SRIMAD BHAGAVAD-GITA
The Hidden Treasure of the Sweet Absolute
Srimad Bhakti Raksaka Sridhara Deva Goswami Maharaja
This version of the Bhagavad Gita is simple to understand very few purports.
Just by reading it you feel you are the there with all the great souls listening to Lord Krsna speaking in plain and simple language.
Don�t try to see God. God said I am the taste of water. When you drink water Lord Krsna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is there. In these verses are some of the quality�s of God
8) O son of Kunti, by the potency of the primordial element of
taste, I am situated as the basis of the flavor of water; and by the opulence of effulgence, I am present in the sun and moon. I am present in the Vedas as their primeval sound vibration, the letter Om; I am present in the atmosphere as the primordial element of sound; and as the Supreme Male, I am present in all men.
9) I dwell in the pure fragrance of the earth, and in the radiance of fire. In all beings, I am present as the lifespan, and in ascetics, I am the power to endure duality such as cold and heat.
10) O Partha, know Me as the eternal primordial cause of all lifeforms. Of the intelligent, I am present as intelligence personified, and of the valiant, I am there as prowess personified.
11) O Arjuna, of the powerful, I am present as strength that is
devoid of selfish interest and mundane attachment; and among all species of life, I am present as that sexual union which is in
accordance with the principles of religion.
12) Furthermore, you should know that all objects that be of the nature of goodness, passion, and ignorance are born of Me alone. Nevertheless, I am not in them. They, being subordinate to Me, exist in Me.
8) I am Krsna, the Sweet Absolute, I am the root cause of the allcomprehensive aspect of the Absolute, the all-permeating aspect of the Absolute, and also the personal aspect of the Absolute the Master of all potencies, who commands the respect of everyone Lord Narayana of Vaikuntha. The universe of mundane and divine flow, every attempt and movement, the Vedas and allied scriptures which guide everyone�s worship all are initiated by Me alone. Realizing this hidden treasure, the virtuous souls who are blessed with fine theistic intellect surpass the standards of duty and nonduty, and embrace the paramount path of love divine, raga-marga, and adore Me forever.
Commentary: Verses 8-11) are the four principal verses of the
Srimad Bhagavad-gita. The ontological substance of the book is
contained within these four essential verses, beginning ahaμ sarvasya prabhavo "Everything emanates from Me."
In the Srimad Bhagavatam (1.2.11), the three main conceptions of the Absolute are given as Brahman, Paramatma, and Bhagavan. Brahman is the all-comprehensive aspect of the Absolute, Paramatma is the allpermeating aspect of the Absolute, and Bhagavan is the personal conception of the Absolute. The general definition of the word Bhagavan is given,
aisvaryasya samagrasya, viryasya yasasah sriyah
jnana-vairagyayos caiva, sannam bhaga itingana
(Visnu Purana 6.5.47)
Bhagavan, the Supreme Lord, is thus defined as 'He who is inseparably replete with the six inconceivable qualities of wealth, power fame, beauty, knowledge, and renunciation.'
The characteristic of Bhagavan, as Lord Narayana, is that all kinds of potencies are personally controlled by Him.
However, Srila Jiva Goswami has given a special and particularly fine interpretation: Bhagavan means bhajaniya guna-visis_a. His nature is such that whoever comes into contact with Him cannot resist serving Him. No one can resist feeling moved to worship and adore His charming personality. As Lord Krsna, He attracts the love of
everyone.
Therefore by the word sarvasya, Lord Krsna indicates, "I am svayam Bhagavan, the Supreme Lord Himself. I am the origin of not only
Brahman, the all-comprehensive aspect, and Paramatma, the allpermeating
aspect. I am also the origin of the Master of all potencies,
who commands the respect of everyone Lord Narayana of Vaikuntha."
Matta sarva pravartate "Every attempt and movement begins from Me,
including the methods by which everyone worships and serves Me in
devotion."
nayam atma pravacanena labhyo
na medhaya na bahuna srutena
yam evaisa vrnute tena labhyas
tasyaisa atma vivrnute tanum svam
(Kathopanisad 1.2.23)
"The Lord cannot be known by copious logic, intelligence, or deep
study of the scriptures. But He reveals Himself personally to the soul
who, having become eager to engage in His devotional service, prays
to Him for His mercy."
