Bhagavad Gita - Chapter 10 - Vibhooti Yogah - Yoga Of The Divine Manifestations

 

 

CONTENTS

 

• PREAMBLE
• THE IMMANENCE AND TRANSCENDENCE  OF GOD
• KNOWLEDGE AND DEVOTION
• LORD IS THE SEED AND PERFECTION OF ALL THAT IS
• CONCEPTS & ISSUES
• LIVE AS THE GITA TEACHES YOU TO LIVE
• POINTS TO PONDER

Preamble

In Chapters 7 to 9 Bhagavan Sri Krishna made an elaborate  exposition of Jnana and Vijnana (Knowledge and Wisdom) about Brahman wherein He  dealt with predominantly Its nirguna aspects (characteristics without  any attributes or manifestations). But for an ordinary person these discourses  would be very much perplexing. Therefore, the Lord introduces this Chapter  dealing with the same subject in a more easy to comprehend way by describing  Brahman in Its saguna aspects (characteristics with attributes or manifestations).  In the next Chapter He physically demonstrates to Arjuna what He has been  talking about.

Chapters 7 to 9 may be understood as the pure science of  Brahman, Chapter 10 as its applied science and Chapter 11 as the practical  demonstration of what had been stated in these Chapters. Thus the Bhagavad Gita  gives us an integrated and complete data about the Absolute, Supreme Being.

Vibhooti Yoga means the yoga of Supreme Manifestation of  God – revealing Brahman as the source of the material world. Even highly  evolved persons do not know the origin of Brahman. The wise, however, pursue  Brahman with devotion and steadfastness until they become one with Brahman.

Arjuna stands bewildered at the astounding knowledge and  personality of Krishna. He asks how Krishna (Brahman) manifests Himself in the  world. Krishna responds by detailing His (Brahman’s) manifested expressions  analytically and tells how Brahman permeates the whole universe (Verses 20 to  39). Reiterating the fact that the range of His divine manifestations is  infinite, He winds up this topic by pointing out to Arjuna that the entire  universe is an insignificant, minuscule fraction of Him (Brahman).

This  is Yoga because by meditating over the glories of The Lord as described in this  Chapter one can discover the Infinite in the finite world of pluralities. The  Self conditioned by or functioning through the individual mind and intellect is  the Ego (Jiva), limited by its imperfections. While the same Eternal Self  conditioned by or functioning through the total (cosmic) mind and intellect is  the God-principle or Ishwara unlimited by any imperfections. This concept of  the Self as seen through an individual mind and the cosmic mind is explained in  this and the next Chapters.

THE IMMANENCE AND TRANSCENDENCE  OF GOD

sri bhagavaan uvaacha
    bhooya eva mahaabaaho shrinu me paramam  vachah
    yatteham preeyamaanaaya vakshyaami hitakaamyayaa  // 10.1 //

Sri  Bhagavan said
    Again,  O Mighty Armed, listen to My Supreme word, which I, wishing your welfare, will  declare to you, who are delighted to hear Me.

Encouraged  by the keen interest shown by Arjuna in the discourses so far and the resultant  satisfaction visible in him, The Lord comes forward to repeat what He had told  in the previous discourses (Ch.7 to 9) about His essential nature,  manifestations and Divine glories. He does this because He desires Arjuna's  welfare who is also delighted to hear Him.

na me viduh suraganaah prabhavam na  maharshayah
    ahamaadirhi devaanaam maharsheenaam cha  sarvashah  // 10.2 //

Neither  the Hosts of the Devas nor the great Rishis know My origin; for in all respects  I am the source of all the Devas and Rishis.

The Lord is without a cause. He is changeless and  immutable. Yet He manifests His glories in the Universe in various ways. The  mystery of these manifestations is not known even to the Devas and sages much  less to the ordinary mortals. Human reasoning cannot know His nature. He  reveals Himself out of His infinite compassion in the pure hearts of His  devotees.

The Supreme is unborn and eternal and He is also the  Lord of the world. Though He has no birth, all existence derives from Him. The  teacher announces that He is in truth the Eternal God Himself, more ancient  than all else and that all manifested glory is from Him.

yo maamajamanaadim cha vetti  lokamaheshwaram
    asammoodhah sa martyeshu sarvapaapaih  pramuchyate  // 10.3 //

He  who knows Me as unborn and without a beginning, and as the Supreme Lord of the worlds,  he, among the mortals, is undeluded and is liberated from all sins.

Knows  Me: Knowing not merely by emotion but by spiritual understanding achieved  through one's identification with the Self.

Unborn:  The Infinite cannot be born because It never expresses Itself in any finite  manifestation. The ghost is born and hence it has to die; but the post cannot  be said to have given birth to the ghost nor has it taken birth from the ghost.  The post was, is and shall always be a post only. Similarly, The Self is  eternal and therefore It is birthless.

