The Bhagavad-gita
is universally renowned as the jewel of India's spiritual
wisdom. Spoken by Lord Krishna, the Supreme Personality
of Godhead to His intimate disciple Arjuna, the Gita's
seven hundred concise verses provide a definitive guide
to the science of self realization. No other philosophical
or religious work reveals, in such a lucid and profound
way, the nature of consciousness, the self, the universe
and the Supreme.
His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada is
uniquely qualified to present this English translation
and commentary on Bhagavad-gita. He is the world's foremost
Vedic scholar and teacher, and he is also the current
representative of an unbroken chain of fully self-realized
spiritual masters begining with Lord Krishna Himself.
Thus, unlike other editions of the Gita, this one is presented
as it is--without the slightest taint of adulteration
or personal motivation. This edition is certain to stimulate
and enlighten with its ancient yet thoroughly timely message.
Chapter
10.
The Opulence of the Absolute
Chapter 10, Verse 1.
The Supreme Lord said: My dear friend, mighty-armed Arjuna,
listen again to My supreme word, which I shall impart to you
for your benefit and which will give you great joy.
TEXT
1
sri-bhagavan
uvaca
bhuya eva maha-baho
srnu me paramam vacah
yat te 'ham priyamanaya
vaksyami hita-kamyaya
SYNONYMS
sri-bhagavan
uvaca--the Supreme Personality of Godhead said; bhuyah--again;
eva--certainly; maha-baho--O mighty-armed; srnu--just hear;
me--My; paramam--supreme; vacah--information; yat--that which;
te--to you; aham--I; priyamanaya--thinking you dear to Me;
vaksyami--say; hita-kamyaya--for your benefit.
TRANSLATION
The
Supreme Lord said: My dear friend, mighty-armed Arjuna, listen
again to My supreme word, which I shall impart to you for
your benefit and which will give you great joy.
PURPORT
The
word paramam is explained thus by Parasara Muni: one who is
full in six opulences, who has full strength, full fame, wealth,
knowledge, beauty and renunciation, is paramam, or the Supreme
Personality of Godhead. While Krsna was present on this earth,
He displayed all six opulences. Therefore great sages like
Parasara Muni have all accepted Krsna as the Supreme Personality
of Godhead. Now Krsna is instructing Arjuna in more confidential
knowledge of His opulences and His work. Previously, beginning
with the Seventh Chapter, the Lord already explained His different
energies and how they are acting. Now in this chapter He explains
His specific opulences to Arjuna. In the previous chapter
He has clearly explained His different energies to establish
devotion in firm conviction. Again in this chapter He tells
Arjuna about His manifestations and various opulences.
The more one hears about the Supreme God, the more one becomes
fixed in devotional service. One should always hear about
the Lord in the association of devotees; that will enhance
one's devotional service. Discourses in the society of devotees
can take place only among those who are really anxious to
be in Krsna consciousness. Others cannot take part in such
discourses. The Lord clearly tells Arjuna that because he
is very dear to Him, for his benefit such discourses are taking
place.
Chapter 10, Verse 2.
Neither the hosts of demigods nor the great sages know My
origin, for, in every respect, I am the source of the demigods
and the sages.
TEXT
2
na me viduh sura-ganah
prabhavam na maharsayah
aham adir hi devanam
maharsinam ca sarvasah
SYNONYMS
na--never; me--My;
viduh--knows; sura-ganah--demigods; prabhavam--opulences;
na--never; maha-rsayah--great sages; aham--I am; adih--the
origin; hi--certainly; devanam--of the demigods; maha-rsinam--of
the great sages; ca--also; sarvasah--in all respects.
TRANSLATION
Neither the hosts
of demigods nor the great sages know My origin, for, in every
respect, I am the source of the demigods and the sages.
PURPORT
As stated in the
Brahma-samhita, Lord Krsna is the Supreme Lord. No one is
greater than Him; He is the cause of all causes. Here it is
also stated by the Lord personally that He is the cause of
all the demigods and sages. Even the demigods and great sages
cannot understand Krsna; they can understand neither His name
nor His personality, so what is the position of the so-called
scholars of this tiny planet? No one can understand why this
Supreme God comes to earth as an ordinary human being and
executes such commonplace and yet wonderful activities. One
should know, then, that scholarship is not the qualification
necessary to understand Krsna. Even the demigods and the great
sages have tried to understand Krsna by their mental speculation,
and they have failed to do so. In the Srimad-Bhagavatam also
it is clearly said that even the great demigods are not able
to understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead. They can
speculate to the limits of their imperfect senses and can
reach the opposite conclusion of impersonalism, of something
not manifested by the three qualities of material nature,
or they can imagine something by mental speculation, but it
is not possible to understand Krsna by such foolish speculation.
Here the Lord indirectly says that if anyone wants to know
the Absolute Truth, "Here I am present as the Supreme
Personality of Godhead. I am the Supreme." One should
know this. Although one cannot understand the inconceivable
Lord who is personally present, He nonetheless exists. We
can actually understand Krsna, who is eternal, full of bliss
and knowledge, simply by studying His words in Bhagavad-gita
and Srimad-Bhagavatam. The impersonal Brahman can be conceived
by persons who are already in the inferior energy of the Lord,
but the Personality of Godhead cannot be conceived unless
one is in the transcendental position.
Because most men cannot understand Krsna in His actual situation,
out of His causeless mercy He descends to show favor to such
speculators. Yet despite the Supreme Lord's uncommon activities,
these speculators, due to contamination in the material energy,
still think that the impersonal Brahman is the Supreme. Only
the devotees who are fully surrendered unto the Supreme Lord
can understand, by the grace of the Supreme Personality, that
He is Krsna. The devotees of the Lord do not bother about
the impersonal Brahman conception of God; their faith and
devotion bring them to surrender immediately unto the Supreme
Lord, and out of the causeless mercy of Krsna, they can understand
Krsna. No one else can understand Him. So even great sages
agree: What is atma, what is the Supreme? It is He whom we
have to worship.
Chapter 10, Verse 3.
He who knows Me as the unborn, as the beginningless, as the
Supreme Lord of all the worlds--he, undeluded among men, is
freed from all sins.
TEXT
3
yo mam ajam anadim
ca
vetti loka-mahesvaram
asammudhah sa martyesu
sarva-papaih pramucyate
SYNONYMS
yah--anyone who;
mam--unto Me; ajam--unborn; anadim--without beginning; ca--also;
vetti--knows; loka--the planets; maha-isvaram--the supreme
master; asammudhah--without doubt; sah--he; martyesu--among
those subject to death; sarva-papaih--from all sinful reactions;
pramucyate--is delivered.
TRANSLATION
He who knows Me
as the unborn, as the beginningless, as the Supreme Lord of
all the worlds--he, undeluded among men, is freed from all
sins.
PURPORT
As stated in the
Seventh Chapter, those who are trying to elevate themselves
to the platform of spiritual realization are not ordinary
men. They are superior to millions and millions of ordinary
men who have no knowledge of spiritual realization, but out
of those actually trying to understand their spiritual situation,
one who can come to the understanding that Krsna is the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, the proprietor of everything, the
unborn, is the most successful spiritually realized person.
In that stage only, when one has fully understood Krsna's
supreme position, can one be free completely from all sinful
reactions.
Here the word ajam, meaning unborn, should not be confused
with the living entities, who are described in the Second
Chapter as ajam. The Lord is different from the living entities
who are taking birth and dying due to material attachment.
The conditioned souls are changing their bodies, but His body
is not changeable. Even when He comes to this material world,
He comes as the same unborn; therefore in the Fourth Chapter
it is said that the Lord, by His internal potency, is not
under the inferior material energy, but is always in the superior
energy.
He was existing before the creation, and He is different from
His creation. All the demigods were created within this material
world, but as far as Krsna is concerned, it is said that He
is not created; therefore Krsna is different even from the
great demigods like Brahma and Siva. And because He is the
creator of Brahma, Siva and all the other demigods, He is
the Supreme Person of all planets.
Sri Krsna is therefore different from everything that is created,
and anyone who knows Him as such immediately becomes liberated
from all sinful reaction. One must be liberated from all sinful
activities to be in the knowledge of the Supreme Lord. Only
by devotional service can He be known and not by any other
means, as stated in Bhagavad-gita.
One should not try to understand Krsna as a human being. As
stated previously, only a foolish person thinks Him to be
a human being. This is again expressed here in a different
way. A man who is not foolish, who is intelligent enough to
understand the constitutional position of the Godhead, is
always free from all sinful reactions.
If Krsna is known as the son of Devaki, then how can He be
unborn? That is also explained in Srimad-Bhagavatam: When
He appeared before Devaki and Vasudeva, He was not born as
an ordinary child; He appeared in His original form, and then
He transformed Himself into an ordinary child.
Anything done under the direction of Krsna is transcendental.
It cannot be contaminated by the material reactions, which
may be auspicious or inauspicious. The conception that there
are things auspicious and inauspicious in the material world
is more or less a mental concoction because there is nothing
auspicious in the material world. Everything is inauspicious
because the very material mask is inauspicious. We simply
imagine it to be auspicious. Real auspiciousness depends on
activities in Krsna consciousness in full devotion and service.
Therefore if we at all want our activities to be auspicious,
then we should work under the directions of the Supreme Lord.
Such directions are given in authoritative scriptures such
as Srimad-Bhagavatam and Bhagavad-gita, or from a bona fide
spiritual master. Because the spiritual master is the representative
of the Supreme Lord, his direction is directly the direction
of the Supreme Lord. The spiritual master, saintly persons
and scriptures direct in the same way. There is no contradiction
in these three sources. All actions done under such direction
are free from the reactions of pious or impious activities
of this material world. The transcendental attitude of the
devotee in the performance of activities is actually that
of renunciation, and this is called sannyasa. Anyone acting
under the direction of the Supreme Lord is actually a sannyasi
and a yogi, and not the man who has simply taken the dress
of the sannyasi, or a pseudo-yogi.