In this way, matta� sarvaμ pravartate "I am the first to reveal to the
public, 'Worship Me in this way.' I appear as guru, and through him, I
worship Myself."
In the Srimad Bhagavatam, the guru is described by the Lord as His
own direct manifestation.
acaryam mam vijaniyan, navamanyeta karhicit
na martya buddhyasuyeta, sarva deva-mayo guruh
(Bhag. 11.17.27)
(Lord Krsna said to His devotee, Uddhava:) "You should know the
bona fide spiritual master as My very Self. Never dishonor him. The
nature of gurudeva is everything that is godly, and he should never be
envied by ascribing one�s mundane conception of place, time, and
circumstances upon him."
Furthermore, the Lord's finest potency is Srimati Radharani. Of
course, there are many other eternal associates, but the highest order
of devotional service is represented in Srimati Radharani. The Lord is
therefore saying, "My worship is shown by Me. I, as My finest
potency, worship Myself. Iti matva bhajante mam understanding this
conception, the devotee will come to worship Me, always under the
direction of My best worshiper My finest potency and representation
Radharani, or gurudeva. Crossing Her, the highest and most desirable
form of service to Me is not possible."
Radha-dasyam, the servitorship of Srimati Radharani, is indicated
here. Only those who are blessed with divine intelligence will be able
to appreciate this, and not persons with self-acquired intelligence from
this mayika quarter, the world of misconception. In this verse the
word budhah refers to sumedhasah as described in the Srimad
Bhagavatam (11.5.32): persons of fine theistic intelligence arising
from direct connection with the transcendental plane. The inner
guidance and direction they receive is the outcome of sukrti, divine
merit acquired by the association of pure devotees. Bhava-samanvitah
means raga-samanvitah - anuraga - love and attraction which is
affinity not by strictly following scriptural rules, or drawn from any
plane of loss and gain, but from bhava, inner divine inspiration.
Devotion of this high type is completely noncalculative (jnana-sunya
bhakti), as described by Srila Rupa Goswami in Sri Bhakti-rasamrtasindhu:
anyabhilasita sunyam, jnana-karmady anavrtam
anukulyena krsnanusilanam bhaktir uttama
(B.r.s. 1.1.9)
"The highest devotion pleases the transcendental desires of Lord
Krsna, and is free from the external coverings of any pursuits based on
action or knowledge."
The most rare and elevated stage of devotion is the line of
spontaneous devotion, known as raga-marga. In that line, guided by
the qualified guru, an elevated pure devotee may gradually come to
render service to a leader of one of the groups of Krsna's personal
associates, who serve the Lord in His pastimes in friendship (sakhyarasa),
parenthood (vatsalya-rasa), or consorthood (madhura-rasa). In
Vrndavana, the Lord is being served in sponaneous devotion by His
friends such as Subala Sakha, and by His parents, Nanda Maharaja
and mother Yasoda. Gopis such as Lalita and Visakha serve Him in
conjugal love. But amongst all His associates, and amongst all the
gopis, the highest order of divine loving service is rendered to the
Lord by Srimati Radharani. Therefore the acme of raga-marga is to
render service unto Radharani (Radha-dasyam). This is the highest
goal of the Rupanuga Gaudiya Sampradaya, the followers of pure
devotion as taught by Srila Rupa Goswami Prabhupada, in the line of
Lord Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.
9) Those surrendered devotees take Me as their life and soul, and
go on discussing My ambrosial narrations among one another
exchanging the ecstasies of devotion unto Me. They constantly
relish the nectar of their realized divine relationships with Me in
their respective internal natures of servitorship, friendship,
parenthood, or consorthood.
Commentary: The Supreme Lord Krsna is speaking about His pure
devotees:
mac-citta mad-gata-prana
"I am in their heart of hearts, in their every thought. Their entire
energy their whole life is dedicated to My satisfaction. In private life
they converse about Me to mutually enlighten one another, and in
public life also, they always love to talk about Me, and nothing else.
