Bhagavad-gita As It Is
CHAPTER 10b: The Opulence of the Absolute
©1989, The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust
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TEXT 19
sri-bhagavan uvaca
hanta te kathayisyami
divya hy atma-vibhutayah
pradhanyatah kuru-srestha
nasty anto vistarasya me
WORD FOR WORD
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 -- which
are principal; kuru-srestha -- O best of the Kurus; na asti
-- there is not; antah -- limit; vistarasya -- to the
extent; me -- My.
TRANSLATION
The Supreme Personality of Godhead 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 Krishna and His
opulences. The senses of the individual soul are limited and do not permit
him to understand the totality of Krishna's affairs. Still the devotees
try to understand Krishna, but not on the principle that they will be able
to understand Krishna fully at any specific time or in any state of life.
Rather, the very topics of Krishna are so relishable that they appear to
the devotees as nectar. Thus the devotees enjoy them. In discussing
Krishna's opulences and His diverse energies, the pure devotees take
transcendental pleasure. Therefore they want to hear and discuss them.
Krishna 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 pantheist cannot understand the exceptional opulences
of the Supreme Lord nor the manifestations of His divine energies. Both in
the material world and in the spiritual world His energies are distributed
in every variety of manifestation. Now Krishna is describing what can be
directly perceived by the common man; thus part of His variegated energy
is described in this way.
TEXT 20
aham atma gudakesa
sarva-bhutasaya-sthitah
aham adis ca madhyam ca
bhutanam anta eva ca
WORD FOR WORD
aham -- I; atma -- the soul; gudakesa -- O Arjuna;
sarva-bhuta -- of all living entities; asaya-sthitah --
situated within the heart; aham -- I am; adih -- the origin;
ca -- also; madhyam -- middle; ca -- also;
bhutanam -- of all living entities; antah -- end; eva
-- certainly; ca -- and.
TRANSLATION
I am the Supersoul, O Arjuna, seated in the hearts of all living entities.
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
Personality of Godhead manifests Himself in various ways in the material
and spiritual worlds. Thus this address by Krishna to Arjuna is
significant. Because Arjuna is above such darkness, the Personality of
Godhead agrees to describe His various opulences.
Krishna first informs Arjuna that He is the 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;
actually the Maha-Vishnu enters into the mahat-tattva, the total
material energy. He is the soul. When Maha-Vishnu 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, Krishna,
enters. As stated in the Subala Upanisad,
prakrty-adi-sarva-bhutantar-yami sarva-sesi ca narayanah: "The Supreme
Personality of Godhead is existing as the Supersoul in all manifested
universes."
The three purusa-avatars are described in
Srimad-Bhagavatam. They are also described in the
Satvata-tantra. Visnos tu trini rupani purusakhyany atho viduh: the
Supreme Personality of Godhead manifests three features -- as
Karanodakasayi Vishnu, Garbhodakasayi Vishnu and Ksirodakasayi Vishnu -- in
this material manifestation. The Maha-Vishnu, or Karanodakasayi Vishnu, is
described in the Brahma-samhita (5.47). Yah karanarnava-jale
bhajati sma yoga-nidram: the Supreme Lord, Krishna, the cause of all
causes, lies down in the cosmic ocean as Maha-Vishnu. Therefore the Supreme
Personality of Godhead is the beginning of this universe, the maintainer
of the universal manifestations, and the end of all energy.
TEXT 21
adityanam aham visnur
jyotisam ravir amsuman
maricir marutam asmi
naksatranam aham sasi
WORD FOR WORD
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 the stars; aham -- I am; sasi -- the moon.
TRANSLATION
Of the Adityas I am Vishnu, of lights I am the radiant sun, of the Maruts I
am Marici, and among the stars I am the moon.
PURPORT
There are twelve Adityas, of which Krishna is the principal. 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 eye of the
Supreme Lord. There are fifty varieties of wind blowing in space, and of
these winds the controlling deity, Marici, represents Krishna.
