Devanagari
गुणिनामप्यहं सूत्रं महतां च महानहम् ।
सूक्ष्माणामप्यहं जीवो दुर्जयानामहं मन: ॥ ११ ॥
Verse text
guṇinām apy ahaṁ sūtraṁ
mahatāṁ ca mahān aham
sūkṣmāṇām apy ahaṁ jīvo
durjayānām ahaṁ manaḥ
Synonyms
guṇinām
—
among things possessing qualities
;
api
—
indeed
;
aham
—
I am
;
sūtram
—
the primary sūtra-tattva
;
mahatām
—
among great things
;
ca
—
also
;
mahān
—
the total material manifestation
;
aham
—
I am
;
sūkṣmāṇām
—
among subtle things
;
api
—
indeed
;
aham
—
I am
;
jīvaḥ
—
the spirit soul
;
durjayānām
—
among things difficult to conquer
;
aham
—
I am
;
manaḥ
—
the mind .
Translation
Among things possessing qualities I am the primary manifestation of nature, and among great things I am the total material creation. Among subtle things I am the spirit soul, and of things that are difficult to conquer I am the mind.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
Among material things I am sūtra. In all antaḥkaraṇas, possessing mahat-tattva, I am citta. Among subtle things I am the jīva, and of things that are difficult to conquer, I am the mind.
I am sūtra or prāṇa [Note: Sūtra is a modification of mahat-tattva, which is the first transformation of prakṛti.] in material objects made of guṇas. I am the citta among those possessing mahat-tattva or antaḥkaraṇa. [Note: Citta is the representative of mahat-tattva in the individual. Antaḥkaraṇa is composed of citta, buddhi, manas and anhaṅkāra.] Śruti describes the jīva:
eṣo’ṇur ātmā cetasā veditavyo yasmin prāṇaḥ paṣcadhā saṁviveśa
The small jīva upon which the five prāṇas rest should be known by the consciousness. Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad 3.1.9
bālāgra-śatabhāgasya śatadhā kalpitasya ca | bhāgo jīvaḥ sa vijṣeyaḥ
The jīva should be known to be the size of one ten thousandth of a tip of a hair. Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 5.9
ārāgra-mātro hy avaro’pi dṛṣṭaḥ
The jīva is smaller than the tip of a spoke. Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 5.8
Though the jīva is very small, it has the power to pervade the whole body. When a gem covered with resin or a small portion of powerful medicine is placed on the head, the effect of nourishment spreads throughout the whole body. Thus there is no contradiction concerning the jīva.