For every time, place, and circumstance, I am the only subject of their
discussion."
Tu,yantica "They find very much satisfaction." Up to the divine
relationship of parenthood (vatsalya-rasa) there is a feeling of
satisfacton. Futhermore, ramanti ca "Just as a wife enjoys conjugal
relationship with her husband, the devotees similarly feel such ecstasy
in My intimate company when speaking about Me." This has also
been explained by Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana, and Srila
Bhaktivinoda Thakura.
10) To those devotees who are constantly dedicated to Me, and
who engage in My service out of their love for Me, I bestow the
internal divine inspiration by which they can approach Me and
render various intimate services unto Me.
Commentary: In this verse, the Lord says, "The highest group of My
servitors (whose sentiment was described in the previous verse by the
word ramanti) are those who are constantly engaged (sataka-yukta) in
My service in consorthood (madhura-rasa) with heartfelt love
(bhajatam priti-purvakam). Then He says that He will give them
further inspiration or inner instruction "by which they can come to
Him" (yena mam upayanti te). When already in this and the previous
verse the devotees� service to the Lord has been described as eternal
(by the words nityam and satata-yukta), Lord Krsna's statement that
He will give them further inspiration by which they can come to Him
appears to be redundant. Therefore, in the expression mam upayanti te
("They will come to Me"), the word upayanti must be defined as
parakiya-bhavena-upapati. Pati means husband, and upapati means
paramour:
"For those who have already come into divine relationship with Me as
My wife (ramanti), I give them the special inspiration to come to Me
as a paramour (upapati)."
In Vrndavana, Lord Krsna is not considered a lawful husband, but He
is the Lord of the heart, transcendental to even the husband (parakiyarasa).
Deceiving their husbands, the gopis of Vrndavana unite with
Krsna. They do not allow a second party to come between them and
Krsna. They cannot allow the interception of even scriptural
regulation and social law, because Krsna's position is absolute, and
such a relationship is more relishable to Him. This is Vrndavana
bhajana, and this is the meaning of upapati.
vikriditam vraja-vadhubhir idam ca visnoh
sraddhanvito 'nusrnuyad atha varnayed yah
bhaktim param bhagavati pratilabhya kamam
hrd-rogam asv apahinoty acirena dhirah
(Bhag. 10.33.39)
"A self-controlled, sense-controlled person who, having become
endowed with sublime faith in the divine pastimes transcendentally
enjoyed by Lord Krsna with the gopis (Rasa-lila), and who, having
heard those divine pastimes from the lotus mouth of the bona fide
guru, continuously sings or narrates their glories such a person swiftly
achieves the most elevated form of pure devotion for the Lord, and is
promptly able to ward off the heart disease of lust."
In his writings, Srila Jiva Goswami has laid stress on the word dhira,
meaning 'self-controlled'. To hear these elevated subjects, one must
enter into the culture of sense-control, otherwise he will be destroyed.
naitat samacarej jatu, manasapi hy anisvarah
vinasyaty acaran maudhyad, yatharudro 'bdhi-jam visam
(Bhag. 10.33.30)
"No one should ever even think of imitating this behavior of the
Supreme Lord and the gopis. If out of gross foolishness anyone tries
to imitate the pastimes of the Lord, he will be utterly destroyed, just as
if he tried to imitate Lord Siva by drinking the poison which arose
from the ocean." (It is described elsewhere in the Srimad Bhagavatam
that once the demigods and the demons jointly engaged in churning
the ocean. As a result of that churning, both nectar and poison were
produced.)
"My relationship with them is independent of everything conceivable.
It crosses law, society, scripture everything. It is most innate and
natural, and it does not require any social or scriptural sanction. I say
to them, 'You may show formal respect to all these restrictions and
live in the society. But from the heart of your heart, you are Mine.'
This is the special inspiration and insight I give to those devotees
(yena mam upayanti te)."
"Externally there are social and scriptural demands, but My position is
over and above them. Veda is My instruction for the benefit of the
masses, who have deviated from Me, and the society is also under the
jurisdiction of those general instructions given to the public by Me.