Among the stars, the moon is the most prominent at night, and thus the
moon represents Krishna. It appears from this verse that the moon is one
of the stars; therefore the stars that twinkle in the sky also reflect the
light of the sun. The theory that there are many suns within the universe
is not accepted by Vedic literature. The sun is one, and as by the
reflection of the sun the moon illuminates, so also do the stars. Since
Bhagavad-gita indicates herein that the moon is one of the stars,
the twinkling stars are not suns but are similar to the moon.
TEXT 22
vedanam sama-vedo 'smi
devanam asmi vasavah
indriyanam manas casmi
bhutanam asmi cetana
WORD FOR WORD
vedanam -- of all the Vedas; sama-vedah -- the Sama Veda;
asmi -- I am; devanam -- of all the demigods; asmi -- I
am; vasavah -- the 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, the king of
heaven; of the senses I am the mind; and in living beings I am the living
force [consciousness].
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.
TEXT 23
rudranam sankaras casmi
vitteso yaksa-raksasam
vasunam pavakas casmi
meruh sikharinam aham
WORD FOR WORD
rudranam -- of all the Rudras; sankarah -- Lord Shiva;
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 Shiva, 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 Shiva, is predominant. He is
the incarnation of the Supreme Lord in charge of the mode of ignorance in
the universe. The leader of the Yaksas and Raksasas is Kuvera, the master
treasurer of the demigods, and he is a representation of the Supreme Lord.
Meru is a mountain famed for its rich natural resources.
TEXT 24
purodhasam ca mukhyam mam
viddhi partha brhaspatim
senaninam aham skandah
sarasam asmi sagarah
WORD FOR WORD
purodhasam -- of all priests; ca -- also; mukhyam --
the 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. Of generals I am
Kartikeya, 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 on 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, or Kartikeya, the son of Parvati and Lord Shiva,
is the chief of all military commanders. And of all bodies of water, the
ocean is the greatest. These representations of Krishna only give hints of
His greatness.
TEXT 25
maharsinam bhrgur aham
giram asmy ekam aksaram
yajnanam japa-yajno 'smi
sthavaranam himalayah.
WORD FOR WORD
maha-rsinam -- among the great sages; bhrguh -- Bhrgu; aham
-- I am; giram -- of vibrations; asmi -- I am; ekam
aksaram -- pranava; yajnanam -- of sacrifices; japa-yajnah --
chanting; asmi -- I am; sthavaranam -- of immovable things;
himalayah -- the Himalayan mountains.
TRANSLATION
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. Among these sons,
Bhrgu is the most powerful sage. Of all the transcendental vibrations, the
om (omkara) represents Krishna. Of all sacrifices, the
chanting of Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare
Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare is the purest representation of
Krishna. Sometimes animal sacrifices are recommended, but in the sacrifice
of Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, there is no question of violence. It is the
simplest and the purest. Whatever is sublime in the worlds is a
representation of Krishna. 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.
TEXT 26
asvatthah sarva-vrksanam
devarsinam ca naradah
gandharvanam citrarathah
siddhanam kapilo munih
WORD FOR WORD
asvatthah -- the banyan tree; sarva-vrksanam -- of all
trees; deva-rsinam -- of all the sages amongst the demigods;
ca -- and; naradah -- Narada; gandharvanam -- of 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 banyan tree, and of the sages among the demigods I
am Narada. Of the Gandharvas I am Citraratha, and among perfected beings I
am the sage Kapila.
PURPORT
The banyan tree (asvattha) is one of the highest and most beautiful
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
Krishna as a devotee. The Gandharva planet is filled with entities who
sing beautifully, and among them the best singer is Citraratha. Amongst
the perfect living entities, Kapila, the son of Devahuti, is a
representative of Krishna. He is considered an incarnation of Krishna, 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.
TEXT 27
uccaihsravasam asvanam
viddhi mam amrtodbhavam
airavatam gajendranam
naranam ca naradhipam
WORD FOR WORD
uccaihsravasam -- Uccaihsrava; asvanam -- among horses;
viddhi -- know; mam -- Me; amrta-udbhavam -- produced
from the churning of the ocean; airavatam -- Airavata;
gaja-indranam -- of lordly elephants; naranam -- among human
beings; ca -- and; nara-adhipam -- the king.
