Of all the revelations in the Bhagavad Gita, verse 10.20 is among the most intimate and transformative. Here Krishna reveals that He is not a distant deity to be approached through elaborate rituals, but the very Self seated in the heart of every living being - including yours, right now, as you read these words.
This verse appears in Chapter 10 (Vibhuti Yoga), the chapter of "Divine Glories," where Krishna reveals His presence throughout creation. After Arjuna asks Krishna to describe His divine manifestations, Krishna begins this extraordinary teaching by stating His most fundamental presence: He is the Atma (Self) in every heart.
The implications are staggering. If the Supreme Lord dwells in every heart, then every being is sacred. Every person you meet is a temple housing the Divine. Your own heart is the closest shrine, accessible at any moment through the simple act of turning attention inward.
This teaching dissolves the apparent distance between human and Divine. There is no journey to make to find God - only a recognition of what is already present. As verse 18.61 will later confirm, "The Lord dwells in the hearts of all beings." The entire Gita can be read as Krishna, the inner guide, leading Arjuna (the individual soul) to recognize the divine presence that was always within.
This verse also establishes the foundation for understanding all of Krishna's vibhutis (divine manifestations) that follow in Chapter 10. Everything that is glorious, beautiful, or powerful in creation is a reflection of Krishna. But the primary reflection is in the heart itself - the inner sanctum where consciousness meets the Divine.
Transliteration: aham atma gudakesha sarva-bhutashaya-sthitah | aham adis ca madhyam ca bhutanam anta eva ca ||
In Bhagavad Gita 10.20, Krishna declares He is the beginning (adi), middle (madhya), and end (anta) of all beings, meaning:
This covers the entire span of existence - nothing exists outside Krishna's being.
आदि
The Source
Every being comes from Krishna. Before creation, He exists. The creative impulse, the first stirring of existence, the potential that becomes actual - all emerge from Him. In Vedantic terms, He is the efficient cause (the maker) and the material cause (the substance) of all that exists.
मध्य
The Sustainer
Throughout existence, Krishna sustains. Every moment of your life, every breath, every heartbeat is supported by His presence. The pearl-thread teaching of 7.7 expresses this: all is strung on Him. He is the ongoing support that allows anything to continue existing.
अन्त
The Destination
All beings return to Krishna. Death is not annihilation but return to source. The Gita's teachings on death gain profound meaning in this light: the soul returns to its origin in the Divine. What seems like ending is actually homecoming.
When Krishna says He is the beginning, middle, and end, He establishes several crucial points:
This teaching provides profound comfort and perspective. Whatever stage of life you're in - beginning your journey, in the middle of challenges, or approaching life's end - you are within Krishna. The Gita's teachings on peace flow naturally from this understanding: how can one be truly disturbed when one's entire existence is held within the Divine?
Each Sanskrit word in this verse reveals layers of meaning:
The first-person pronoun, spoken directly by Krishna. This personal declaration distinguishes the Gita's teaching from abstract philosophy. It's not "the Divine is in all hearts" but "I am in all hearts." The personal relationship with God is emphasized - not just supreme reality but supreme Person.
One of the most important words in Indian philosophy. Atma means the true self, the conscious essence, the innermost identity. When Krishna says "I am the atma," He identifies Himself with the deepest level of every being's identity. This is not merely saying God is nearby but that God IS the essential self.
A name for Arjuna meaning "thick-haired" or, more significantly, "conqueror of sleep/ignorance." Guda can mean sleep, darkness, or ignorance; kesha means hair or, metaphorically, one who has mastered. Krishna addresses Arjuna as one capable of receiving this teaching - one who has conquered the darkness of ignorance. This name reminds us that spiritual awakening requires overcoming the sleep of unconsciousness.
A compound word with three parts:
- Sarva = all, every
- Bhuta = being, creature
- Ashaya = abode, resting place, heart (from "a-shi" - to rest)
- Sthita = seated, established, abiding
Krishna is firmly established (sthita) in the inner abode (ashaya) of all (sarva) beings (bhuta). This isn't a temporary visit but a permanent dwelling.