But My divine relationship with everything is intrinsic and
independent. It does not require recognition from anyone. Such a
relationship is the highest. It is the constant. It supercedes all law and
society which are guided by the Vedas; rather all the Vedas are
searching for such a thing."
Srutibhir vimrgyam (Bhag. 10.47.61). Visesa-mrgya the Vedas are
searching after this ideal divine position. In the section of the Srimad
Bhagavatam which deals with Rasa-lila, the Vedas are begging
forgiveness:
"We are generally supposed to give tidings of You, but we could not
describe You as we now experience You here. Now we understand
that we have committed an offense, because we could not distribute
this Rasa-lila, this Vraja-lila, to the people."
Like signposts, all the revealed scriptures are only showing the
direction; but where, how? "We don't know." Only, "In this direction
He may be available."
Anywhere and everywhere, everything belongs to Him. For one who
knows this, all possibilities of sensual pleasure and exploitation are
uprooted. For example, an unmarried woman may have the possibility
of being approached by many but there is less possibility for those
who are married, because they are possessed by someone. Similarly,
when we are able to know that everything is only for the satisfaction
of Krsna, then we shall realize that all our exploiting tendencies have
vanished forever. Nothing will remain to be utilized for the pleasure of
our sensual experience. It will be very deeply felt in our hearts that
everything has its existence only for His satisfaction, and there is no
room for any other exploitation. And we are also included there our
existence is also only for His satisfaction. Everything is meant for His
divine pastimes (lila), and there is no possibility for any others'
pastimes. All are included in that one lila. Encroachment will
disappear when we learn the proper utility of everything. He is the
owner, and His ownership is absolute. The scriptures, society, and law
designate, "This is yours, that is another's, or that belongs to third
party." This is something like a temporary lease, but the permanent
ownership is in all respects with Him. All others possessor and
property, master and servant are all relative, and only sanctioned by
Him for the time being. The Absolute Owner, Possessor, and Enjoyer
is He alone. When we arrive at such a conclusion, only then is
complete purification of our hearts possible. Everyone is thinking of
themselves as many masters of many things, but this is all heart
disease (hrd-rogam). This is all conceived in a diseased state of
consciousness. In a healthy state, when the heart is quite wholesome,
we can see the Supreme whole, and we can see that everything is
meant only for His satisfaction.
11) Out of compassion for them, I, situated within the hearts of all
living beings, dispel the darkness of ignorance with the radiance
of knowledge.
or
11) Being conquered by the love of those devotees who, in the most
elevated position of noncalculative loving devotion (jnana-sunya
prema-bhakti), are afflicted by all-devouring darkness born of the
pangs of separation from Me, their Lord I, granting them the
internal illumination of meeting Me personally, destroy the
darkness of their agony of separation.
Commentary: The general interpretation is always given for this
verse:
"Out of compassion for them, I, situated within their hearts, dispel the
darkness of ignorance with the radiance of knowledge."
But if we appreciate pure, noncalculative devotion (jnana-sunya
bhakti), the Lord's statement here may again appear redundant and
inconsistent. When those high devotees are already admitted to be
performing continuous and unadulterated service, and even above that,
they are situated in the plane of pure love, spontaneous and automatic
(raga-marga), how can it be harmonized that the Lord will now in the
last stage destroy their ignorance (tamah) which is born from
misunderstanding (ajnana-jam), by giving them knowledge (jnana)?
Jnana is only a cover a futile, finite conception of the Infinite Absolute
(jnana-karmady anavrtam ... bhaktir uttama). When they have
achieved devotion devoid of the cov- ering of knowledge (jnana-sunya
bhakti), how will they again have to return to that knowledge (jnana)?
In his commentary, Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura has
mentioned that this knowledge is extraordinary (vilaksanam), but he
did not enter into specific detail. To clarify this point, we have given
the following explanation:
Lamentation and delusion are generally known to be symptoms of the
mode of ignorance (tamo-guna). In jnana-sunya bhakti, the elevated
devotees who take Krsna not as the Supreme God, but as a friend, son,
husband, or lover, will come to experience lamentation and delusion,
but this is only an outward appearance of ignorance. In fact, it is the
pain of divine separation. They lament, "Where have You gone?"