Chapter 10, Verse 4-5.
Intelligence, knowledge, freedom from doubt and delusion,
forgiveness, truthfulness, self-control and calmness, pleasure
and pain, birth, death, fear, fearlessness, nonviolence, equanimity,
satisfaction, austerity, charity, fame and infamy are created
by Me alone.
TEXT
4-5
buddhir
jnanam asammohah
ksama satyam damah samah
sukham duhkham bhavo 'bhavo
bhayam cabhayam eva ca
ahimsa
samata tustis
tapo danam yaso 'yasah
bhavanti bhava bhutanam
matta eva prthag-vidhah
SYNONYMS
buddhih--intelligence;
jnanam--knowledge; asammohah--freedom from doubt; ksama--forgiveness;
satyam--truthfulness; damah--control of the senses; samah--control
of the mind; sukham--happiness; duhkham--distress; bhavah--birth;
abhavah--death; bhayam--fear; ca--and; abhayam--without fear;
eva--also; ca--and; ahimsa--nonviolence; samata--equilibrium;
tustih--satisfaction; tapah--penance; danam--charity; yasah--fame;
ayasah--infamy; bhavanti--become; bhavah--natures; bhutanam--of
living entities; mattah--from Me; eva--certainly; prthak-vidhah--differently
arranged.
TRANSLATION
Intelligence,
knowledge, freedom from doubt and delusion, forgiveness, truthfulness,
self-control and calmness, pleasure and pain, birth, death,
fear, fearlessness, nonviolence, equanimity, satisfaction,
austerity, charity, fame and infamy are created by Me alone.
PURPORT
The
different qualities of living entities, be they good or bad,
are all created by Krsna, and they are described here.
Intelligence refers to the power of analyzing things in proper
perspective, and knowledge refers to understanding what is
spirit and what is matter. Ordinary knowledge obtained by
a university education pertains only to matter, and it is
not accepted here as knowledge. Knowledge means knowing the
distinction between spirit and matter. In modern education
there is no knowledge about the spirit; they are simply taking
care of the material elements and bodily needs. Therefore
academic knowledge is not complete.
Asammoha, freedom from doubt and delusion, can be achieved
when one is not hesitant and when he understands the transcendental
philosophy. Slowly but surely he becomes free from bewilderment.
Nothing should be accepted blindly; everything should be accepted
with care and with caution. Ksama, forgiveness, should be
practiced, and one should excuse the minor offenses of others.
Satyam, truthfulness, means that facts should be presented
as they are for the benefit of others. Facts should not be
misrepresented. According to social conventions, it is said
that one can speak the truth only when it is palatable to
others. But that is not truthfulness. The truth should be
spoken in a straight and forward way, so that others will
understand actually what the facts are. If a man is a thief
and if people are warned that he is a thief, that is truth.
Although sometimes the truth is unpalatable, one should not
refrain from speaking it. Truthfulness demands that the facts
be presented as they are for the benefit of others. That is
the definition of truth.
Self-control means that the senses should not be used for
unnecessary personal enjoyment. There is no prohibition against
meeting the proper needs of the senses, but unnecessary sense
enjoyment is detrimental for spiritual advancement. Therefore
the senses should be restrained from unnecessary use. Similarly,
the mind should not indulge in unnecessary thoughts; that
is called samah, or calmness. Nor should one spend one's time
pondering over earning money. That is a misuse of the thinking
power. The mind should be used to understand the prime necessity
of human beings, and that should be presented authoritatively.
The power of thought should be developed in association with
persons who are authorities in the scriptures, saintly persons
and spiritual masters and those whose thinking is highly developed.
Sukham, pleasure or happiness, should always be in that which
is favorable for the cultivation of the spiritual knowledge
of Krsna consciousness. And similarly, that which is painful
or which causes distress is that which is unfavorable for
the cultivation of Krsna consciousness. Anything favorable
for the development of Krsna consciousness should be accepted,
and anything unfavorable should be rejected.
Bhava, birth, should be understood to refer to the body. As
far as the soul is concerned, there is neither birth nor death;
that we have discussed in the beginning of Bhagavad-gita.
Birth and death apply to one's embodiment in the material
world. Fear is due to worrying about the future. A person
in Krsna consciousness has no fear because by his activities
he is sure to go back to the spiritual sky, back home, back
to Godhead. Therefore his future is very bright. Others, however,
do not know what their future holds; they have no knowledge
of what the next life holds. So they are therefore in constant
anxiety. If we want to get free from anxiety, then the best
course is to understand Krsna and be situated always in Krsna
consciousness. In that way we will be free from all fear.
In the Srimad-Bhagavatam it is stated that fear is caused
by our absorption in the illusory energy, but those who are
free from the illusory energy, those who are confident that
they are not the material body, that they are spiritual parts
of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and are therefore engaged
in the transcendental service of the Supreme Godhead, have
nothing to fear. Their future is very bright. This fear is
a condition of persons who are not in Krsna consciousness.
Bhayam, fearlessness, is only possible for one in Krsna consciousness.
Ahimsa, nonviolence, means that one should not do anything
which will put others into misery or confusion. Material activities
that are promised by so many politicians, sociologists, philanthropists,
etc., do not produce very good results because the politicians
and philanthropists have no transcendental vision; they do
not know what is actually beneficial for human society. Ahimsa
means that people should be trained in such a way that the
full utilization of the human body can be achieved. The human
body is meant for spiritual realization, so any movement or
any commissions which do not further that end commit violence
on the human body. That which furthers the future spiritual
happiness of the people in general is called nonviolence.
Samata, equanimity, refers to freedom from attachment and
aversion. To be very much attached or to be very much detached
is not the best. This material world should be accepted without
attachment or aversion. Similarly, that which is favorable
for prosecuting Krsna consciousness should be accepted; that
which is unfavorable should be rejected. That is called samata,
equanimity. A person in Krsna consciousness has nothing to
reject and nothing to accept unless it is useful in the prosecution
of Krsna consciousness.
Tusti, satisfaction, means that one should not be eager to
gather more and more material goods by unnecessary activity.
One should be satisfied with whatever is obtained by the grace
of the Supreme Lord; that is called satisfaction. Tapas means
austerity or penance. There are many rules and definitions
in the Vedas which apply here, like rising early in the morning
and taking a bath. Sometimes it is very troublesome to rise
early in the morning, but whatever voluntary trouble one may
suffer in this way is called penance. Similarly, there are
prescriptions for fasting on certain days of the month. One
may not be inclined to practice such fasting, but because
of his determination to make advancement in the science of
Krsna consciousness, he should accept such bodily troubles
which are recommended. However, one should not fast unnecessarily
or against Vedic injunctions. One should not fast for some
political purpose; that is described in Bhagavad-gita as fasting
in ignorance, and anything done in ignorance or passion does
not lead to spiritual advancement. Everything done in the
mode of goodness does advance one, however, and fasting done
in terms of the Vedic injunctions enriches one in spiritual
knowledge.
As far as charity is concerned, one should give fifty percent
of his earnings to some good cause. And what is a good cause?
It is that which is conducted in terms of Krsna consciousness.
That is not only a good cause, but it is the best cause. Because
Krsna is good, His cause is also good. Thus charity should
be given to a person who is engaged in Krsna consciousness.
According to Vedic literature, it is enjoined that charity
should be given to the brahmanas. This practice is still followed,
although not very nicely in terms of the Vedic injunction.
But still the injunction is that charity should be given to
the brahmanas. Why? Because they are engaged in higher cultivation
of spiritual knowledge. A brahmana is supposed to devote his
whole life to understanding Brahman. A brahma-jana is one
who knows Brahman; he is called a brahmana. Thus charity is
offered to the brahmanas because since they are always engaged
in higher spiritual service, they have no time to earn their
livelihood. In the Vedic literature, charity is also to be
awarded to the renouncer of life, the sannyasi. The sannyasis
beg from door to door, not for money but for missionary purposes.
The system is that they go from door to door to awaken the
householders from the slumber of ignorance. Because the householders
are engaged in family affairs and have forgotten their actual
purpose in life--awakening their Krsna consciousness--it is
the business of the sannyasis to go as beggars to the householders
and encourage them to be Krsna conscious. As it is said in
the Vedas, one should awake and achieve what is due him in
this human form of life. This knowledge and method is distributed
by the sannyasis; hence charity is to be given to the renouncer
of life, to the brahmanas, and similar good causes, not to
any whimsical cause.
Yasah, fame, should be according to Lord Caitanya, who said
that a man is famous when he is known as a great devotee.
That is real fame. If one has become a great man in Krsna
consciousness and it is known, then he is truly famous. One
who does not have such fame is infamous.
All these qualities are manifest throughout the universe in
human society and in the society of the demigods. There are
many forms of humanity on other planets, and these qualities
are there. Now, for one who wants to advance in Krsna consciousness,
Krsna creates all these qualities, but the person develops
them himself from within. One who engages in the devotional
service of the Supreme Lord develops all the good qualities,
as arranged by the Supreme Lord.
Of whatever we find, good or bad, the origin is Krsna. Nothing
can manifest in this material world which is not in Krsna.
That is knowledge; although we know that things are differently
situated, we should realize that everything flows from Krsna.
Chapter 10, Verse 6.
The seven great sages and before them the four other great
sages and the Manus [progenitors of mankind] are born out
of My mind, and all creatures in these planets descend from
them.
maha-rsayah--the
great sages; sapta--seven; purve--before; catvarah--four;
manavah--Manus; tatha--also; mat-bhavah--born of Me; manasah--from
the mind; jatah--born; yesam--of them; loke--the planets;
imah--all this; prajah--population.
