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13.23 Witness, permitter, lord Krishna speaks

उपद्रष्टाऽनुमन्ता च भर्ता भोक्ता महेश्वरः
परमात्मेति चाप्युक्तो देहेऽस्मिन्पुरुषः परः

upadraṣhṭānumantā cha bhartā bhoktā maheśhvaraḥ
paramātmeti chāpy ukto dehe ’smin puruṣhaḥ paraḥ

The witness, the one who permits, the sustainer, the experiencer, the great lord — this is also called the highest self, the highest person, in this body.

Explanation

Five names for the same seated presence.

  • the witness
  • the one who permits
  • the sustainer
  • the experiencer
  • the great lord

The one who permits is the strange one. It grants that what happens is not compelled from outside and not prevented either — which is as close as the Gita comes to explaining why the world is allowed to go the way it goes.

Word by word

upadraṣhṭā
the witness
anumantā
the permitter
cha
and
bhartā
the supporter
bhoktā
the transcendental enjoyer
mahā-īśhvaraḥ
the ultimate controller
parama-ātmā
Superme Soul
iti
that
cha api
and also
uktaḥ
is said
dehe
within the body
asmin
this
puruṣhaḥ paraḥ
the Supreme Lord