In this verse, the Lord's statement, tesam evanukampa-artham
generally means 'Fortunately for them', or, 'To favor them (I dispel
their darkness, etc.)'. But it may also be interpreted, 'I want their favor.
I aspire for the favor of those devotees of the highest order.'
The Lord also says in the Srimad Bhagavatam:
mayi bhaktir hi bhutanam, amrtatvaya kalpate
distya yad asin mat-sneho, bhavatinaμ mad-apanah
(Bhag. 10.82.44)
"Devotion to Me is the only means for the living beings to attain
eternal life. O Gopis, by your fortune, your love and affection for Me
is the only reason for your getting My association."
This is the general meaning. However, in Sri Caitanya-caritamrta,
Srila Krsnadasa Kaviraja Goswami has drawn out the inner meaning,
which is just the opposite:
"Through devotion, everyone wants Me to help them attain the highest
position of eternal benefit, and if they have a connection with Me,
they consider themselves fortunate. But I consider Myself fortunate
because I have come in touch with the valuable affection that I found
in your hearts. By My fortune, I got your association."
Therefore here in Sri Gita, the Lord is saying, "Tesam
evanukampartham being conquered by the love of those devotees,
when I cannot tolerate their pain of separation, I at once come running
to satisfy them, and I reveal to them with special light, special
consciousness, 'I have returned to you see Me now.' With powerful
brilliance (jnana-dipena) I show them My presence when they are very
much in need of Me, and I relieve their pain of separation."
Atma-bhava-sthah: He reveals Himself according to His devotee's
divine relationship with Him (rasa): to a friend, as a friend; to a
mother, as a child; to a wife, as a husband; and to the sweethearts, as a
paramour.
After Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu left home and accepted the renounced
order of life, sannyasa, mother Saci could not tolerate the deep
separation, and she began to cry. Sacidevi was preparing excellent
dishes, offering them to the Deity, and weeping, "Where is my Nimai?
He's very fond of these curries. His favorite dishes, and Nimai is not
here." Suddenly, Lord Caitanya came and began to eat. Sacidevi
exclaimed, "Oh, Nimai is eating!" and for the time being her
separation was relieved. Moments later, she reconsidered, "Did I see
Nimai eating? But He is now a sannyasi in Jagannatha Puri, so how
could He have come here? Did I serve Him? There must be a
mistake." Then she examined the pots again to see if there was food
there. Finding them empty, she began to conjecture whether even a
dog or some other animal had come and eaten it. But during that
moment, Nimai had actually come, and mother Saci saw Him in broad
daylight. That illumination is transcendental, and not the 'knowledge'
(jnana) that is generally known in our vocabulary.
The acme of theism is parakiya-rasa. Parakiya means 'another's'. In
every divine relationship (rasa), the Lord captures all. In the whole of
Vrndavana, where everyone follows the path of love (raga-marga),
this parakiya-rasa is infused. The friends of Krsna sometimes say,
"Some people say that Krsna is a resident of Mathura. They say He's
the son of Vasudeva, and He will soon go to Mathura. They say He is
not our friend! Will we really lose His company? Then how will we
be able to live in this jungle and drive the cows?" They experience this
apprehension "We may lose Him at any time." This intensifies their
friendly service to Him.
Similarly, mother Yasoda says, "Some say that Krsna is not my son,
He's Devaki's son. What is this? I won't admit this. He's my child!"
This idea enhances Yasoda's affection for Krsna: "I may lose Him?