TRANSLATION
The seven great
sages and before them the four other great sages and the Manus
[progenitors of mankind] are born out of My mind, and all
creatures in these planets descend from them.
PURPORT
The Lord is giving
a genealogical synopsis of the universal population. Brahma
is the original creature born out of the energy of the Supreme
Lord known as Hiranyagarbha. And from Brahma all the seven
great sages, and before them four other great sages, namely
Sanaka, Sananda, Sanatana and Sanat-kumara, and the Manus,
are manifest. All these twenty-five great sages are known
as the patriarchs of the living entities all over the universe.
There are innumerable universes and innumerable planets within
each universe, and each planet is full of population of different
varieties. All of them are born of these twenty-five patriarchs.
Brahma underwent penance for one thousand years of the demigods
before he realized by the grace of Krsna how to create. Then
from Brahma Sanaka, Sananda, Sanatana and Sanat-kumara came
out, then Rudra, and then the seven sages, and in this way
all the brahmanas and ksatriyas are born out of the energy
of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Brahma is known as
Pitamaha, the grandfather, and Krsna is known as the Prapitamaha,
the father of the grandfather. That is stated in the Eleventh
Chapter of the Bhagavad-gita (Bg. 11.39).
Chapter 10, Verse 7.
He who knows in truth this glory and power of Mine engages
in unalloyed devotional service; of this there is no doubt.
TEXT
7
etam vibhutim yogam
ca
mama yo vetti tattvatah
so 'vikalpena yogena
yujyate natra samsayah
He who knows in
truth this glory and power of Mine engages in unalloyed devotional
service; of this there is no doubt.
PURPORT
The highest summit
of spiritual perfection is knowledge of the Supreme Personality
of Godhead. Unless one is firmly convinced of the different
opulences of the Supreme Lord, he cannot engage in devotional
service. Generally people know that God is great, but they
do not know in detail how God is great. Here are the details.
If one knows factually how God is great, then naturally he
becomes a surrendered soul and engages himself in the devotional
service of the Lord. When one factually knows the opulences
of the Supreme, there is no alternative but to surrender to
Him. This factual knowledge can be known from the descriptions
in Srimad-Bhagavatam and Bhagavad-gita and similar literatures.
In the administration of this universe there are many demigods
distributed throughout the planetary system, and the chief
of them are Brahma, Lord Siva and the four great Kumaras and
other patriarchs. There are many forefathers of the population
of the universe, and all of them are born of the Supreme Lord
Krsna. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna, is the original
forefather of all forefathers.
These are some of the opulences of the Supreme Lord. When
one is firmly convinced of them, he accepts Krsna with great
faith and without any doubt, and he engages in devotional
service. All this particular knowledge is required in order
to increase one's interest in the loving devotional service
of the Lord. One should not neglect to understand fully how
great Krsna is, for by knowing the greatness of Krsna one
will be able to be fixed in sincere devotional service.
Chapter 10, Verse 8.
I am the source of all spiritual and material worlds. Everything
emanates from Me. The wise who know this perfectly engage
in My devotional service and worship Me with all their hearts.
I am the source
of all spiritual and material worlds. Everything emanates
from Me. The wise who know this perfectly engage in My devotional
service and worship Me with all their hearts.
PURPORT
A learned scholar
who has studied the Vedas perfectly and has information from
authorities like Lord Caitanya and who knows how to apply
these teachings can understand that Krsna is the origin of
everything in both the material and spiritual worlds, and
because he knows this perfectly he becomes firmly fixed in
the devotional service of the Supreme Lord. He can never be
deviated by any amount of nonsensical commentaries or by fools.
All Vedic literature agrees that Krsna is the source of Brahma,
Siva and all other demigods. In the Atharva Veda it is said,
"yo brahmanam vidadhati: purvam yo vai vedams ca gapayati
sma krsnah." "It was Krsna who in the beginning
instructed Brahma in Vedic knowledge and who disseminated
Vedic knowledge in the past." Then again it is said,
"atha puruso ha vai narayano 'kamayata prajah srjeya
ity upakramya." "Then the Supreme Personality Narayana
desired to create living entities." Again it is said:
"From Narayana, Brahma is born, and from Narayana, the
patriarchs are also born. From Narayana, Indra is born, from
Narayana the eight Vasus are born, from Narayana the eleven
Rudras are born, from Narayana the twelve Adityas are born."
It is said in the same Vedas, brahmanyo devaki-putrah: "The
son of Devaki, Krsna, is the Supreme Personality." Then
it is said:
eko vai narayana asin na brahma na isano napo nagni samau
neme
dyav-aprthivi na naksatrani na suryah sa ekaki na ramate tasya
dhyanantah sthasya yatra chandogaih kriyamanastakadi-samjnaka
stuti-stomah stomam ucyate.
"In the beginning of the creation there was only the
Supreme Personality Narayana. There was no Brahma, no Siva,
no fire, no moon, no stars in the sky, no sun. There was only
Krsna, who creates all and enjoys all"
In the many Puranas it is said that Lord Siva was born from
the highest, the Supreme Lord Krsna, and the Vedas say that
it is the Supreme Lord, the creator of Brahma and Siva, who
is to be worshiped. In the Moksa-dharma Krsna also says,
prajapatim ca rudram
capy aham eva srjami vai tau hi mam na vijanito mama maya-vimohitau.
"The patriarchs, Siva and others are created by Me, though
they do not know that they are created by Me because they
are deluded by My illusory energy." In the Varaha Purana
it is also said,
narayanah paro
devas tasmaj jatas caturmukhah tasmad rudro 'bhavad devah
sa ca sarva-jnatam gatah. "Narayana is the Supreme Personality
of Godhead, and from Him Brahma was born, from whom Siva was
born."
Lord Krsna is the source of all generations, and He is called
the most efficient cause of everything. He says that because
"everything is born of Me, I am the original source of
all. Everything is under Me; no one is above Me." There
is no supreme controller other than Krsna. One who understands
Krsna in such a way from a bona fide spiritual master and
from Vedic literature, who engages all his energy in Krsna
consciousness, becomes a truly learned man. In comparison
to him, all others, who do not know Krsna properly, are but
fools. Only a fool would consider Krsna to be an ordinary
man. A Krsna conscious person should not be bewildered by
fools; he should avoid all unauthorized commentaries and interpretations
on Bhagavad-gita and proceed in Krsna consciousness with determination
and firmness.
Chapter 10, Verse 9.
The thoughts of My pure devotees dwell in Me, their lives
are surrendered to Me, and they derive great satisfaction
and bliss enlightening one another and conversing about Me.
TEXT
9
mac-citta mad-gata-prana
bodhayantah parasparam
kathayantas ca mam nityam
tusyanti ca ramanti ca
SYNONYMS
mat-cittah--minds fully engaged in Me; mat-gata-pranah--lives
devoted to the service of Krsna; bodhayantah--preaching; parasparam--among
themselves; kathayantah ca--talking also; mam--about Me; nityam--perpetually;
tusyanti--are pleased; ca--also; ramanti--enjoy transcendental
bliss; ca--also.
TRANSLATION
The thoughts of My pure devotees dwell in
Me, their lives are surrendered to Me, and they derive great
satisfaction and bliss enlightening one another and conversing
about Me.
PURPORT
Pure devotees, whose characteristics are mentioned
here, engage themselves fully in the transcendental loving
service of the Lord. Their minds cannot be diverted from the
lotus feet of Krsna. Their talks are solely on the transcendental
subjects. The symptoms of the pure devotees are described
in this verse specifically. Devotees of the Supreme Lord are
twenty-four hours daily engaged in glorifying the pastimes
of the Supreme Lord. Their hearts and souls are constantly
submerged in Krsna, and they take pleasure in discussing Him
with other devotees.
In the preliminary stage of devotional service they relish
the transcendental pleasure from the service itself, and in
the mature stage they are actually situated in love of God.
Once situated in that transcendental position, they can relish
the highest perfection which is exhibited by the Lord in His
abode. Lord Caitanya likens transcendental devotional service
to the sowing of a seed in the heart of the living entity.
There are innumerable living entities traveling throughout
the different planets of the universe, and out of them there
are a few who are fortunate enough to meet a pure devotee
and get the chance to understand devotional service. This
devotional service is just like a seed, and if it is sown
in the heart of a living entity, and if he goes on hearing
and chanting, Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/
Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare, that seed fructifies,
just as the seed of a tree fructifies with regular watering.
The spiritual plant of devotional service gradually grows
and grows until it penetrates the covering of the material
universe and enters into the brahmajyoti effulgence in the
spiritual sky. In the spiritual sky also that plant grows
more and more until it reaches the highest planet, which is
called Goloka Vrndavana, the supreme planet of Krsna. Ultimately,
the plant takes shelter under the lotus feet of Krsna and
rests there. Gradually, as the plant grows fruits and flowers,
that plant of devotional service also produces fruits, and
the watering process in the form of chanting and hearing goes
on. This plant of devotional service is fully described in
the Caitanya-caritamrta. It is explained there that when the
complete plant takes shelter under the lotus feet of the Supreme
Lord, one becomes fully absorbed in love of God; then he cannot
live even for a moment without being in contact with the Supreme
Lord, just as a fish cannot live without water. In such a
state, the devotee actually attains the transcendental qualities
in contact with the Supreme Lord.
The Srimad-Bhagavatam is also full of such narrations about
the relationship between the Supreme Lord and His devotees;
therefore the Srimad-Bhagavatam is very dear to the devotees.
