7.13 - Bhagavad Gita - Chapter 7, Verse 13

In Bhagavad Gita chapter 7, verse 13, Krishna answers a question that you might naturally ask after hearing all the previous descriptions of His supreme nature: If Krishna is everywhere, present in everything, then why can’t most people see or understand Him?

Imagine you are looking out through a window—but the window is layered with three colored glasses, each tinted differently. Every object you see is filtered through these glasses, so your vision is never clear. In this verse, Krishna uses this analogy to explain how the three modes of material nature—goodness, passion, and ignorance—act as such filters, coloring not just how we see the world, but how we perceive reality itself. Everyone in the world, according to Krishna, is under the influence of these modes: they shape our thoughts, our desires, and our actions.

Most people are so deeply influenced by these modes that they remain “deluded,” as the verse says. The Sanskrit word “mohitam” indicates being under an illusion, unable to see things as they truly are. The modes cloud our understanding, making it impossible for most to recognize Krishna’s presence in the world. This illusion is not a permanent, unchangeable state, but a condition that results from our entanglement with material life. Just as you would need to remove the tinted glasses to see outside clearly, you need to transcend the influence of these modes to see Krishna.

Krishna says He is “param” (Supreme, transcendental) and “avyayam” (imperishable), meaning He is not limited by the material world or the modes that govern it. He is not subject to change, decay, or illusion—He is above all these. While everything in the world comes and goes, arises and subsides, Krishna remains untouched and unchanging. Though He pervades everything, though the world is like His body, the modes create a veil, hiding His true presence from those who are trapped within their influence.

This verse highlights a profound truth: the world we see is a kind of play, a stage where the three modes are the actors, constantly shifting, interacting, and influencing us. Our perception of reality is like a show, with scenes of joy, sorrow, and confusion. Most people get so caught up in the drama—so absorbed in the roles of goodness, passion, and ignorance—that they forget there is someone beyond the stage, someone in charge of the entire performance. That someone is Krishna.

But why is it so difficult to see beyond the stage? Because the modes are powerful. They shape our deepest desires and fears, our hopes and anxieties. They make us chase after things that are temporary, bind us to the material world, and keep us searching for happiness in places where it cannot be found. This is the nature of illusion—we see, but we do not understand; we live, but we do not truly know ourselves or the world around us.

This verse does not end with hopelessness. Krishna’s message is not that we are forever lost, but that our inability to see Him is a result of the modes obscuring our vision. The verse sets the stage for the next teaching: that it is possible to go beyond these modes, to remove the tinted glasses, and to see reality—and Krishna—clearly. The way to do this is not through ordinary knowledge, nor by rejecting the world, but by connecting to Krishna Himself, who is beyond all modes, beyond all limitations, and who is always present, even when unseen.

Ultimately, Bhagavad Gita 7.13 is a call to question our perceptions. It invites us to consider that what we think we know, what we think is real, might be only a shadow cast by the three modes. And it assures us that when we strive to go beyond these shadows, we will find Krishna—Supreme, eternal, and untainted by the illusions that bind the rest of the world.