Then how shall I live?" Therefore, the parakiya-rasa stresses the rarity
of Krsna's relationship, because the possibility of losing His company
is always in the background. But the highest intensity of service is to
be found in the madhura-rasa (conjugal) camp. In the other rasas, there
is the idea of suspense that He may 'go away', but in the conjugal
relationship in the divine abode of Vrndavana, the consorts cross the
direction of the scriptures and the society, which guide everyone to
remain as husband and wife (svakiya). Parakiya ('another's') has been
accepted in the science of devotion as the highest conception above
svakiya ('belonging'), because social and scriptural sanction is
generally a stale conception. Parakiya or paramour relationship is
necessary to deceive those who claim ownership over another, such as
a husband over the wife, or a parent over a child. In the normally
accepted connection (svakiya) the relationship is very cheap, but to
cross the jurisdiction of the scriptures and society, as paramour, means
a greater risk as if to commit sin. Thus, this relationship is very rare,
and rarity enhances its intensity and value. The idea of deceiving the
'possessor' to favor the 'nonpossessor' is a beautiful ornamental
conception. Actually in Krsna's case there cannot be any state of
paramourship, because in truth He is the owner of everything.
However the divine arrangement is fashioned in this way to enhance
the devotee's internal devotion for the Lord, just as food appears more
tasteful when hunger is present.
In the planets known as Vaikuntha, the nature of worship of the Lord
Visnu is gorgeous, majestic, reverential, and awe-inspiring. But above
that, the highest conception of Godhead is just like a human form and
nature. It is stated in Sri Caitanya-caritamrta in the teachings to
Sanatana Goswami:
krsnera yateka khela sarvottama nara-lila
nara-vapu tahara svarupa
gopa-vesa veukara nava-kisora na_avara
nara-lila haya anurupa
krsnera madhura-rupa suna sanatana
ye rupera eka kaa dubaya saba tribhuvana
sarva-prani kare akarsana
"The most supreme form of Godhead is Krsna, who plays in His
eternal divine pastimes just like a human being. An ever-youthful
cowherd boy of Vrndavana, He enacts His pastimes, always playing
His flute. His beauty is so charming and sweet, that the whole
universe is flooded by an atom of it, and all beings are drawn
irresistibly to Him."
He is approachable by all. We can find God nearest of all in a human
feature. It has been explained how Krsna's nature of human feature is
the highest nature of the Absolute, according to the calculation of
ecstasy (rasa), which is the common standard of measurement of the
whole scope of the Infinite. By the development of santa-, dasya-,
sakhya-, vatsalya-, and madhura-rasa, and then parakiya
(peacefulness, servitude, friendship, parenthood, and consorthood, and
the paramour relationship), this is scientifically proved, without
whimsical or blind faith. If we follow the line of Rupanuga-bhajana
(devotion following the standard of Srila Rupa Goswami) which
originates from Sri Caitanyadeva, the scientific basis can be
appreciated. The previous acaryas have left for us, step by step, how
we can follow, conceive, and attain all these things.
12-13) Arjuna said: O Lord, You are the Supreme Absolute
Truth, the supreme shelter, and the supreme saviour. All the
prominent sages as Devarsi Narada, Asita, Devala and Vyasa have
described You as the self-illuminating, self-manifest eternal
Supreme Person, the foundation of almighty majesty, and the
origin from whose divine play everything emanates and now You
are personally declaring this to be true.
14) O Kesava, I totally accept as factual all that You have told me,
beginning from Your statement, 'na me viduh' "They do not know
Me." O Lord, now it is confirmed that no one among either the
demigods or the demons know your identity in full.
15) O Supreme Person, universal father, O Lord of all beings,
Lord of all gods, Lord of the universe! By your own divine
cognizant potency, only You can know Yourself.
16) Please kindly describe to me in full those supernatural,
personal opulences by which You pervade all these worlds.
17) O Almighty Lord of the creation, please tell me how I can
meditate on You constantly and in all respects. What are the
elements, qualities, situations, and forms by which I am to
contemplate on You in devotion?
18) O Janardana, please once again describe Your majestic
opulences and the process of devotion unto You, this time in an
elaborate way, since I never become satiated by hearing Your
ambrosial words and instructions.
19) The Supreme Lord said: O Arjuna, best of the Kurus, I shall
describe to you simply the prominent, manifest, transcendental
almighty opulences of Mine which arise from My divine conscious
potency since My extensive glories are unlimited.
