Devanagari
सर्वभूतेषु येनैकं भावमव्ययमीक्षते ।
अविभक्तं विभक्तेषु तज्ज्ञानं विद्धि सात्त्विकम् ॥ २० ॥
Verse text
sarva-bhūteṣu yenaikaṁ
bhāvam avyayam īkṣate
avibhaktaṁ vibhakteṣu
taj jṣānaṁ viddhi sāttvikam
Synonyms
sarva-bhūteṣu
—
in all living entities
;
yena
—
by which
;
ekam
—
one
;
bhāvam
—
situation
;
avyayam
—
imperishable
;
īkṣate
—
one sees
;
avibhaktam
—
undivided
;
vibhakteṣu
—
in the numberless divided
;
tat
—
that
;
jṣānam
—
knowledge
;
viddhi
—
know
;
sāttvikam
—
in the mode of goodness.
Translation
That knowledge by which one undivided spiritual nature is seen in all living entities, though they are divided into innumerable forms, you should understand to be in the mode of goodness.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
20. Know that the process of knowledge is sattvic in nature when the individual indestructible soul with individual form is seen to exist successively in different bodies.
Translation (Baladeva Vidyabhusana)
20. Know that the process of knowledge is of sattva guṇa by which one sees the indestructible soul travelling into all types of bodies, undivided though he takes up separate bodies.
Purport
A person who sees one spirit soul in every living being, whether a demigod, human being, animal, bird, beast, aquatic or plant, possesses knowledge in the mode of goodness. In all living entities, one spirit soul is there, although they have different bodies in terms of their previous work. As described in the Seventh Chapter, the manifestation of the living force in every body is due to the superior nature of the Supreme Lord. Thus to see that one superior nature, that living force, in every body is to see in the mode of goodness. That living energy is imperishable, although the bodies are perishable. Differences are perceived in terms of the body; because there are many forms of material existence in conditional life, the living force appears to be divided. Such impersonal knowledge is an aspect of self-realization.
Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
This verse speaks of sattvic process of knowing. Seeing one soul (ekaṁ bhāvam), with one form (avibhaktam) which is indestructible (avyayam) residing successively in different forms (vibhakteṣu) such as human, devatā, or animal for the purpose of enjoying various fruits, which are temporary, through knowledge related to action (verse 18), is known as sattvic knowledge.
Purport (Baladeva Vidyabhusana)
This verse speaks of knowing in sattva guṇa. That knowledge by which [Note: Knowledge was defined in verse 18 as that by which something is known.] one sees one indestructible (avyayam ekam) jīva presiding successively in various destructible bodies (sarva bhūteṣu) of devatās, men and other creatures as a result of accepting results of various karmas, by which one sees the one jīva (avibhaktam) in mutually different temporary bodies (vibhakteṣu)—know that such knowledge of the ātmā which is non-different from the knowledge in the Upaniṣads, to be knowledge in sattva guna.