Bhagavad Gita 15.15 – The Divine Source of Knowledge

Sanskrit Verse:

सर्वस्य चाहं हृदि सन्निविष्टो मत्तः स्मृतिर्ज्ञानमपोहनं च।

वेदैश्च सर्वैरहमेव वेद्यो वेदान्तकृद्वेदविदेव चाहम्॥ 

- Bhagwat Gita 15.15

English Translation:

"I am seated in the hearts of all living beings and from Me come memory, knowledge, as well as forgetfulness. I alone am to be known by all the Vedas; I am the compiler of Vedanta and the knower of the Vedas."

Shankaracharya Bhashya (Commentary):

Adi Shankaracharya elaborates this verse from the perspective of Advaita Vedanta:

"Seated in the Heart" – The Self (Atman), identical with Brahman, dwells in the intellect of all beings.

"Memory, Knowledge and Forgetfulness" – These faculties originate from the Self. All cognitive activities function due to its presence.

"Known through the Vedas" – The entire body of Vedic literature aims to reveal the Self, which is the ultimate subject of inquiry.

"Compiler and Knower" – The Self is both the author of Vedanta (Upanishads) and the one who truly knows the Vedas, implying self-realization is the goal of scriptural study.

This verse affirms the non-duality of the individual self and the supreme Self, reinforcing that knowledge of Brahman is both the means and the end.

Conclusion:

Verse 15.15 of the Bhagavad Gita captures the core teaching of Advaita Vedanta: that the Self is the source of all inner faculties and the object of all scriptural knowledge. True wisdom lies in realizing this eternal presence within.