20) O Gudakesa, I am the Supersoul situated as the controller
within the hearts of all souls, and I am the single cause of the
birth, sustenance, and annihilation of all beings.
21) Of the twelve Adityas, I am Visnu, of the luminaries I am the
great radiant sun; of the Vayus I am Marici, and of the stars I am
the moon.
22) Of the Vedas, I am Sama-veda; of the demigods I am Lord
Indra; of the senses I am the mind, and I am cognizance in all
beings.
23) Of the eleven Rudras I am Sankara, and of the Yaksa and
Raksasa races I am Kubera. Of the eight Vasus I am Agni, and of
mountains I am Sumeru.
24) O Partha, you should know Me as the chief of priests,
Brhaspati; among generals I am Kartikeya, and of reservoirs I am
the ocean.
25) Of sages, I am Bhrgu; of sound vibrations, Oμ; of all
sacrifices, the repetition of the holy names; and of the immovable,
the Himalayas.
26) I am the Asvattha among trees, Narada of godly sages,
Citraratha of heavenly singers, and Kapila Muni of perfected
beings.
27) Among horses know Me as Uccaihsrava, who was born at the
time of churning of the ocean of nectar; know Me as Airavata
among elephants, and the king among men.
28) Of weapons I am the thunderbolt, and of cows I am the
heavenly desire-fulfilling cow. Of cupids I am he who ensures
progeny, and among the single-headed venomous snakes I am
Vasuki, the king of all snakes.
29) Of the multi-headed nonpoisonous serpents I am the Anantanaga,
and of aquatics I am Varunadeva. Of the deified ancestors I
am Aryama, and of law-enforcers I am Yamaraja, the lord of
punishment.
30) Of the Daityas (descendants of Diti) I am Prahlada Maharaja,
and of subjugators I am time. Among all the animals I am the
lion, and of the birds I am Garuda.
31) Of sanctifiers, or of the rapid, I am the wind; of weaponwielding
heroes I am Lord Parasurama; among fish I am the
shark, and of rivers I am the Ganges.
32) O Arjuna, of created objects, beginning with the sky, I alone
am the creation, dissolution, and sustenance. Of all wisdom I am
the knowledge of the soul, and of the logicians� or philosophers�
debate and criticism I am the demonstrated conclusion.
33) Of the primary letters of the alphabet I am the letter 'a', and
of compound words I am the dual. I alone am the endless flow of
time, and of creators I am the four-headed Lord Brahma.
34) Of plunderers I am death, the vanquisher of all recollection;
and of the predestined six transformations of the living beings I
am birth, the foremost. Of ladies, I am the seven qualities of a
good wife grace, beauty, perfect speech, remembrance,
intelligence, patience, and forgiveness.
35) Of all the mantras in the Sama-veda I am the Brhatsama
mantra which is uttered in prayer to Lord Indra, and of mantras
in perfect prosody I am the holy Gayatri mantra. Of the months I
am the foremost, Agrahayana, and of the seasons I am spring.
36) I am the dice-throwing of mutual cheaters, and influence of
the influential. I am victory for the victorious, perseverance of the
enterprising, and the strength of the mighty.
37) Of the Yadavas I am Vasudeva, of the Pandavas I am Arjuna,
of the sages, I am Vyasadeva, and of the scholarly knowers of the
scriptures I am Sukracarya.
38) I am the punishment meted out by chastisers, and the
diplomatic policy of victory-seekers I am the silence of all secrets,
and the wisdom of the wise.
39) O Arjuna, whatever has been considered the origin of all
beings I am certainly that. No stationary or moving being, object
or soul, can exist separately from Me.
40) O conqueror of the enemy, there is no end to My
superexcellent opulences. Only for your edification have I
described a few of them.
41) Know for certain that whatever is sublime, beautiful, and
magnificent is born from a mere fraction of My potency.
42) But Arjuna, what is the need of your understanding this
elaborate knowledge of My almighty grandeur? By My fractional
expansion as the Supreme Soul of material nature, Maha-Visnu
(Karanarnavasayi Visnu), I remain supporting this entire
universe of moving and stationary beings.
lowerthanarat
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