A declaration · expansive in mood · builds on earlier teachings
“What truly pervades everything cannot be destroyed.”
Know that to be imperishable by which this entire world is pervaded. No one can destroy this imperishable reality.
The verse in reading order — each Sanskrit word with its meaning beneath. Hover a word to focus on it.
Read literallyimperishable · indeed · that · know · by which · all this · pervaded · destruction · of this imperishable · no one · to do · is able
Know that the reality behind everything is imperishable. No force can destroy what pervades the whole world.
Krishna speaks this verse, on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, in the chapter titled "Sankhya Yoga" (The Yoga of Knowledge).
Verse 17 sits in Chapter 2 of the Bhagavad Gita — Sankhya Yoga, "The Yoga of Knowledge". The chapter has 72 verses in total.
A diagnosis, a breakup, a public failure — everything seems to collapse at once. This verse reminds you that the deepest reality in you is not fragile, even when your situation is.
Did you like this verse?
It shifts attention from what changes to what remains untouched beneath change.
What this verse means
Know that the reality behind everything is imperishable. No force can destroy what pervades the whole world.
Context & commentary
On the battlefield of Kurukshetra, Arjuna has dropped into despair and Krishna begins rebuilding his understanding from the ground up. After saying the unreal has no lasting existence, Krishna now points to what cannot be destroyed at all.
Why this verse still matters
A diagnosis, a breakup, a public failure — everything seems to collapse at once. This verse reminds you that the deepest reality in you is not fragile, even when your situation is.
“Fear loosens when you realize what is deepest in you cannot be harmed.”
Explore related themes: atman (12 verses)