddeśe.arjuna tiṣṭhati . bhrāmayansarvabhūtāni yantrārūḍhāni māyayā ||18-61||
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The Translation

“The Supreme Lord dwells in the heart of all beings, O Arjuna, causing all beings to spin by His illusory power, as if they were mounted on a machine.”

Commentary & Insights

Krishna reveals a striking, famous metaphor of the human condition in relation to the Divine. The body and mind are compared to a mechanical device (yantra), and the Divine is the energy source driving it from within, contradicting the ego's claim of independent control.

Practical Application
1

When feeling overwhelmed by things out of your control, view your body and mind as a machine, and rest in the peace of the observer.

Reflections & Notes
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Self-Reflection Prompts
  • How does the metaphor of the body as a 'machine' (*yantra*) change the way you view physical illness, aging, or mental habits?
  • If the driver of this machine is the Lord in your heart, how can you practice letting go of your need to control everything?

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18.61
ईश्वरः सर्वभूतानां हृद्देशेऽर्जुन तिष्ठति