In this narration there is nothing about material activities,
sense gratification or liberation. Srimad-Bhagavatam is the
only narration in which the transcendental nature of the Supreme
Lord and His devotees is fully described. Thus the realized
souls in Krsna consciousness take continual pleasure in hearing
such transcendental literatures, just as a young boy and girl
take pleasure in association.
Chapter 10, Verse 10.
To those who are constantly devoted and worship Me with love,
I give the understanding by which they can come to Me.
TEXT
10
tesam satata-yuktanam
bhajatam priti-purvakam
dadami buddhi-yogam tam
yena mam upayanti te
To those who are
constantly devoted and worship Me with love, I give the understanding
by which they can come to Me.
PURPORT
In this verse the
word buddhi-yogam is very significant. We may remember that
in the Second Chapter the Lord, instructing Arjuna, said that
He had spoken to him of many things and that He would instruct
him in the way of buddhi-yoga. Now buddhi-yoga is explained.
Buddhi-yoga itself is action in Krsna consciousness; that
is the highest intelligence. Buddhi means intelligence, and
yoga means mystic activities or mystic elevation. When one
tries to go back home, back to Godhead, and takes fully to
Krsna consciousness in devotional service, his action is called
buddhi-yogam. In other words, buddhi-yogam is the process
by which one gets out of the entanglement of this material
world. The ultimate goal of progress is Krsna. People do not
know this; therefore the association of devotees and a bona
fide spiritual master are important. One should know that
the goal is Krsna, and when the goal is assigned, then the
path is slowly but progressively traversed, and the ultimate
goal is achieved.
When a person knows the goal of life but is addicted to the
fruits of activities, he is acting in karma-yoga. When he
knows that the goal is Krsna, but he takes pleasure in mental
speculations to understand Krsna, he is acting in jnana-yoga.
And when he knows the goal and seeks Krsna completely in Krsna
consciousness and devotional service, he is acting in bhakti-yoga,
or buddhi-yoga, which is the complete yoga. This complete
yoga is the highest perfectional stage of life.
A person may have a bona fide spiritual master and may be
attached to a spiritual organization, but still, if he is
not intelligent enough to make progress, then Krsna from within
gives him instructions so that he may ultimately come to Him
without difficulty. The qualification is that a person always
engage himself in Krsna consciousness and with love and devotion
render all kinds of services. He should perform some sort
of work for Krsna, and that work should be with love. If a
devotee is intelligent enough, he will make progress on the
path of self-realization. If one is sincere and devoted to
the activities of devotional service, the Lord gives him a
chance to make progress and ultimately attain to Him.
Chapter 10, Verse 11.
Out of compassion for them, I, dwelling in their hearts, destroy
with the shining lamp of knowledge the darkness born of ignorance.
tesam--for
them; eva--certainly; anukampa-artham--to show special mercy;
aham--I; ajnana-jam--due to ignorance; tamah--darkness; nasayami--dispel;
atma--within; bhavasthah--themselves; jnana--of knowledge;
dipena--with the lamp; bhasvata--glowing.
TRANSLATION
Out
of compassion for them, I, dwelling in their hearts, destroy
with the shining lamp of knowledge the darkness born of ignorance.
PURPORT
When
Lord Caitanya was in Benares promulgating the chanting of
Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama,
Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare, thousands of people were
following Him. Prakasananda, a very influential and learned
scholar in Benares at that time, derided Lord Caitanya for
being a sentimentalist. Sometimes philosophers criticize the
devotees because they think that most of the devotees are
in the darkness of ignorance and are philosophically naive
sentimentalists. Actually that is not the fact. There are
very, very learned scholars who have put forward the philosophy
of devotion, but even if a devotee does not take advantage
of their literatures or of his spiritual master, if he is
sincere in his devotional service he is helped by Krsna Himself
within his heart. So the sincere devotee engaged in Krsna
consciousness cannot be without knowledge. The only qualification
is that one carry out devotional service in full Krsna consciousness.
The modern philosophers think that without discriminating
one cannot have pure knowledge. For them this answer is given
by the Supreme Lord: those who are engaged in pure devotional
service, even though they be without sufficient education
and even without sufficient knowledge of the Vedic principles,
are still helped by the Supreme God, as stated in this verse.
The Lord tells Arjuna that basically there is no possibility
of understanding the Supreme Truth, the Absolute Truth, the
Supreme Personality of Godhead, simply by speculating, for
the Supreme Truth is so great that it is not possible to understand
Him or to achieve Him simply by making a mental effort. Man
can go on speculating for several millions of years, and if
he is not devoted, if he is not a lover of the Supreme Truth,
he will never understand Krsna or the Supreme Truth. Only
by devotional service is the Supreme Truth, Krsna, pleased,
and by His inconceivable energy He can reveal Himself to the
heart of the pure devotee. The pure devotee always has Krsna
within his heart; therefore he is just like the sun that dissipates
the darkness of ignorance. This is the special mercy rendered
to the pure devotee by Krsna.
Due to the contamination of material association, through
many, many millions of births, one's heart is always covered
with the dust of materialism, but when one engages in devotional
service and constantly chants Hare Krsna, the dust quickly
clears and one is elevated to the platform of pure knowledge.
The ultimate goal of Visnu can be attained only by this chant
and by devotional service, and not by mental speculation or
argument. The pure devotee does not have to worry about the
necessities of life; he need not be anxious because when he
removes the darkness from his heart, everything is provided
automatically by the Supreme Lord, for He is pleased by the
loving devotional service of the devotee. This is the essence
of the Gita's teachings. By studying Bhagavad-gita, one can
become a completely surrendered soul to the Supreme Lord and
engage himself in pure devotional service. As the Lord takes
charge, one becomes completely free from all kinds of materialistic
endeavors.
Chapter 10, Verse 12-13.
Arjuna said: You are the Supreme Brahman, the ultimate, the
supreme abode and purifier, the Absolute Truth and the eternal
divine person. You are the primal God, transcendental and
original, and You are the unborn and all-pervading beauty.
All the great sages such as Narada, Asita, Devala, and Vyasa
proclaim this of You, and now You Yourself are declaring it
to me.
Arjuna said: You are the Supreme Brahman,
the ultimate, the supreme abode and purifier, the Absolute
Truth and the eternal divine person. You are the primal God,
transcendental and original, and You are the unborn and all-pervading
beauty. All the great sages such as Narada, Asita, Devala,
and Vyasa proclaim this of You, and now You Yourself are declaring
it to me.
PURPORT
In these two verses the Supreme Lord gives
a chance to the modern philosopher, for here it is clear that
the Supreme is different from the individual soul. Arjuna,
after hearing the essential four verses of Bhagavad-gita in
this chapter, became completely free from all doubts and accepted
Krsna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He at once boldly
declares, "You are Parambrahma, the Supreme Personality
of Godhead." And previously Krsna states that He is the
originator of everything and everyone. Every demigod and every
human being is dependent on Him. Men and demigods, out of
ignorance, think that they are absolute and independent of
the Supreme Lord Krsna. That ignorance is removed perfectly
by the discharge of devotional service. This is already explained
in the previous verse by the Lord. Now by His grace, Arjuna
is accepting Him as the Supreme Truth, in concordance with
the Vedic injunction. It is not because Krsna is an intimate
friend of Arjuna that he is flattering Him by calling Him
the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Absolute Truth. Whatever
Arjuna says in these two verses is confirmed by Vedic truth.
Vedic injunctions affirm that only one who takes to devotional
service to the Supreme Lord can understand Him, whereas others
cannot. Each and every word of this verse spoken by Arjuna
is confirmed by Vedic injunction.
In the Kena Upanisad it is stated that the Supreme Brahman
is the rest for everything, and Krsna has already explained
that everything is resting on Him. The Mundaka Upanisad confirms
that the Supreme Lord, in whom everything is resting, can
be realized only by those who engage constantly in thinking
of Him. This constant thinking of Krsna is smaranam, one of
the methods of devotional service. It is only by devotional
service to Krsna that one can understand his position and
get rid of this material body.
In the Vedas the Supreme Lord is accepted as the purest of
the pure. One who understands that Krsna is the purest of
the pure can become purified from all sinful activities. One
cannot be disinfected from sinful activities unless he surrenders
unto the Supreme Lord. Arjuna's acceptance of Krsna as the
supreme pure complies with the injunctions of Vedic literature.
This is also confirmed by great personalities, of whom Narada
is the chief.
Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and one should
always meditate upon Him and enjoy one's transcendental relationship
with Him. He is the supreme existence. He is free from bodily
needs, birth and death. Not only does Arjuna confirm this,
but all the Vedic literatures, the Puranas and histories.
In all Vedic literatures Krsna is thus described, and the
Supreme Lord Himself also says in the Fourth Chapter, "Although
I am unborn, I appear on this earth to establish religious
principles." He is the supreme origin; He has no cause,
for He is the cause of all causes, and everything is emanating
from Him. This perfect knowledge can be had by the grace of
the Supreme Lord.
Here Arjuna expresses himself through the grace of Krsna.
If we want to understand Bhagavad-gita, we should accept the
statements in these two verses. This is called the parampara
system, acceptance of the disciplic succession. Unless one
is in the disciplic succession, he cannot understand Bhagavad-gita.
It is not possible by so-called academic education. Unfortunately
those proud of their academic education, despite so much evidence
in Vedic literatures, stick to their obstinate conviction
that Krsna is an ordinary person.
Chapter 10, Verse 14.
O Krsna, I totally accept as truth all that You have told
me. Neither the gods nor demons, O Lord, know Thy personality.
TEXT
14
sarvam etad rtam manye
yan mam vadasi kesava
na hi te bhagavan vyaktim
vidur deva na danavah
O Krsna, I totally accept as truth all that
You have told me. Neither the gods nor demons, O Lord, know
Thy personality.