TRANSLATION
Of horses know Me to be Uccaihsrava, produced during the churning of the
ocean for nectar. Of lordly elephants I am Airavata, and among men I am
the monarch.
PURPORT
The devotee demigods and the demons (asuras) once took part in
churning the sea. From this churning, nectar and poison were produced, and
Lord Shiva 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 Krishna.
Amongst the human beings, the king is the representative of Krishna
because Krishna 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.
TEXT 28
ayudhanam aham vajram
dhenunam asmi kamadhuk
prajanas casmi kandarpah
sarpanam asmi vasukih
WORD FOR WORD
ayudhanam -- of all weapons; aham -- I am; vajram --
the thunderbolt; dhenunam -- of cows; asmi -- I am;
kama-dhuk -- the surabhi cow; prajanah -- the cause
for begetting children; ca -- and; asmi -- I am;
kandarpah -- Cupid; sarpanam -- of serpents; asmi --
I am; vasukih -- Vasuki.
TRANSLATION
Of weapons I am the thunderbolt; among cows I am the surabhi. Of causes
for procreation I am Kandarpa, the god of love, and of serpents I am
Vasuki.
PURPORT
The thunderbolt, indeed a mighty weapon, represents Krishna's power. In
Krishnaloka 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 Krishnaloka.
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 Krishna. Sometimes sex is engaged in only for sense
gratification; such sex does not represent Krishna. But sex for the
generation of good children is called Kandarpa and represents Krishna.
TEXT 29
anantas casmi naganam
varuno yadasam aham
pitrnam aryama casmi
yamah samyamatam aham
WORD FOR WORD
anantah -- Ananta; ca -- also; asmi -- I am;
naganam -- of the manyhooded 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 many-hooded Nagas I am Ananta, and among the aquatics I am the
demigod Varuna. Of departed ancestors I am Aryama, and among the
dispensers of law I am Yama, the lord of death.
PURPORT
Among the many-hooded Naga serpents, Ananta is the greatest, as is the
demigod Varuna among the aquatics. They both represent Krishna. There is
also a planet of Pitas, ancestors, presided over by Aryama, who represents
Krishna. 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. After death those who are very sinful are taken
there, and Yama arranges different kinds of punishments for them.
TEXT 30
prahladas casmi daityanam
kalah kalayatam aham
mrganam ca mrgendro 'ham
vainateyas ca paksinam
WORD FOR WORD
prahladah -- Prahlada; ca -- also; asmi -- I am;
daityanam -- of the demons; kalah -- time; kalayatam
-- of subduers; aham -- I am; mrganam -- of animals;
ca -- and; mrga-indrah -- the lion; aham -- I am;
vainateyah -- Garuda; ca -- also; paksinam -- of
birds.
TRANSLATION
Among the Daitya demons I am the devoted Prahlada, among subduers I am
time, among beasts I am the lion, and among birds I am Garuda.
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 Krishna.
There are many subduing principles, but time wears down all things in the
material universe and so represents Krishna. Of the many animals, the lion
is the most powerful and ferocious, and of the million varieties of birds,
Garuda, the bearer of Lord Vishnu, is the greatest.
TEXT 31
pavanah pavatam asmi
ramah sastra-bhrtam aham
jhasanam makaras casmi
srotasam asmi jahnavi
WORD FOR WORD
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 fish;
makarah -- the shark; ca -- also; asmi -- I am;
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 Krishna.
TEXT 32
sarganam adir antas ca
madhyam caivaham arjuna
adhyatma-vidya vidyanam
vadah pravadatam aham
WORD FOR WORD
sarganam -- of all creations; adih -- the beginning;
antah -- end; ca -- and; madhyam -- middle; ca
-- also; eva -- certainly; aham -- I am; arjuna -- O
Arjuna; adhyatma-vidya -- spiritual knowledge; vidyanam --
of all education; vadah -- the natural conclusion;
pravadatam -- of arguments; aham -- I am.
