श्रीभगवानुवाच ।अक्षरं ब्रह्म परमं स्वभावोऽध्यात्ममुच्यते ।भूतभावोद्भवकरो विसर्गः कर्मसंज्ञितः ॥
śrībhagavān uvāca | akṣaraṃ brahma paramaṃ svabhāvo 'dhyātmam ucyate | bhūtabhāvodbhavakaro visargaḥ karmasaṃjñitaḥ ||
- श्रीभगवान् · śrībhagavān
- the Blessed Lord
- उवाच · uvāca
- said
- अक्षरम् · akṣaram
- the imperishable
- ब्रह्म · brahma
- Brahman
- परमम् · paramam
- supreme
- स्वभावः · svabhāvaḥ
- one's own nature, inherent being
- अध्यात्मम् · adhyātmam
- the self
- भूतभावोद्भवकरः · bhūtabhāvodbhavakaraḥ
- that which brings beings into existence
- विसर्गः · visargaḥ
- the creative emission
- कर्मसंज्ञितः · karmasaṃjñitaḥ
- is called action
“The Blessed Lord said: The imperishable supreme is Brahman; one's own essential nature is called the self. The creative act that brings beings into existence is called action.”
— Original plain-language translation
Krishna answers crisply and in order. Brahman is defined as the imperishable ground, the self as that same reality viewed in each person. Action is redefined cosmically as the outpouring by which beings come forth.
— Reader's notes (original)