PURPORT
Arjuna herein confirms that persons of faithless
and demonic nature cannot understand Krsna. He is not even
known by the demigods, so what to speak of the so-called scholars
of this modern world? By the grace of the Supreme Lord, Arjuna
has understood that the Supreme Truth is Krsna and that He
is the perfect one. One should therefore follow the path of
Arjuna. He received the authority of Bhagavad-gita. As described
in the Fourth Chapter, the parampara system of disciplic succession
for the understanding of Bhagavad-gita was lost, and therefore
Krsna reestablished that disciplic succession with Arjuna
because He considered Arjuna His intimate friend and a great
devotee. Therefore, as stated in our Introduction to Gitopanisad,
Bhagavad-gita should be understood in the parampara system.
When the parampara system was lost, Arjuna was again selected
to rejuvenate it. The acceptance of Arjuna of all that Krsna
says should be emulated; then we can understand the essence
of Bhagavad-gita, and then only can we understand that Krsna
is the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Chapter 10, Verse 15.
Indeed, You alone know Yourself by Your own potencies, O origin
of all, Lord of all beings, God of gods, O Supreme Person,
Lord of the universe!
svayam--personality; eva--certainly;
atmana--by Yourself; atmanam--Yourself; vettha--know; tvam--You;
purusa-uttama--O greatest of all persons; bhuta-bhavana--O
origin of everything; bhuta-isa--O Lord of everything; deva-deva--O
Lord of all demigods; jagat-pate--O Lord of the entire universe.
TRANSLATION
Indeed, You alone know Yourself by
Your own potencies, O origin of all, Lord of all beings, God
of gods, O Supreme Person, Lord of the universe!
PURPORT
The Supreme Lord Krsna can be known
by persons who are in a relationship with Him through the
discharge of devotional service, like Arjuna and his successors.
Persons of demonic or atheistic mentality cannot know Krsna.
Mental speculation that leads one away from the Supreme Lord
is a serious sin, and one who does not know Krsna should not
try to comment on Bhagavad-gita. Bhagavad-gita is the statement
of Krsna, and since it is the science of Krsna, it should
be understood from Krsna as Arjuna understood it. It should
not be received from atheistic persons.
The Supreme Truth is realized in three aspects: as impersonal
Brahman, localized Paramatma and at last as the Supreme Personality
of Godhead. So at the last stage of understanding the Absolute
Truth, one comes to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. A
liberated man and even a common man may realize impersonal
Brahman or localized Paramatma, yet they may not understand
God's personality from the verses of Bhagavad-gita, which
are being spoken by this person, Krsna. Sometimes the impersonalists
accept Krsna as Bhagavan, or they accept His authority. Yet
many liberated persons cannot understand Krsna as Purusottama,
the Supreme Person, the father of all living entities. Therefore
Arjuna addresses Him as Purusottama. And if one comes to know
Him as the father of all the living entities, still one may
not know Him as the supreme controller; therefore He is addressed
here as Bhutesa, the supreme controller of everyone. And even
if one knows Krsna as the supreme controller of all living
entities, still one may not know that He is the origin of
all the demigods; therefore He is addressed herein as Devadeva,
the worshipful God of all demigods. And even if one knows
Him as the worshipful God of all demigods, one may not know
that He is the supreme proprietor of everything; therefore
He is addressed as Jagatpati. Thus the truth about Krsna is
established in this verse by the realization of Arjuna, and
we should follow in the footsteps of Arjuna to understand
Krsna as He is.
Chapter 10, Verse 16.
Please tell me in detail of Your divine powers by which You
pervade all these worlds and abide in them.
Please tell me in detail of Your divine powers
by which You pervade all these worlds and abide in them.
PURPORT
In this verse it appears that Arjuna is already
satisfied with his understanding of the Supreme Lord Krsna.
By Krsna's grace, Arjuna has personal experience, intelligence
and knowledge and whatever else a person may have through
all these agencies, and he has understood Krsna as the Supreme
Personality of Godhead. For him there is no doubt, yet he
is asking Krsna to explain His all-pervading nature so that
in the future people will understand, especially the impersonalists,
how He exists in His all-pervading aspect through His different
energies. One should know that this is being asked by Arjuna
on behalf of the common people.
Chapter 10, Verse 17.
How should I meditate on You? In what various forms are You
to be contemplated, O Blessed Lord?
TEXT
17
katham vidyam aham yogims
tvam sada paricintayan
kesu kesu ca bhavesu
cintyo 'si bhagavan maya
How should I meditate on You?
In what various forms are You to be contemplated, O Blessed
Lord?
PURPORT
As it is stated in the previous
chapter, the Supreme Personality of Godhead is covered by
His yoga-maya. Only surrendered souls and devotees can see
Him. Now Arjuna is convinced that His friend, Krsna, is the
Supreme Godhead, but he wants to know the general process
by which the all-pervading Lord can be understood by the common
man. No common men, including the demons and atheists, can
know Krsna because He is guarded by His yoga-maya energy.
Again, these questions are asked by Arjuna for their benefit.
The superior devotee is not only concerned for his own understanding,
but for the understanding of all mankind. Out of his mercy,
because he is a Vaisnava, a devotee, Arjuna is opening the
understanding for the common man as far as the all-pervasiveness
of the Supreme is concerned. He addresses Krsna specifically
as yogin because Sri Krsna is the master of the yoga-maya
energy by which He is covered and uncovered to the common
man. The common man who has no love for Krsna cannot always
think of Krsna; therefore he has to think materially. Arjuna
is considering the mode of thinking of the materialistic persons
of this world. Because materialists cannot understand Krsna
spiritually, they are advised to concentrate the mind on physical
things and try to see how Krsna is manifested by physical
representations.
Chapter 10, Verse 18.
Tell me again in detail, O Janardana [Krsna], of Your mighty
potencies and glories, for I never tire of hearing Your ambrosial
words.
TEXT
18
vistarenatmano yogam
vibhutim ca janardana
bhuyah kathaya trptir hi
srnvato nasti me 'mrtam
SYNONYMS
vistarena--in description; atmanah--of Yourself;
yogam--mystic power; vibhutim--opulences; ca--also; jana-ardana--O
killer of the atheists; bhuyah--again; kathaya--describe;
trptih--satisfaction; hi--certainly; srnvatah--hearing; na
asti--there is not; me--my; amrtam--nectar.
TRANSLATION
Tell me again in detail, O Janardana [Krsna],
of Your mighty potencies and glories, for I never tire of
hearing Your ambrosial words.
PURPORT
A similar statement was made to Suta Gosvami
by the rsis of Naimisaranya, headed by Saunaka. That statement
is:
vayam tu na vitrpyama uttama-sloka-vikrame
yac chrnvatam rasa-jnanam svadu svadu pade pade
"One can never be satiated even though one continuously
hears the transcendental pastimes of Krsna, who is glorified
by Vedic hymns. Those who have entered into a transcendental
relationship with Krsna relish in every step descriptions
of the pastimes of the Lord." Thus Arjuna is interested
to hear about Krsna, specifically how He remains as the all-pervading
Supreme Lord.
Now as far as amrtam, nectar, is concerned, any narration
or statement concerning Krsna is just like nectar. And this
nectar can be perceived by practical experience. Modern stories,
fiction and histories are different from the transcendental
pastimes of the Lord in that one will tire of hearing mundane
stories, but one never tires of hearing about Krsna. It is
for this reason only that the history of the whole universe
is replete with references to the pastimes of the incarnations
of Godhead. For instance, the Puranas are histories of bygone
ages that relate the pastimes of the various incarnations
of the Lord. In this way the reading matter remains forever
fresh, despite repeated readings.
Chapter 10, Verse 19.
The Blessed Lord said: Yes, I will tell you of My splendorous
manifestations, but only of those which are prominent, O Arjuna,
for My opulence is limitless.
TEXT
19
sri-bhagavan uvaca
hanta te kathayisyami
divya hy atma-vibhutayah
pradhanyatah kuru-srestha
nasty anto vistarasya me
SYNONYMS
sri-bhagavan uvaca--the Supreme Personality
of Godhead said; hanta--yes; te--unto you; kathayisyami--I
shall speak; divyah--divine; hi--certainly; atma-vibhutayah--personal
opulences; pradhanyatah--principally; kuru-srestha--O best
of the Kurus; na asti--there is no; antah--limit; vistarasya--to
the extent; me--My.
TRANSLATION
The Blessed Lord said: Yes, I will tell you
of My splendorous manifestations, but only of those which
are prominent, O Arjuna, for My opulence is limitless.
PURPORT
It is not possible to comprehend the greatness
of Krsna and His opulences. The senses of the individual soul
are imperfect and do not permit him to understand the totality
of Krsna's affairs. Still the devotees try to understand Krsna,
but not on the principle that they will be able to understand
Krsna fully at any specific time or in any state of life.
Rather, the very topics of Krsna are so relishable that they
appear to them as nectar. Thus they enjoy them. In discussing
Krsna's opulences and His diverse energies, the pure devotees
take transcendental pleasure. Therefore they want to hear
and discuss them. Krsna knows that living entities do not
understand the extent of His opulences; He therefore agrees
to state only the principal manifestations of His different
energies. The word pradhanyatah (principal) is very important
because we can understand only a few of the principal details
of the Supreme Lord, for His features are unlimited. It is
not possible to understand them all. And vibhuti, as used
in this verse, refers to the opulences by which He controls
the whole manifestation. In the Amara-kosa dictionary it is
stated that vibhuti indicates an exceptional opulence.
The impersonalist or the pantheist cannot understand the exceptional
opulences of the Supreme Lord nor the manifestations of His
divine energy. Both in the material world and in the spiritual
world His energies are distributed in every variety of manifestation.