The first, the origin, the starting point. Krishna is the adi - the primordial source from which all beings emerge. In terms of cosmology, He is before creation. In terms of individual existence, He is the source from which each soul comes.
The center, the ongoing duration, the sustaining period. During the entire span of any being's existence, Krishna is present as the supporting reality. This is the teaching of divine maintenance - God doesn't create and abandon but continues to sustain.
The conclusion, the termination, the final destination. When beings cease in their current form, they return to Krishna. This transforms the understanding of death from annihilation to return. The teaching of 8.5 relates: whoever remembers Krishna at the time of death attains His nature.
An emphatic particle adding certainty to the statement. Krishna doesn't say He is "perhaps" or "in some way" the beginning, middle, and end. The "eva" makes it definitive: He certainly, absolutely, without question IS all of this.
When the Gita speaks of the "heart" (hridaya or ashaya), it doesn't primarily mean the physical organ pumping blood. The heart in Vedic understanding is the center of consciousness - the seat of awareness, feeling, intuition, and the deepest sense of self. It's where we experience love, make real decisions, and contact our truest nature.
Modern language reflects this: we speak of "heartfelt" emotions, "taking things to heart," and acting from "the bottom of our heart." These expressions point to something deeper than the physical - the heart as the core of personhood.
The Upanishads speak of the "dahara" - the small space in the heart where the Divine dwells. The Chandogya Upanishad describes it: "As vast as this space outside is the tiny space within the heart. Heaven and earth are contained in it." This paradoxical teaching - the infinite within the infinitesimal - is echoed in verse 10.20.
Krishna, who is the beginning, middle, and end of all beings, who encompasses all of creation, simultaneously dwells in the tiny space of each heart. The macrocosm is mirrored in the microcosm. To look inward is to find the infinite.
The word "ashaya" used in this verse means resting place, abode, or refuge. It suggests that the heart is where God rests - not straining or laboring but peacefully dwelling. And it suggests the heart can be our refuge - by turning inward to the Divine presence, we find shelter from life's storms.
This connects to the Gita's teachings on peace: true peace is found not in external circumstances but in contact with the inner presence. Verse 6.15 describes the peace of one whose mind is controlled and fixed on the Self.
Modern culture often locates the self in the brain - "I think, therefore I am." But the Gita locates the deepest self in the heart. Why?
This doesn't denigrate intellect - the Gita values wisdom highly. But it recognizes that the deepest contact with the Divine happens through the heart's capacity for love, intuition, and direct knowing.
Vedantic philosophy distinguishes between the individual soul (jivatma) and the Supreme Soul (paramatma). The jivatma is the conscious self in each being; the paramatma is God's presence within each being. Verse 10.20 identifies Krishna with this paramatma - the Supersoul accompanying every individual soul.
The thirteenth chapter elaborates this teaching: "The Supreme Person in this body is also called the witness, the sanctioner, the sustainer, the experiencer, the great Lord, and the Supreme Self." These are functions of the paramatma.
A famous Upanishadic image describes two birds on the same tree: one eats the fruits (experiencing life's pleasures and pains), while the other simply watches (the witness consciousness). The eating bird is the individual soul engaged in worldly experience; the watching bird is the paramatma - God's witnessing presence.
Verse 10.20 confirms this teaching: Krishna as the Self is the inner witness to all our experiences. He sees everything - not to judge but to know intimately. This is both humbling (nothing is hidden) and comforting (we are never alone, always known, always held).
Different Vedantic schools interpret this relationship differently:
The Gita's teaching, particularly in verses like 10.20, is compatible with all three interpretations. Krishna is the Self in all - whether understood as identity, organic relationship, or dwelling presence.
Though Krishna dwells in every heart, He doesn't normally override free will. He witnesses, supports, and is available - but allows each being to make choices. Verse 18.63 demonstrates this: "Deliberate on this fully, then do as you wish." Even as the inner presence, God respects human freedom.
However, for those who turn to Him, Krishna promises active help. Verse 10.10 states: "To those who are constantly devoted and worship Me with love, I give the understanding by which they can come to Me."
