Verse 15.15

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of verse 15.15:

सर्वस्य चाहं हृदि सन्निविष्टो मत्तः स्मृतिर् ज्ञानम् अपोहनं च ।
वेदैश् च सर्वैर् अहम् एव वेद्यो वेदान्त-कृद् वेद-विद् एव चाहम् ॥ १५ ॥

sarvasya cāhaṃ hṛdi sanniviṣṭo mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṃ ca |
vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyo vedānta-kṛd veda-vid eva cāham || 15 ||

sarvasya–of all (living beings); ca–and; aham–I; hṛdi–in the hearts; sanniviṣṭaḥ–(situated) as the indwelling witness; mattaḥ–from Me; smṛtiḥ–remembrance; jñānam–knowledge; apohanam–forgetfulness, the destroyer (of the other two); ca–and; vedaiḥ–by the Vedas; ca–and; sarvaiḥ–by all; aham–I; eva–only; vedyaḥ–am to be known; vedānta-kṛt–the compiler of the Vedānta; veda-vit–one who knows the Vedas; eva–certainly; ca–and; aham–I.

I am situated as the indwelling Supersoul in the hearts of all living entities. From Me come remembrance, knowledge and the destruction of both. By all the Vedas I alone am to be known. Indeed, I am the compiler of Vedānta and the knower of the Vedas.

Commentary: Sārārtha-Varṣiṇī Ṭīkā

(By Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura; the innermost intention of the commentary named ‘the shower of essential meanings’)

“Just as I am the digestive fire in the stomach, I, the Supersoul, have entered the hearts of all moving and non-moving living entities as the principle of memory. From Me comes remembrance of the objects one has previously experienced, and when one’s senses contact sense objects, knowledge comes. Loss of memory and knowledge also occur because of Me.” After Śrī Bhagavān explains the assistance He gives the jīva in his bound state, He goes on to explain His arrangements for the jīva to attain the liberated state. “Through My incarnation as Vedavyāsa I am the compiler of Vedānta, and therefore, I alone know the meaning of the Vedas. In other words, nobody knows that meaning but Me.”

Commentary: Sārārtha-Varṣiṇī Prakāśikā-vṛtti

(By Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja; the explanation that illuminates the commentary named Sārārtha-varṣiṇī)

Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura quotes Kṛṣṇa as saying, “I am situated as the Supersoul, or Īśvara, in the hearts of all living entities. According to the results of the living entities’ past actions, they acquire memory, knowledge and forgetfulness of both. Therefore, I am not only the impersonal brahma, who pervades the whole universe, I am also Paramātmā, situated in the hearts of the living beings and bestowing the fruit of their karma upon them. Furthermore, I am not just the living entities’ worshipable brahma and Paramātmā, but I am also their instructor, and I bestow eternal auspiciousness upon them. I am Bhagavān, and I alone am to be known by all the Vedas. I am the compiler and knower of Vedānta. Therefore, I manifest as brahma, pervading the material world for the auspiciousness of all living entities. As Īśvara, or Paramātmā, I pervade the hearts of all living entities, and as Bhagavān, I bestow the supreme transcendental goal. In these three manifestations, I deliver the conditioned souls.”