Shloka

त्वमक्षरं परमं वेदितव्यं
त्वमस्य विश्वस्य परं निधानम् |
त्वमव्ययः शाश्वतधर्मगोप्ता
सनातनस्त्वं पुरुषो मतो मे ||११-१८||

Transliteration

tvamakṣaraṃ paramaṃ veditavyaṃ tvamasya viśvasya paraṃ nidhānam .
tvamavyayaḥ śāśvatadharmagoptā sanātanastvaṃ puruṣo mato me ||11-18||

Translations

Dr.S.Sankaranarayan

11.18. You are the imperishable, the Supreme Being to be known; You are the ultimate place of rest for this universe; You are changeless and the guardian of the pious act of the Satvatas; You are the everlasting Soul, I believe.

Shri Purohit Swami

11.18 Imperishable art Thou, the Sole One worthy to be known, the priceless Treasure-house of the universe, the immortal Guardian of the Life Eternal, the Spirit Everlasting.

Sri Abhinav Gupta

11.18 Tvam aksaram etc. Guardian of the pious acts of the Satvatas. Satvatas are the same as the Satvatas i.e. those who are established in the Truth that does not take cognizance of any difference between the Action (11.Spanda) and the Consciousness; the Truth which is nothing but Existentiality and is in the form of Awarenes. Their pious act is that act [of meditation] of theirs which - on account of its being continously engaged in the process of undertaking and rejecting [things] - consists of the act of emanation and absorption, and is the most superior of all the paths [leading to salvation]. The Lord protects that pious act. This is the secret in this chapter and it has been made almost clear by me (11.Ag.) in my (11.Ag.’s) Vivrti (11.Commentary) on the Devistotra (11.Goddess-Hymn). That is self-evident to the learned readers, with critical accuman, and initiation. Hence, why to take recourse to the verbiage of explaining again and again what is already known very clearly.

Sri Ramanuja

11.18 You alone are the Supreme ‘Imperishable Person’ indicated as that which ought to be realised in such Upanisadic passages as: ‘Two sciences are to be known’ (Mun. U., 1.1.4). You alone are the ‘Supreme Substratum’ of the universe, i.e., supreme support of this universe. You are ‘immutable’, namely, not liable to mutation. Whatever might be your attributes and divine manifestations, You remain unchanged in Your form. You alone are the guardian of ’the eternal law’ - You who protect the eternal Dharma of the Veda by incarnations like this. I know you are the everlasting Person. I know You are the eternal Person, described in such passages as, ‘I know this great Purusa’ (Tai. A., 3.12.7) and ‘Person who is higher than the high’ (Mun. U., 3.2.8). You, who were till now known to me as the most distinguished of the race of Yadu, have been realised by me now through direct perception as of this nature, i.e., of a nature unknown to me before. Such is the meaning.

Sri Shankaracharya

11.18 Tvam, You; are the aksaram, Immutable; the paramam, supreme One, Brahman; veditavyam, to be known-by those aspiring for Liberation. You are the param, most perfect; nidhanam, repository-where things are deposited, i.e. the ultimate resort; asya visvasya, of this Universe, of the entire creation. Further. You are the avyayah, Imperishable-there is no decay in You; the sasvata-dharma-gopta, Protector (gopta) of the ever-existing (sasvata) religion (dharma). You are the sanatanah, eternal; transcendental purusah, Person. This is me, my; matah, belief-what is meant by me. Moreover,

Swami Adidevananda

11.18 You are the Imperishable, Supreme One to be realised. You are the Supreme Substratum of this universe. You are immutable, the guardian of the eternal law, I know You are the Supreme Person who is everlasting.

Swami Gambirananda

11.18 You are the Immutable, the supreme One to be known; You are the most perfect repository of this Universe. You are the Imperishable, the Protector of the ever-existing religion; You are the eternal Person. This is my belief.

Swami Sivananda

11.18 Thou art the Imperishable, the Supreme Being, worthy to be known. Thou art the great treasure-house of this universe; Thou art the imperishable protector of the eternal Dhrama; Thou art the Primal Person, I deem.

Commentaries

Swami Sivananda

11.18 त्वम् Thou? अक्षरम् imperishable? परमम् the Supreme Being? वेदितव्यम् worthy to be known? त्वम् Thou? अस्य (of) this? विश्वस्य of universe? परम् the great? निधानम् treasurehouse? त्वम् Thou? अव्ययः imperishable? शाश्वतधर्मगोप्ता Protector of the Eternal Dharma? सनातनः ancient? त्वम् Thou? पुरुषः Purusha? मतः thought? मे of me.Commentary VisvasyaNidhaanam Treasurehouse of this universe? also means abode or refuge or the substratum of this universe. It is because of this that all the beings in the universe are preserved and protected. He is the inexhaustibel source to Whom the devotee turns at all times. Deluded indeed are they that ignore this divine treasurehouse and runa fter the shadow of the objects of the senses which do not contain even an iota of pleasure.Veditavyam To be known by the aspirants or seekrs of liberation? through Sravana (hearing of the scriptures)? Manana (reflection) and Nididhyasana (meditation).Avyayah means inexhaustible? unchanging? undying.