|| 13.15 ||
सर्वेन्द्रियगुणाभासं सर्वेन्द्रियविवर्जितम्। असक्तं सर्वभृच्चैव निर्गुणं गुणभोक्तृ च।।
sarvendriya-guṇābhāsaṁ sarvendriya-vivarjitam asaktaṁ sarva-bhṛc caiva nirguṇaṁ guṇa-bhoktṛ ca
Word by Word
sarva (all) indriya (senses) guṇa (qualities) ābhāsam (the original source) sarva (all) indriya (senses) vivarjitam (without) asaktam (unattached) sarva-bhṛt (the maintainer of everyone) ca (and) eva (certainly) nirguṇam (without material modes) guṇa-bhoktṛ (the master of the modes) ca (and).
Translation
The Supersoul is the original source of all senses, yet He is without senses. He is unattached, although He is the maintainer of all living beings. He transcends the modes of nature, and at the same time He is the master of all the modes.
Meaning
Kṛṣṇa presents a series of divine paradoxes. The Supersoul is the source of all senses, yet He has no material senses. He is unattached, yet He maintains all beings. He is beyond the three modes of nature (Sattva, Rajas, Tamas), yet He is the ultimate ‘Bhoktṛ’ or enjoyer of those modes.
This explains the difference between God and the human soul. We are controlled by our senses and the modes of nature. Kṛṣṇa, however, is the Master of the senses. He can perceive everything without needing a physical retina or an eardrum. His perception is transcendental and immediate.
By calling Him ‘Sarva-bhṛt’ (the maintainer of all), Kṛṣṇa reminds us that our survival depends on His energy. He provides the air, the water, and the gravity that keeps us alive, yet He remains ‘Asaktam’ (unattached), never becoming entangled in the world He sustains. He is the independent source of all dependent beings.