Bhagavad Gita Chapter 8 Verse 4
भगवद् गीता अध्याय 8 श्लोक 4

अधिभूतं क्षरो भावः पुरुषश्चाधिदैवतम्।
अधियज्ञोऽहमेवात्र देहे देहभृतां वर।।8.4।।



हिंदी अनुवाद - स्वामी रामसुख दास जी ( भगवद् गीता 8.4)
।।8.4।।हे देहधारियोंमें श्रेष्ठ अर्जुन क्षरभाव अर्थात् नाशवान् पदार्थको अधिभूत कहते हैं पुरुष अर्थात् हिरण्यगर्भ ब्रह्माजी अधिदैव हैं और इस देहमें अन्तर्यामीरूपसे मैं ही अधियज्ञ हूँ।


English Translation of Sanskrit Commentary By Sri Shankaracharya's
8.4 Adhibhutam, that which exists in the physical plane, i.e. that which exists by comprising all creatures;-what is it?-it consists of the ksarah bhavah, mutable entity. Ksarah is that which is mutable, which is destructible; bhavah means anything whatsoever that has orgination. This is meaning.
Purusah means the Person, derived in the sense of he by whom all things are pervaded; or, he who lies in every heart. He is Hiranyagarbha, who resides in the Sun and sustains the organs of all creatures. He is adhi-daivatam, the entity existing in the divine plane.
Deha-bhrtam-vara, O best among the embodied beings; adhiyajnah, the entity existing in sacrifices, is the Deity, called Visnu, presiding over all sacrifices-which agrees with the Vedic text, Sacrifice is indeed Vishu (Tai, Sam. 1.7.4). Aham eva, I Myself, who am that very Visnu; am adhiyajnah, the entity existing in the sacrifice; which is going on atra dehe, in this body. Since a sacrfice is performed with body, therefore it is closely associated with the body. In this sense it is said to be going on in the body.


English Translation of Commentary  - Dr. S. Sankaranarayan
8.4 Adhibhutam etc.  The world of material  beings,  like  pot etc.,  is of changing nature,  because it flows or  gushes forth with its innate nature of changes etc.  Person :  Self.  It is the lord of the devinities, as all deities are established in It (or all deities get their perfections in It).  On the same reason it is only  Myself, the Supreme  Soul,  Who remain lording - as an enjoyer of sacrifice in its entirty - over sacrifices i.e. actions that are to be performed inevitably;  and it is  I only Who dwell in the body.  Thus, a pair of estions have been decided by single effort.   									
 Now, the other estion that remains to be answered viz.,  How are You to be realised at the time of departure ?,  the Lord decides as :


English Translation of Ramanuja's Sanskrit Commentary
8.4 The perishable existences which have been declared as fit to be known by the seekers of wealth, power etc., form the Adhibhuta. They are superior material entities that remain in ether or space and other elements. They are the evolutes of material elements and are perishable in their nature. They are also of the nature of sound, touch etc., supported by their basic subtle elements but different from, and finer than, ordinary sound etc., and are of many kinds. Sound, touch, form, taste and smell on this kind, which are manifold and rooted in their several bases, are to be gained by the seekers after prosperity and should be contemplated upon by them.

Adhidaivata connotes Purusa. The Purusa is superior to divinities like Indra, Prajapati and others, and is the experiencer of sound etc., which are different from, and superior to, the multitude of enjoyments of Indra, Prajapati etc. The condition of being such an enjoyer is to be contemplated upon by the seekers after prosperity, as the end to be attained.

I alone am connoted by the term Adhiyajna (sacrifice). Adhiyajna denotes one who is propitiated in sacrifices. Indra and others, to whom sacrifices are made, form My body. I dwell as their Self and I alone am the object of worship by sacrifice. In this manner the three groups of alified devotees should contemplate at the time of the practice of periodical and occasional rituals like the great sacrificies.

This is also common to all the three groups of devotees.


Transliteration Bhagavad Gita 8.4Adhibhootam ksharo bhaavah purushashchaadhidaivatam;
Adhiyajno’hamevaatra dehe dehabhritaam vara.


Word Meanings Bhagavad Gita 8.4adhibhūtam—the ever changing physical manifestation; kṣharaḥ—perishable; bhāvaḥ—nature; puruṣhaḥ—the cosmic personality of God, encompassing the material creation; cha—and; adhidaivatam—the Lord of the celestial gods; adhiyajñaḥ—the Lord of all sacrifices; aham—I; eva—certainly; atra—here; dehe—in the body; deha-bhṛitām—of the embodied; vara—O best