Now Krsna is describing what can be directly perceived by
the common man; thus part of His variegated energy is described
in this way.
Chapter 10, Verse 20.
I am the Self, O Gudakesa, seated in the hearts of all creatures.
I am the beginning, the middle and the end of all beings.
TEXT
20
aham atma gudakesa
sarva-bhutasaya-sthitah
aham adis ca madhyam ca
bhutanam anta eva ca
I am the Self, O Gudakesa, seated in
the hearts of all creatures. I am the beginning, the middle
and the end of all beings.
PURPORT
In this verse Arjuna is addressed as
Gudakesa, which means one who has conquered the darkness of
sleep. For those who are sleeping in the darkness of ignorance,
it is not possible to understand how the Supreme Godhead manifests
Himself in the material and spiritual worlds. Thus this address
by Krsna to Arjuna is significant. Because Arjuna is above
such darkness, the Personality of Godhead agrees to describe
His various opulences.
Krsna first informs Arjuna that He is the Self or soul of
the entire cosmic manifestation by dint of His primary expansion.
Before the material creation, the Supreme Lord, by His plenary
expansion, accepts the purusa incarnations, and from Him everything
begins. Therefore He is atma, the soul of the mahat-tattva,
the universal elements. The total material energy is not the
cause of the creation, but actually the Maha-Visnu enters
into the mahat-tattva, the total material energy. He is the
soul. When Maha-Visnu enters into the manifested universes,
He again manifests Himself as the Supersoul in each and every
entity. We have experience that the personal body of the living
entity exists due to the presence of the spiritual spark.
Without the existence of the spiritual spark, the body cannot
develop. Similarly, the material manifestation cannot develop
unless the Supreme Soul of Krsna enters.
The Supreme Personality of Godhead is existing as the Supersoul
in all manifested universes. A description of the three purusa-avataras
is given in Srimad-Bhagavatam. "The Supreme Personality
of Godhead manifests three features, as Karanodakasayi Visnu,
Garbhodakasayi Visnu and Ksirodakasayi Visnu, in this material
manifestation." The Supreme Lord Krsna, the cause of
all causes, lies down in the cosmic ocean as Maha-Visnu or
Karanodakasayi Visnu, and therefore Krsna is the beginning
of this universe, the maintainer of the universal manifestation,
and the end of all the energy.
Chapter 10, Verse 21.
Of the Adityas I am Visnu, of lights I am the radiant sun,
I am Marici of the Maruts, and among the stars I am the moon.
adityanam--of the Adityas; aham--I am; visnuh--the
Supreme Lord; jyotisam--of all luminaries; ravih--the sun;
amsu-man--radiant; maricih--Marici; marutam--of the Maruts;
asmi--I am; naksatranam--of stars; aham--I am; sasi--the moon.
TRANSLATION
Of the Adityas I am Visnu, of lights I am
the radiant sun, I am Marici of the Maruts, and among the
stars I am the moon.
PURPORT
There are twelve Adityas, of which Krsna is
the principal. And among all the luminaries twinkling in the
sky, the sun is the chief, and in the Brahma-samhita the sun
is accepted as the glowing effulgence of the Supreme Lord
and is considered to be one of His eyes. Marici is the controlling
deity of of the heavenly spaces. Among the stars, the moon
is the most prominent at night, and thus the moon represents
Krsna.
Chapter 10, Verse 22.
Of the Vedas I am the Sama-veda; of the demigods I am Indra;
of the senses I am the mind, and in living beings I am the
living force [knowledge].
vedanam--of all
the Vedas; sama-vedah--the Sama Veda; asmi--I am; devanam--of
all the demigods; asmi--I am; vasavah--heavenly king; indriyanam--of
all the senses; manah--the mind; ca--also; asmi--I am; bhutanam--of
all living entities; asmi--I am; cetana--the living force.
TRANSLATION
Of the Vedas I
am the Sama-veda; of the demigods I am Indra; of the senses
I am the mind, and in living beings I am the living force
[knowledge].
PURPORT
The difference
between matter and spirit is that matter has no consciousness
like the living entity; therefore this consciousness is supreme
and eternal. Consciousness cannot be produced by a combination
of matter.
Chapter 10, Verse 23.
Of all the Rudras I am Lord Siva; of the Yaksas and Raksasas
I am the Lord of wealth [Kuvera]; of the Vasus I am fire [Agni],
and of mountains I am Meru.
rudranam--of
all the Rudras; sankarah--Lord Siva; ca--also; asmi--I am;
vitta-isah--the lord of the treasury of the demigods; yaksa-raksasam--of
the Yaksas and Raksasas; vasunam--of the Vasus; pavakah--fire;
ca--also; asmi--I am; meruh--Meru; sikharinam--of all mountains;
aham--I am.
TRANSLATION
Of
all the Rudras I am Lord Siva; of the Yaksas and Raksasas
I am the Lord of wealth [Kuvera]; of the Vasus I am fire [Agni],
and of mountains I am Meru.
PURPORT
There
are eleven Rudras, of whom Sankara, Lord Siva, is predominant.
He is the incarnation of the Supreme Lord in charge of the
modes of ignorance in the universe. Among the demigods Kuvera
is the chief treasurer, and he is a representation of the
Supreme Lord. Meru is a mountain famed for its rich natural
resources.
Chapter 10, Verse 24.
Of priests, O Arjuna, know Me to be the chief, Brhaspati,
the lord of devotion. Of generals I am Skanda, the lord of
war; and of bodies of water I am the ocean.
TEXT
24
purodhasam
ca mukhyam mam
viddhi partha brhaspatim
senaninam aham skandah
sarasam asmi sagarah
SYNONYMS
purodhasam--of
all priests; ca--also; mukhyam--chief; mam--Me; viddhi--understand;
partha--O son of Prtha; brhaspatim--Brhaspati; senaninam--of
all commanders; aham--I am; skandah--Kartikeya; sarasam--of
all reservoirs of water; asmi--I am; sagarah--the ocean.
TRANSLATION
Of priests,
O Arjuna, know Me to be the chief, Brhaspati, the lord of
devotion. Of generals I am Skanda, the lord of war; and of
bodies of water I am the ocean.
PURPORT
Indra
is the chief demigod of the heavenly planets and is known
as the king of the heavens. The planet in which he reigns
is called Indraloka. Brhaspati is Indra's priest, and since
Indra is the chief of all kings, Brhaspati is the chief of
all priests. And as Indra is the chief of all kings, similarly
Skanda, the son of Parvati and Lord Siva, is the chief of
all military commanders. And of all bodies of water, the ocean
is the greatest. These representations of Krsna only give
hints of His greatness.
Chapter 10, Verse 25.
Of the great sages I am Bhrgu; of vibrations I am the transcendental
om. Of sacrifices I am the chanting of the holy names [japa],
and of immovable things I am the Himalayas.
Of the great sages
I am Bhrgu; of vibrations I am the transcendental om. Of sacrifices
I am the chanting of the holy names [japa], and of immovable
things I am the Himalayas.
PURPORT
Brahma, the first
living creature within the universe, created several sons
for the propagation of various kinds of species. The most
powerful of his sons is Bhrgu, who is also the greatest sage.
Of all the transcendental vibrations, the "om" (omkara)
represents the Supreme. Of all sacrifices, the chanting of
Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama,
Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare is the purest representation
of Krsna. Sometimes animal sacrifices are recommended, but
in the sacrifice of Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, there is no question
of violence. It is the simplest and the purest. Whatever is
sublime in the worlds is a representation of Krsna. Therefore
the Himalayas, the greatest mountains in the world, also represent
Him. The mountain named Meru was mentioned in a previous verse,
but Meru is sometimes movable, whereas the Himalayas are never
movable. Thus the Himalayas are greater than Meru.
Chapter 10, Verse 26.
Of all trees I am the holy fig tree, and among sages and demigods
I am Narada. Of the singers of the gods [Gandharvas] I am
Citraratha, and among perfected beings I am the sage Kapila.
TEXT
26
asvatthah sarva-vrksanam
devarsinam ca naradah
gandharvanam citrarathah
siddhanam kapilo munih
SYNONYMS
asvatthah--the banyan tree; sarva-vrksanam--of
all trees; deva-rsinam--of all the sages amongst the demigods;
ca--and; naradah--Narada; gandharvanam--the citizens of the
Gandharva planet; citrarathah--Citraratha; siddhanam--of all
those who are perfected; kapilah munih--Kapila Muni.
TRANSLATION
Of all trees I am the holy fig tree, and among
sages and demigods I am Narada. Of the singers of the gods
[Gandharvas] I am Citraratha, and among perfected beings I
am the sage Kapila.
PURPORT
The fig tree (asvattha) is one of the most
beautiful and highest trees, and people in India often worship
it as one of their daily morning rituals. Amongst the demigods
they also worship Narada, who is considered the greatest devotee
in the universe. Thus he is the representation of Krsna as
a devotee. The Gandharva planet is filled with entities who
sing beautifully, and among them the best singer is Citraratha.
Amongst the perpetually living entities, Kapila is considered
an incarnation of Krsna, and His philosophy is mentioned in
the Srimad-Bhagavatam. Later on another Kapila became famous,
but his philosophy was atheistic. Thus there is a gulf of
difference between them.
Chapter 10, Verse 27.
Of horses know Me to be Uccaihsrava, who rose out of the ocean,
born of the elixir of immortality; of lordly elephants I am
Airavata, and among men I am the monarch.
TEXT
27
uccaihsravasam
asvanam
viddhi mam amrtodbhavam
airavatam gajendranam
naranam ca naradhipam
SYNONYMS
uccaihsravasam--Uccaihsrava;
asvanam--among horses; viddhi--know; mam--Me; amrta-udbhavam--produced
from the churning of the ocean; airavatam--Airavata; gaja-indranam--of
elephants; naranam--among human beings; ca--and; nara-adhipam--the
king.
