Bhagavad Gita Chapter 2, Verse 24
नित्यः सर्वगतः स्थाणुरचलोऽयं सनातनः ॥ २४ ॥
akledyo ’śoṣya eva ca
nityaḥ sarva-gataḥ sthāṇur
acalo ’yaṁ sanātanaḥ
Krishna continues to describe the eternal and unchanging nature of the individual soul. The soul is atomic in nature and remains eternally the same; it does not merge into one homogeneous existence with the Supreme. Even after liberation, the individual soul retains its distinct identity. Some liberated souls may remain as spiritual sparks within the effulgence of the Supreme Lord, while those who are spiritually advanced enter the spiritual planets to associate with the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
The word ‘sarva-gata’, meaning “present everywhere,” is particularly significant. Living entities exist throughout the creation—in land, water, air, within the earth, and even within fire. Since the soul cannot be burned by fire, the existence of living beings cannot be limited only to places familiar to human experience. There may therefore be living entities in regions such as the sun planet, possessing bodies suitable for those environments.
Thus, the verse further establishes that the individual soul is eternal, unchanging, distinct, and capable of existing throughout the creation, while its material body may differ according to the environment in which it exists.
This verse reminds us that reality may extend beyond what is immediately visible or familiar. In public administration, this calls for avoiding assumptions based solely on limited observation and recognising that complex social realities may have dimensions that are not immediately apparent.
An ethical administrator therefore approaches unfamiliar situations with openness, inquiry, and intellectual humility rather than rigid conclusions.