Gita 13.18
Kshetra Kshetragna Vibhaga Yoga
ज्योतिषामपि तज्ज्योतिस्तमसः परमुच्यते | ज्ञानं ज्ञेयं ज्ञानगम्यं हृदि सर्वस्य विष्ठितम् ||१८||
jyotiṣām api taj jyotis tamasaḥ param ucyate | jñānaṁ jñeyaṁ jñāna-gamyaṁ hṛdi sarvasya viṣṭhitam ||18||
In essence: Brahman is the Light of all lights, beyond darkness; it is knowledge itself, the object of knowledge, and attainable through knowledge—seated in the heart of all beings.
A conversation between a seeker and guide to help you feel this verse deeply
Sadhak-Guru Dialogue
Sadhak: "Guru ji, 'the light of all lights'—this is beautiful. But what does it mean practically?"
Guru: "Close your eyes. There is darkness. But who KNOWS the darkness? That knowing is the light that illuminates even darkness. Without this inner light of awareness, you couldn't know anything—not light, not darkness, nothing."
Sadhak: "So consciousness is the real light, not physical light?"
Guru: "Physical light enables the eyes to see forms. Consciousness enables the eyes to see at all. A camera has light but no awareness—it doesn't 'see.' You see because consciousness uses the apparatus. Brahman is that consciousness in its universal, unlimited aspect."
Sadhak: "And it's seated in the heart of all—how do I find it?"
Guru: "You don't find it like finding a lost object. You recognize it as your own nature. The search ends when the seeker recognizes: 'What I'm looking for is what's looking.' The light in my heart and the light in all hearts is one light."
Sadhak: "This verse feels like a summary of the whole teaching on the Knowable."
Guru: "It is. Light of all lights—the source. Beyond darkness—transcendent. Knowledge, knowable, attainable by knowledge—the complete circle. Seated in every heart—immanent and intimate. Memorize this verse; it contains the entire jnana-kanda in essence."
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🌅 Daily Practice
Meditation: Turn attention to the inner light of awareness. 'What illuminates my experience right now?' Rest in that illuminating presence before engaging with outer lights.
Remember: 'The same light that knows through me knows through all beings.' This recognition transforms competition into kinship, isolation into communion.
Heart meditation: Sense into the region of the heart. Feel the aliveness there. Recognize: 'Here, Brahman dwells. Here, the light of all lights shines. Here, I am home.' Rest in that recognition.