TRANSLATION
Of horses
know Me to be Uccaihsrava, who rose out of the ocean, born
of the elixir of immortality; of lordly elephants I am Airavata,
and among men I am the monarch.
PURPORT
The devotee
demigods and the demons (asuras) once took a sea journey.
On this journey, nectar and poison were produced, and Lord
Siva drank the poison. From the nectar were produced many
entities, of which there was a horse named Uccaihsrava. Another
animal produced from the nectar was an elephant named Airavata.
Because these two animals were produced from nectar, they
have special significance, and they are representatives of
Krsna.
Amongst the human beings, the king is the representative of
Krsna because Krsna is the maintainer of the universe, and
the kings, who are appointed on account of their godly qualifications,
are maintainers of their kingdoms. Kings like Maharaja Yudhisthira,
Maharaja Pariksit and Lord Rama were all highly righteous
kings who always thought of the citizens' welfare. In Vedic
literature, the king is considered to be the representative
of God. In this age, however, with the corruption of the principles
of religion, monarchy decayed and is now finally abolished.
It is to be understood that in the past, however, people were
more happy under righteous kings.
Chapter 10, Verse 28.
Of weapons I am the thunderbolt; among cows I am the surabhi,
givers of abundant milk. Of procreators I am Kandarpa, the
god of love, and of serpents I am Vasuki, the chief.
Of weapons I am
the thunderbolt; among cows I am the surabhi, givers of abundant
milk. Of procreators I am Kandarpa, the god of love, and of
serpents I am Vasuki, the chief.
PURPORT
The thunderbolt,
indeed a mighty weapon, represents Krsna's power. In Krsnaloka
in the spiritual sky there are cows which can be milked at
any time, and they give as much milk as one likes. Of course
such cows do not exist in this material world, but there is
mention of them in Krsnaloka. The Lord keeps many such cows,
which are called surabhi. It is stated that the Lord is engaged
in herding the surabhi cows. Kandarpa is the sex desire for
presenting good sons; therefore Kandarpa is the representative
of Krsna. Sometimes sex is engaged in only for sense gratification;
such sex does not represent Krsna. But sex for the generation
of good children is called Kandarpa and represents Krsna
Chapter 10, Verse 29.
Of the celestial Naga snakes I am Ananta; of the aquatic deities
I am Varuna. Of departed ancestors I am Aryama, and among
the dispensers of law I am Yama, lord of death.
anantah--Ananta;
ca--also; asmi--I am; naganam--of all serpents; varunah--the
demigod controlling the water; yadasam--of all aquatics; aham--I
am; pitrnam--of the ancestors; aryama--Aryama; ca--also; asmi--I
am; yamah--the controller of death; samyamatam--of all regulators;
aham--I am.
TRANSLATION
Of the celestial
Naga snakes I am Ananta; of the aquatic deities I am Varuna.
Of departed ancestors I am Aryama, and among the dispensers
of law I am Yama, lord of death.
PURPORT
Among the many
celestial Naga serpents, Ananta is the greatest, as is Varuna
among the aquatics. They both represent Krsna. There is also
a planet of trees presided over by Aryama, who represents
Krsna. There are many living entities who give punishment
to the miscreants, and among them Yama is the chief. Yama
is situated in a planet near this earthly planet, and after
death those who are very sinful are taken there, and Yama
arranges different kinds of punishments for them.
Chapter 10, Verse 30.
Among the Daitya demons I am the devoted Prahlada; among subduers
I am time; among the beasts I am the lion, and among birds
I am Garuda, the feathered carrier of Visnu.
TEXT
30
prahladas casmi daityanam
kalah kalayatam aham
mrganam ca mrgendro 'ham
vainateyas ca paksinam
Among the Daitya demons I am the devoted Prahlada;
among subduers I am time; among the beasts I am the lion,
and among birds I am Garuda, the feathered carrier of Visnu.
PURPORT
Diti and Aditi are two sisters. The sons of
Aditi are called Adityas, and the sons of Diti are called
Daityas. All the Adityas are devotees of the Lord, and all
the Daityas are atheistic. Although Prahlada was born in the
family of the Daityas, he was a great devotee from his childhood.
Because of his devotional service and godly nature, he is
considered to be a representative of Krsna.
There are many subduing principles, but time wears down all
things in the material universe and so represents Krsna. Of
the many animals, the lion is the most powerful and ferocious,
and of the million varieties of birds, Garuda, the bearer
of Lord Visnu, is the greatest.
Chapter 10, Verse 31.
Of purifiers I am the wind; of the wielders of weapons I am
Rama; of fishes I am the shark, and of flowing rivers I am
the Ganges.
pavanah--the wind; pavatam--of all
that purifies; asmi--I am; ramah--Rama; sastra-bhrtam--of
the carriers of weapons; aham--I am; jhasanam--of all aquatics;
makarah--shark; ca asmi--I am also; srotasam--of flowing rivers;
asmi--I am; jahnavi--the River Ganges.
TRANSLATION
Of purifiers I am the wind; of the
wielders of weapons I am Rama; of fishes I am the shark, and
of flowing rivers I am the Ganges.
PURPORT
Of all the aquatics the shark is one
of the biggest and is certainly the most dangerous to man.
Thus the shark represents Krsna. And of rivers, the greatest
in India is the Mother Ganges. Lord Ramacandra, of the Ramayana,
an incarnation of Krsna, is the mightest of warriors.
Chapter 10, Verse 32.
Of all creations I am the beginning and the end and also the
middle, O Arjuna. Of all sciences I am the spiritual science
of the self, and among logicians I am the conclusive truth.
Of all creations
I am the beginning and the end and also the middle, O Arjuna.
Of all sciences I am the spiritual science of the self, and
among logicians I am the conclusive truth.
PURPORT
Among created manifestations,
the total material elements are first created by Maha-Visnu
and are annihilated by Lord Siva. Brahma is the secondary
creator. All these created elements are different incarnations
of the material qualities of the Supreme Lord; therefore He
is the beginning, the middle and the end of all creation.
Regarding the spiritual science of the self, there are many
literatures, such as the four Vedas, the Vedanta-sutra and
the Puranas, the Srimad Bhagavatam and the Gita. These are
all representatives of Krsna. Among logicians there are different
stages of argument. The presentation of evidence is called
japa. The attempt to defeat one another is called vitanda,
and the final conclusion is called vada. The conclusive truth,
the end of all reasoning processes, is Krsna.
Chapter 10, Verse 33.
Of letters I am the letter A, and among compounds I am the
dual word. I am also inexhaustible time, and of creators I
am Brahma, whose manifold faces turn everywhere.
Of letters I am the letter A, and among compounds
I am the dual word. I am also inexhaustible time, and of creators
I am Brahma, whose manifold faces turn everywhere.
PURPORT
Akara, the first letter of the Sanskrit alphabet,
is the beginning of the Vedic literature. Without akara, nothing
can be sounded; therefore it is the beginning of sound. In
Sanskrit there are also many compound words, of which the
dual word, like Rama-krsna, is called dvandvah. For instance,
Rama and Krsna have the same rhythm, and therefore are called
dual.
Among all kinds of killers, time is the ultimate because time
kills everything. Time is the representative of Krsna because
in due course of time there will be a great fire and everything
will be annihilated.
Among the creators and living entities, Brahma is the chief.
The various Brahma's exhibit four, eight, sixteen, etc., heads
accordingly, and they are the chief creators in their respective
universes. The Brahmas are representatives of Krsna.
Chapter 10, Verse 34.
I am all-devouring death, and I am the generator of all things
yet to be. Among women I am fame, fortune, speech, memory,
intelligence, faithfulness and patience.
TEXT
34
mrtyuh sarva-haras caham
udbhavas ca bhavisyatam
kirtih srir vak ca narinam
smrtir medha dhrtih ksama
I am all-devouring death, and I am
the generator of all things yet to be. Among women I am fame,
fortune, speech, memory, intelligence, faithfulness and patience.
PURPORT
As soon as a man is born, he dies at
every moment. Thus death is devouring every living entity
at every moment, but the last stroke is called death itself.
That death is Krsna. All species of life undergo six basic
changes. They are born, they grow, they remain for some time,
they reproduce, they dwindle and finally vanish. Of these
changes, the first is deliverance from the womb, and that
is Krsna. The first generation is the beginning of all future
activities.
The six opulences listed are considered to be feminine. If
a woman possesses all of them or some of them she becomes
glorious. Sanskrit is a perfect language and is therefore
very glorious. After studying, if one can remember the subject
matter, he is gifted with good memory, or smrti. One need
not read many books on different subject matters; the ability
to remember a few and quote them when necessary is also another
opulence.
Chapter 10, Verse 35.
Of hymns I am the Brhat-sama sung to the Lord Indra, and of
poetry I am the Gayatri verse, sung daily by Brahmanas. Of
months I am November and December, and of seasons I am flower-bearing
spring.
brhat-sama--the
Brhat-sama; tatha--also; samnam--of the Sama Veda songs; gayatri--the
Gayatri hymns; chandasam--of all poetry; aham--I am; masanam--of
months; marga-sirsah--the month of November-December; aham--I
am; rtunam--of all seasons; kusuma-akarah--spring.
TRANSLATION
Of hymns I am the
Brhat-sama sung to the Lord Indra, and of poetry I am the
Gayatri verse, sung daily by Brahmanas. Of months I am November
and December, and of seasons I am flower-bearing spring.
PURPORT
It has already
been explained by the Lord that amongst all the Vedas, the
Sama Veda is rich with beautiful songs played by the various
demigods. One of these songs is the Brhat-sama, which has
an exquisite melody and is sung at midnight.