TRANSLATION
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 the created manifestations, the first is the creation of the total
material elements. As explained before, the cosmic manifestation is
created and conducted by Maha-Vishnu, Garbhodakasayi Vishnu and
Ksirodakasayi Vishnu, and then again it is annihilated by Lord Shiva. Brahma
is a secondary creator. All these agents of creation, maintenance and
annihilation are incarnations of the material qualities of the Supreme
Lord. Therefore He is the beginning, the middle and the end of all
creation.
For advanced education there are various kinds of books of knowledge, such
as the four Vedas, their six supplements, the Vedanta-sutra,
books of logic, books of religiosity and the Puranas. So all
together there are fourteen divisions of books of education. Of these, the
book which presents adhyatma-vidya, spiritual knowledge -- in
particular, the Vedanta-sutra -- represents Krishna.
Among logicians there are different kinds of argument. Supporting one's
argument with evidence that also supports the opposing side is called
jalpa. Merely trying to defeat one's opponent is called
vitanda. But the actual conclusion is called vada. This
conclusive truth is a representation of Krishna.
TEXT 33
aksaranam a-karo 'smi
dvandvah samasikasya ca
aham evaksayah kalo
dhataham visvato-mukhah
WORD FOR WORD
aksaranam -- of letters; a-karah -- the first letter;
asmi -- I am; dvandvah -- the dual; samasikasya -- of
compounds; ca -- and; aham -- I am; eva -- certainly;
aksayah -- eternal; kalah -- time; dhata -- the
creator; aham -- I am; visvatah-mukhah -- Brahma.
TRANSLATION
Of letters I am the letter A, and among compound words I am the dual
compound. I am also inexhaustible time, and of creators I am Brahma.
PURPORT
A-kara, the first letter of the Sanskrit alphabet, is the beginning
of the Vedic literature. Without a-kara, 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
dvandva. In this compound, the words rama and krsna
have the same form, and therefore the compound is called dual.
Among all kinds of killers, time is the ultimate because time kills
everything. Time is the representative of Krishna because in due course of
time there will be a great fire and everything will be annihilated.
Among the living entities who are creators, Brahma, who has four heads, is
the chief. Therefore he is a representative of the Supreme Lord, Krishna.
TEXT 34
mrtyuh sarva-haras caham
udbhavas ca bhavisyatam
kirtih srir vak ca narinam
smrtir medha dhrtih ksama
WORD FOR WORD
mrtyuh -- death; sarva-harah -- all-devouring; ca --
also; aham -- I am; udbhavah -- generation; ca --
also; bhavisyatam -- of future manifestations; kirtih --
fame; srih -- opulence or beauty; vak -- fine speech;
ca -- also; narinam -- of women; smrtih -- memory;
medha -- intelligence; dhrtih -- firmness; ksama --
patience.
TRANSLATION
I am all-devouring death, and I am the generating principle of all that is
yet to be. Among women I am fame, fortune, fine speech, memory,
intelligence, steadfastness 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 Krishna. As for future development, all living
entities undergo six basic changes. They are born, they grow, they remain
for some time, they reproduce, they dwindle, and finally they vanish. Of
these changes, the first is deliverance from the womb, and that is
Krishna. The first generation is the beginning of all future activities.
The seven opulences listed -- fame, fortune, fine speech, memory,
intelligence, steadfastness and patience -- are considered feminine. If a
person possesses all of them or some of them he becomes glorious. If a man
is famous as a righteous man, that makes him glorious. Sanskrit is a
perfect language and is therefore very glorious. If after studying one can
remember a subject matter, he is gifted with a good memory, or
smrti. And the ability not only to read many books on different
subject matters but to understand them and apply them when necessary is
intelligence (medha), another opulence. The ability to overcome
unsteadiness is called firmness or steadfastness (dhrti). And when
one is fully qualified yet is humble and gentle, and when one is able to
keep his balance both in sorrow and in the ecstasy of joy, he has the
opulence called patience (ksama).
