Gita 11.38
Vishvarupa Darshana Yoga
त्वमादिदेवः पुरुषः पुराणस्त्वमस्य विश्वस्य परं निधानम् । वेत्तासि वेद्यं च परं च धाम त्वया ततं विश्वमनन्तरूप ॥
tvam ādi-devaḥ puruṣaḥ purāṇas tvam asya viśvasya paraṁ nidhānam | vettāsi vedyaṁ ca paraṁ ca dhāma tvayā tataṁ viśvam ananta-rūpa ||
In essence: You are both the eternal knower and the ultimate object of knowledge - the consciousness that seeks and the truth that is sought. The universe is pervaded by You, O Infinite Form, as both its hidden treasure and final resting place.
A conversation between a seeker and guide to help you feel this verse deeply
Sadhak-Guru Dialogue
Sadhak: "How can the same being be both knower and known? Doesn't knowing require separation between the two?"
Guru: "Does the sun need a separate sun to illuminate itself?"
Sadhak: "No, it's self-luminous..."
Guru: "Consciousness is self-luminous. It knows itself by being itself. The apparent separation of knower and known is the play of manifestation - ultimately they resolve into one awareness knowing itself."
Sadhak: "Then what is all our seeking? Is it meaningless?"
Guru: "Not meaningless - it's the Divine game. The knower pretends to not know, then seeks, then finds, then celebrates the finding. Without the forgetting, there's no joy of remembering. Without the seeking, there's no thrill of discovery."
Sadhak: "What does 'param nidhānam' - supreme treasure - mean here?"
Guru: "Everything returns to rest in Krishna - this is nidhānam as resting place. But also, Krishna is the treasure hidden within everything - this is nidhānam as treasure. Where do you rest finally? In the Divine. What is the treasure you seek everywhere? The Divine. Same word, same reality."
Sadhak: "So the universe being 'pervaded' isn't like water filling a sponge?"
Guru: "No. The sponge has independent existence that water fills. But the universe has no independent existence that Krishna fills. The universe IS the spreading of Krishna - tvayā tatam - stretched out by You, made of You. The pervading and the pervaded are one."
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🌅 Daily Practice
Knower-known unity meditation: Sit quietly and notice: you are aware. Now notice: what you're aware of (thoughts, sensations) is also within awareness. The knower and the known both appear in the same field. Rest in this field itself, which is both - vettā and vedyam united in you.
Treasure hunt practice: Throughout the day, practice seeing everything as param nidhānam - supreme treasure hiding. The annoying coworker, the traffic jam, the beautiful sunset - each is Krishna playing hide-and-seek. What treasure is hidden here? What aspect of the Divine is this teaching me?
Pervaded-universe contemplation: Before sleep, feel the universe as 'tvayā tatam' - spread out, pervaded. Your body is part of this spreading. The room is part. The city, planet, galaxy - all one spreading of the Infinite. Let your sense of separate location dissolve into this pervasion as you drift toward sleep.