11.38 The knower and the known Arjuna speaks
त्वमादिदेवः पुरुषः पुराण स्त्वमस्य विश्वस्य परं निधानम्
वेत्तासि वेद्यं च परं च धाम त्वया ततं विश्वमनन्तरूप
tvam ādi-devaḥ puruṣhaḥ purāṇas
tvam asya viśhvasya paraṁ nidhānam
vettāsi vedyaṁ cha paraṁ cha dhāma
tvayā tataṁ viśhvam ananta-rūpa
You are the first of gods, the ancient person, the ultimate resting place of this world; the knower and the known, and the highest dwelling. By you this world is pervaded, you of endless form.
Explanation
The knower and the known.
First of gods, ancient person, ultimate resting place — and both sides of knowledge at once.
Exactly 13.18, where knowledge, the known and what knowledge reaches collapse into one. Arjuna is reciting the chapter he has not heard yet, which is the Gita's way of showing that he now understands.
Word by word
- tvam
- you
- ādi-devaḥ
- the original Divine God
- puruṣhaḥ
- personality
- purāṇaḥ
- primeval
- tvam
- you
- asya
- of (this)
- viśhwasya
- universe
- param
- Supreme
- nidhānam
- resting place
- vettā
- the knower
- asi
- you are
- vedyam
- the object of knowledge
- cha
- and
- param
- Supreme
- cha
- and
- dhāma
- Abode
- tvayā
- by you
- tatam
- pervaded
- viśhwam
- the universe
- ananta-rūpa
- posessor of infinite forms
Long-press or right-click the image to copy it. Nothing is uploaded — it is drawn here, on your device.