Here is a practice for experiencing the truth of verse 10.20:
When one begins to experience the inner presence, several signs may appear:
These aren't achievements to grasp but natural outcomes of turning attention inward. The presence is always there; we simply become aware of what we previously overlooked.
Why don't we always feel the inner presence? The Gita identifies several obstacles:
The Gita's practices - meditation, devotion, karma yoga, self-discipline - address these obstacles, clearing the way for recognition of the ever-present inner witness.
Chapter 10 is called Vibhuti Yoga - the chapter revealing Krishna's divine manifestations (vibhutis). After Arjuna requests to hear about Krishna's glories and yoga powers (10.17-18), Krishna begins His response with verse 10.20.
Significantly, Krishna starts not with cosmic manifestations (sun, moon, mountains) but with His presence in the heart. This is the primary vibhuti - everything else follows from this inner presence. If God is in every heart, then every being is a divine manifestation.
After verse 10.20, Krishna lists specific manifestations:
And on through dozens of examples. But all these are expansions of the fundamental teaching in 10.20: Krishna is the inner Self. His presence in extraordinary things is an extension of His presence in all things.
Why does Krishna describe His vibhutis? For meditation and devotion. Knowing that Krishna is present in the most glorious aspects of creation helps the devotee see Him everywhere. Verse 10.41 summarizes: "Whatever being possesses glory, grace, or power, know that it arises from a fragment of My splendor."
The goal is to develop the vision that sees the Divine everywhere - which begins with recognizing the Divine within.
If Krishna dwells in every heart, then every person you meet houses the Divine. This transforms relationships:
The Gita's relationship teachings are grounded in this recognition of the sacred in every person.
You are not merely a body-mind complex but a dwelling place of the Divine:
True self-awareness is awareness of the Self - not the ego but the divine presence within.
Knowing the Divine is in your heart provides resources for challenging times:
This teaching shapes how we approach practice:
Every practice is essentially removal of obstacles to recognition - like cleaning a window to let sunlight through. The light (the divine presence) is already there.
The presence is always there, but our recognition of it is often blocked by mental noise, outward focus, and ego identification. It's like a radio station that's always broadcasting - if we don't tune in, we don't hear it, but that doesn't mean it's not there. Spiritual practices "tune the dial" by quieting the mind and turning attention inward. As the Gita's meditation teachings explain, practice gradually clears the obstacles to recognition.
This is one of the great questions of Vedanta, with different answers from different schools. The Gita's teaching is that Krishna is the Self in all hearts - suggesting identity or very close relationship between the individual self and the Divine Self. Some interpret this as ultimate non-difference (Advaita), others as intimate relationship (Vishishtadvaita), others as the Supreme dwelling alongside the individual soul (Dvaita). All agree that turning inward leads toward the Divine.
Verse 10.20 says Krishna is the Self in all hearts - not that every ego is God. The ego (ahamkara - the sense of separate "I") is precisely what obscures recognition of the divine Self. It's not "I (ego) am God" but rather "the true Self, deeper than the ego, is divine." Spiritual practice reduces ego identification, allowing the deeper Self to be recognized. This Self is not the personality or body but the conscious witness within.
God's presence in the heart doesn't override free will. The Gita teaches that beings act according to their nature (gunas) and choices. God witnesses and supports existence without controlling every action. Verse 18.63 shows God respecting human choice: "Do as you wish." Evil arises from ego, desire, and ignorance - the coverings over the divine presence. The presence remains pure even when beings act impurely, like the sun remaining clean even when illuminating garbage.
Enormous benefits flow from this recognition: You're never alone - the ultimate companion is always with you. Guidance is always available by turning inward. Your true identity is divine, not the limited ego. Others deserve reverence as temples of the Divine. Fear diminishes - what can truly threaten one who houses the Infinite? Love increases - recognizing the beloved everywhere. And purpose clarifies - life becomes about realizing and expressing this inner presence.
Download the Srimad Gita App for daily verses, guided meditations, and practices to recognize and experience the presence of Krishna in your heart.
Download the AppGet personalized spiritual guidance with the Srimad Gita App. Daily verses, AI-powered insights, and more.