TEXT 35
brhat-sama tatha samnam
gayatri chandasam aham
masanam marga-sirso 'ham
rtunam kusumakarah
WORD FOR WORD
brhat-sama -- the Krhat-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 the hymns in the Sama Veda I am the Brhat-sama, and of poetry I am the
Gayatri. Of months I am Margasirsa [November-December], and of seasons I
am flower-bearing spring.
PURPORT
It has already been explained by the Lord that amongst all the
Vedas, He is the Sama Veda. 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 month of November-December is 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 Krishna's pastimes; therefore this is considered to be the
most joyful of all seasons, and it is the representative of the Supreme
Lord, Krishna.
TEXT 36
dyutam chalayatam asmi
teias teiasvinam aham
jayo 'smi vyavasayo 'smi
sattvam sattvavatam aham
WORD FOR WORD
dyutam -- gambling; chalayatam -- of all cheats; asmi
-- I am; tejah -- the splendor; tejasvinam -- of everything
splendid; aham -- I am; jayah -- victory; asmi -- I
am; vyavasayah -- enterprise or adventure; asmi -- I am;
sattvam -- the strength; sattva-vatam -- of 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 Krishna. As
the Supreme, Krishna can be more deceitful than any mere man. If Krishna
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 the enterprising and industrious, He is the most enterprising, the
most industrious. Among adventurers He is the most adventurous, and among
the strong He is the strongest. When Krishna 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.
TEXT 37
vrsninam vasudevo 'smi
pandavanam dhananjayah
muninam apy aham vyasah
kavinam usana kavih
WORD FOR WORD
vrsninam -- of the descendants of Vrsni; vasudevah --
Krishna 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
Krishna is the original Supreme Personality of Godhead, and Baladeva is
Krishna's immediate expansion. Both Lord Krishna and Baladeva appeared as
sons of Vasudeva, so both of Them may be called Vasudeva. From another
point of view, because Krishna never leaves Vrindavan, all the forms of
Krishna that appear elsewhere are His expansions. Vasudeva is Krishna's
immediate expansion, so Vasudeva is not different from Krishna. It is to
be understood that the Vasudeva referred to in this verse of
Bhagavad-gita is Baladeva, or Balarama, because He is the original
source of all incarnations and thus He is the sole source of Vasudeva. The
immediate expansions of the Lord are called svamsa (personal
expansions), and there are also expansions called vibhinnamsa
(separated expansions).
Amongst the sons of Pandu, Arjuna is famous as Dhananjaya. He is the best
of men and therefore represents Krishna. 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 Krishna; therefore Vyasa also represents Krishna.
Kavis are those who are capable of thinking thoroughly on any
subject matter. Among the kavis, Usana, Sukracarya, was the
spiritual master of the demons; he was an extremely intelligent and
far-seeing politician. Thus Sukracarya is another representative of the
opulence of Krishna.
TEXT 38
dando damayatam asmi
nitir asmi jigisatam
maunam caivasmi guhyanam
jnanam jnanavatam aham
WORD FOR WORD
dan. dah -- punishment; damayatam -- of all means of
suppression; asmi -- I am; nitih -- morality; asmi --
I am; jigisatam -- of those who seek victory; maunam --
silence; ca -- and; eva -- also; asmi -- I am;
guhyanam -- of secrets; jnanam -- knowledge;
jnana-vatam -- of the wise; aham -- I am.
TRANSLATION
Among all means of suppressing lawlessness I am punishment, and of those
who seek victory I am morality. Of secret things I am silence, and of the
wise I am the wisdom.
PURPORT
There are many suppressing agents, of which the most important are those
that cut down miscreants. When miscreants are punished, the agency of
chastisement represents Krishna. 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 Krishna Himself.