In Sanskrit, there are definite rules that regulate poetry;
rhyme and meter are not written whimsically, as in much modern
poetry. Amongst the regulated poetry, the Gayatri mantra,
which is chanted by the duly qualified brahmanas, is the most
prominent. The Gayatri mantra is mentioned in the Srimad-Bhagavatam.
Because the Gayatri mantra is especially meant for God realization,
it represents the Supreme Lord. This mantra is meant for spiritually
advanced people, and when one attains success in chanting
it, he can enter into the transcendental position of the Lord.
One must first acquire the qualities of the perfectly situated
person, the qualities of goodness according to the laws of
material nature, in order to chant the Gayatri mantra. The
Gayatri mantra is very important in Vedic civilization and
is considered to be the sound incarnation of Brahman. Brahma
is its initiator, and it is passed down from him in disciplic
succession.
The months of November and December are considered the best
of all months because in India grains are collected from the
fields at this time, and the people become very happy. Of
course spring is a season universally liked because it is
neither too hot nor too cold, and the flowers and trees blossom
and flourish. In spring there are also many ceremonies commemorating
Krsna's pastimes; therefore this is considered to be the most
joyful of all seasons, and it is the representative of the
Supreme Lord Krsna.
Chapter 10, Verse 36.
I am also the gambling of cheats, and of the splendid I am
the splendor. I am victory, I am adventure, and I am the strength
of the strong.
dyutam--gambling;
chalayatam--of all cheats; asmi--I am; tejah--splendid; tejasvinam--of
everything splendid; aham--I am; jayah--victory; asmi--I am;
vyavasayah--adventure; asmi--I am; sattvam--strength; sattva-vatam--of
all the strong; aham--I am.
TRANSLATION
I am also the gambling
of cheats, and of the splendid I am the splendor. I am victory,
I am adventure, and I am the strength of the strong.
PURPORT
There are many
kinds of cheaters all over the universe. Of all cheating processes,
gambling stands supreme and therefore represents Krsna. As
the Supreme, Krsna can be more deceitful than any mere man.
If Krsna chooses to deceive a person, no one can surpass Him
in His deceit. His greatness is not simply one-sided--it is
all-sided.
Among the victorious, He is victory. He is the splendor of
the splendid. Among enterprising industrialists, He is the
most enterprising. Among adventurers, He is the most adventurous,
and among the strong, He is the strongest. When Krsna was
present on earth, no one could surpass Him in strength. Even
in His childhood He lifted Govardhana Hill. No one can surpass
Him in cheating, no one can surpass Him in splendor, no one
can surpass Him in victory, no one can surpass Him in enterprise,
and no one can surpass Him in strength.
Chapter 10, Verse 37.
Of the descendants of Vrsni I am Vasudeva, and of the Pandavas
I am Arjuna. Of the sages I am Vyasa, and among great thinkers
I am Usana.
vrsninam--of the descendants of Vrsni; vasudevah--Krsna
in Dvaraka; asmi--I am; pandavanam--of the Pandavas; dhananjayah--Arjuna;
muninam--of the sages; api--also; aham--I am; vyasah--Vyasa,
the compiler of all Vedic literature; kavinam--of all great
thinkers; usana--Usana; kavih--the thinker.
TRANSLATION
Of the descendants of Vrsni I am Vasudeva,
and of the Pandavas I am Arjuna. Of the sages I am Vyasa,
and among great thinkers I am Usana.
PURPORT
Krsna is the original Supreme Personality
of Godhead, and Vasudeva is the immediate expansion of Krsna.
Both Lord Krsna and Baladeva appear as the sons of Vasudeva.
Amongst the sons of Pandu, Arjuna is famous and valiant. Indeed,
He is the best of men and therefore represents Krsna. Among
the munis, or learned men conversant in Vedic knowledge, Vyasa
is the greatest because he explained Vedic knowledge in many
different ways for the understanding of the common mass of
people in this age of Kali. And Vyasa is also known as an
incarnation of Krsna; therefore Vyasa also represents Krsna.
Kavis are those who are capable of thinking thoroughly on
any subject matter. Among the kavis, Usana was the spiritual
master of the demons; he was an extremely intelligent, far-seeing,
political and spiritual in every way. Thus Usana is another
representative of the opulence of Krsna.
Chapter 10, Verse 38.
Among punishments I am the rod of chastisement, and of those
who seek victory, I am morality. Of secret things I am silence,
and of the wise I am wisdom.
dandah--punishment; damayatam--of all separation;
asmi--I am; nitih--morality; asmi--I am; jigisatam--of the
victorious; maunam--silence; ca--and; eva--also; asmi--I am;
guhyanam--of secrets; jnanam--knowledge; jnana-vatam--of the
wise; aham--I am.
TRANSLATION
Among punishments I am the rod of chastisement,
and of those who seek victory, I am morality. Of secret things
I am silence, and of the wise I am wisdom.
PURPORT
There are many suppressing agents, of which
the most important are those that cut down the miscreants.
When miscreants are punished, the rod of chastisement represents
Krsna. Among those who are trying to be victorious in some
field of activity, the most victorious element is morality.
Among the confidential activities of hearing, thinking and
meditating, silence is most important because by silence one
can make progress very quickly. The wise man is he who can
discriminate between matter and spirit, between God's superior
and inferior natures. Such knowledge is Krsna Himself.
Chapter 10, Verse 39.
Furthermore, O Arjuna, I am the generating seed of all existences.
There is no being--moving or unmoving--that can exist without
Me.
TEXT
39
yac
capi sarva-bhutanam
bijam tad aham arjuna
na tad asti vina yat syan
maya bhutam caracaram
Furthermore,
O Arjuna, I am the generating seed of all existences. There
is no being--moving or unmoving--that can exist without Me.
PURPORT
Everything
has a cause, and that cause or seed of manifestation is Krsna.
Without Krsna's energy, nothing can exist; therefore He is
called omnipotent. Without His potency, neither the movable
nor the unmovable can exist. Whatever existence is not founded
on the energy of Krsna is called maya, that which is not.
Chapter 10, Verse 40.
O mighty conqueror of enemies, there is no end to My divine
manifestations. What I have spoken to you is but a mere indication
of My infinite opulences.
TEXT
40
nanto 'sti mama divyanam
vibhutinam parantapa
esa tuddesatah prokto
vibhuter vistaro maya
O mighty conqueror of enemies, there is no
end to My divine manifestations. What I have spoken to you
is but a mere indication of My infinite opulences.
PURPORT
As stated in the Vedic literature, although
the opulences and energies of the Supreme are understood in
various ways, there is no limit to such opulences; therefore
not all the opulences and energies can be explained. Simply
a few examples are being described to Arjuna to pacify his
inquisitiveness.
Chapter 10, Verse 41.
Know that all beautiful, glorious, and mighty creations spring
from but a spark of My splendor.
TEXT
41
yad yad vibhutimat
sattvam
srimad urjitam eva va
tat tad evavagaccha tvam
mama tejo-'msa-sambhavam
Know that all beautiful,
glorious, and mighty creations spring from but a spark of
My splendor.
PURPORT
Any glorious or
beautiful existence should be understood to be but a fragmental
manifestation of Krsna's opulence, whether it be in the spiritual
or material world. Anything extraordinarily opulent should
be considered to represent Krsna's opulence.
Chapter 10, Verse 42.
But what need is there, Arjuna, for all this detailed knowledge?
With a single fragment of Myself I pervade and support this
entire universe.
TEXT 42
atha va bahunaitena
kim jnatena tavarjuna
vistabhyaham idam krtsnam
ekamsena sthito jagat
SYNONYMS
atha va--or; bahuna--many;
etena--by this kind; kim--what; jnatena--knowing; tava--you;
arjuna--O Arjuna; vistabhya--entire; aham--I; idam--this;
krtsnam--of all manifestations; eka--one; amsena--part; sthitah--situated;
jagat--in the universe.
TRANSLATION
But what need is
there, Arjuna, for all this detailed knowledge? With a single
fragment of Myself I pervade and support this entire universe.
PURPORT
The Supreme Lord
is represented throughout the entire material universes by
His entering into all things as the Supersoul. The Lord here
tells Arjuna that there is no point in understanding how things
exist in their separate opulence and grandeur. He should know
that all things are existing due to Krsna's entering them
as Supersoul. From Brahma, the most gigantic entity, on down
to the smallest ant, all are existing because the Lord has
entered each and all and is sustaining them.
Worship of demigods is discouraged herein because even the
greatest demigods like Brahma and Siva only represent part
of the opulence of the Supreme Lord. He is the origin of everyone
born, and no one is greater than Him. He is samata, which
means that no one is superior to Him and that no one is equal
to Him. In the Visnu-mantra it is said that one who considers
the Supreme Lord Krsna in the same category with demigods--be
they even Brahma or Siva--becomes at once an atheist. If,
however, one thoroughly studies the different descriptions
of the opulences and expansions of Krsna's energy, then one
can understand without any doubt the position of Lord Sri
Krsna and can fix his mind in the worship of Krsna without
deviation. The Lord is all-pervading by the expansion of His
partial representation, the Supersoul, who enters into everything
that is. Pure devotees, therefore, concentrate their minds
in Krsna consciousness in full devotional service; therefore
they are always situated in the transcendental position. Devotional
service and worship of Krsna are very clearly indicated in
this chapter in verses eight through eleven. That is the way
of pure devotional service. How one can attain the highest
devotional perfection of association with the Supreme Personality
of Godhead has been thoroughly explained in this chapter.
Thus end the Bhaktivedanta
Purports to the Tenth Chapter of the Srimad Bhagavad-gita
in the matter of the Opulence of the Absolute.