TEXT 39
yac capi sarva-bhutanam
bijam tad aham arjuna
na tad asti vina yat syan
maya bhutam caracaram
WORD FOR WORD
yat -- whatever; ca -- also; api -- may be;
sarva-bhutanam -- of all creations; bijam -- seed;
tat -- that; aham -- I am; arjuna -- O Arjuna;
na -- not; tat -- that; asti -- there is; vina
-- without; yat -- which; syat -- exists; maya -- Me;
bhutam -- created being; cara-acaram -- moving and
nonmoving.
TRANSLATION
Furthermore, O Arjuna, I am the generating seed of all existences. There
is no being -- moving or nonmoving -- that can exist without Me.
PURPORT
Everything has a cause, and that cause or seed of manifestation is
Krishna. Without Krishna's energy, nothing can exist; therefore He is
called omnipotent. Without His potency, neither the movable nor the
immovable can exist. Whatever existence is not founded on the energy of
Krishna is called maya, "that which is not."
TEXT 40
nanto 'sti mama divyanam
vibhutinam parantapa
esa tuddesatah prokto
vibhuter vistaro maya
WORD FOR WORD
na -- nor; antah -- a limit; asti -- there is;
mama -- My; divyanam -- of the divine; vibhutinam --
opulences; parantapa -- O conqueror of the enemies; esah --
all this; tu -- but; uddesatah -- as examples;
proktah -- spoken; vibhuteh -- of opulences; vistarah
-- the expanse; maya -- by Me.
TRANSLATION
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.
TEXT 41
yad yad vibhutimat sattvam
srimad urjitam eva va
tat tad evavagaccha tvam
mama tejo-'msa-sambhavam
WORD FOR WORD
yat yat -- whatever; vibhuti -- opulences; mat --
having; sattvam -- existence; sri-mat -- beautiful;
urjitam -- glorious; eva -- certainly; va -- or;
tat tat -- all those; eva -- certainly; avagaccha --
must know; tvam -- you; mama -- My; tejah -- of the
splendor; amsa -- a part; sambhavam -- born of.
TRANSLATION
Know that all opulent, beautiful and glorious 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 Krishna's opulence, whether it be in the
spiritual or material world. Anything extraordinarily opulent should be
considered to represent Krishna's opulence.
TEXT 42
atha va bahunaitena
kim jnatena tavarjuna
vistabhyaham idam krtsnam
ekamsena sthito jagat
WORD FOR WORD
atha va -- or; bahuna -- many; etena -- by this kind;
kim -- what; jnatena -- by knowing; tava -- your;
arjuna -- O Arjuna; vistabhya -- pervading; aham --
I; idam -- this; krtsnam -- entire; eka -- by one;
amsena -- part; sthitah -- am situated; jagat --
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 Krishna'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.
There is a Mission that regularly propounds that worship of any demigod
will lead one to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, or the supreme goal.
But worship of demigods is thoroughly discouraged herein because even the
greatest demigods like Brahma and Shiva represent only part of the opulence
of the Supreme Lord. He is the origin of everyone born, and no one is
greater than Him. He is asamaurdhva, which means that no one is
superior to Him and that no one is equal to Him. In the Padma
Purana it is said that one who considers the Supreme Lord Krishna in
the same category with demigods -- be they even Brahma or Shiva -- becomes
at once an atheist. If, however, one thoroughly studies the different
descriptions of the opulences and expansions of Krishna's energy, then one
can understand without any doubt the position of Lord Sri Krishna and can
fix his mind in the worship of Krishna 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 Krishna consciousness in full devotional
service; therefore they are always situated in the transcendental
position. Devotional service and worship of Krishna 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. Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana, a great
acarya in disciplic succession from Krishna, concludes his
commentary on this chapter by saying,
yac-chakti-lesat suryadya
bhavanty aty-ugra-tejasah
yad-amsena dhrtam visvam
sa krsno dasame 'rcyate
From Lord Krishna's potent energy even the powerful sun gets its power,
and by Krishna's partial expansion the whole world is maintained.
Therefore Lord Sri Krishna is worshipable.
Thus end the Bhaktivedanta Purports to the Tenth Chapter of the Srimad
Bhagavad-gita in the matter of the Opulence of the Absolute.
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