Beginningless:  Everything is born in the Self, exists in the Self and ends in the Self. Waves  are born but ocean is birthless. Every wave - every manifestation- has a  beginning and an end but the ocean has none. Hence the Self is beginningless.
  Supreme  Lord of the Worlds: `World' includes not only the objective world perceived by  our physical senses but also the world of feelings and emotions experienced by  us. Experiences of the body, mind and intellect cannot be ours unless we are  constantly aware of them. This awareness or Consciousness or Self is that which  rules our `world’ which is called the `Supreme Lord of the worlds'.

When  we learn to look at things as derived from the One Transcendent Reality, we are  delivered from all gropings and bewilderment.

buddhirjnaanamasammohah kshamaa satyam  damah shamah
    sukham duhkham bhavo`bhaavo bhayam  chaabhayameva cha  // 10.4 //

Intelligence,  knowledge, non-delusion, forgiveness, truth, self-control, calmness, happiness,  misery, birth or death, fear and also fearlessness;

ahimsaa samataa tushtistapo daanam  yasho'yashah
    bhavanti bhaavaa bhootaanaam matta eva  prithagvidhaah // 10.5 //

Non-injury,  equanimity, contentment, austerity, charity, fame, ill fame (all these)  different attributes of beings arise from Me alone.

Continuing  the idea that The Lord is the cause for the world of plurality within an  individual and for the world outside, Sri Krishna enumerates the qualities of  head and heart emanating from Him.

The  Lord alone is the cause and the basis of the universe and all its beings.  Created beings are endowed with different attributes according to their karma.  The law of karma functions in the relative world through the power of the Lord  and thus the Divine is indirectly responsible for the pain and sufferings of  the world. He is the lord of the world and guides it, though He is unaffected  by its oppositions of duality.

maharshayah sapta poorve chatwaaro manavastathaa
    madbhaavaa maanasaa jaataa yeshaam loka  imaah prajaah //10. 6 //

The  seven great sages and also the four ancient Manus, possessed of powers like Me  (on account of their minds being fixed on Me), were born of (My) mind ;  from them are these creatures in the world  originated and sustained.

According  to the theory of creation found in Puranas Brahman in association with maya projected  the universe. The first manifestation of Brhman in space and time is called  Hiranyagarbha or prana or sutratma which pervades the universe as  a thread runs through a garland. The process of creation further down the line  is as under:

These  seven rishis were the original teachers of spiritual wisdom and the four  Manus were the original rulers of the world. The present inhabitants of the  world according the Puranas have descended from these primeval personages.

etaam vibhootim yogam cha mama yo vetti  tattwatah
    so'vikampena yogena yujyate naatra  samshayah // 10.7 //

He  who knows in truth this glory and power of Mine acquires unshakable devotion;  of this there is no doubt.

One  who knows the immanent pervading power of The Lord and the diverse  manifestations caused thereby gets united with Him in firm and unalterable Yoga  and attains eternal Bliss and harmony (unshakable yoga). The Yogi realizes that  the Lord and his manifestations are one. He is aware of his oneness with Him.  The knowledge of the determinate Brahman (manifestations) is the way to the  knowledge of the indeterminate (unmanifest Absolute) Brahman.

KNOWLEDGE AND DEVOTION

aham sarvasya prabhavo mattah sarvam  pravartate
    iti matwaa bhajante maam budhaa  bhaavasamanvitaah  // 10.8 //

I  am the origin of all, from Me everything evolves, understanding thus, the wise  worship Me with all their heart.

The  technique by which we can get ourselves established permanently in the  continuous experience of the Supreme is explained here by Sri Krishna who now  speaks as The Lord, Ishwara. God is the material and efficient cause of the  world. The seeker is not deluded by passing forms but knowing that the Supreme  is the source of all the forms, he worships the Supreme with all his heart.

matchittaa madgatapraanaa bodhayantah  parasparam
    kathayantashcha maam nityam tushyanti  cha ramanti cha // 10.9 //

With  their thoughts fixed on Me, with their life absorbed in Me, enlightening one  another about Me, and always speaking about Me, they derive satisfaction and  delight.

The  characteristics of a devotee who has attained the realization of oneness with  the divine are described in this verse.

With  their minds wholly in Me (Matchittah): Once a person's intellect is convinced  that the essence behind the God principle (Ishwara) and the individual ego  (Jiva) is one and the same, any agitating feelings in the mind and disturbing  thoughts in the intellect will not upset him and he will constantly be aware of  the Conscious principle or the Self behind them all.

With  their senses absorbed in Me (Mat-gata-praanaah): Here Prana indicates the five  sense organs. The implication is not to run away from the sense objects but to  have discrimination through which one can regulate and train his thoughts so  that in any situation in life he will always be reminded of the Eternal  Consciousness without which any sense object could not have been illumined for  the mind to experience it.

Discussing  with one another: Mutual discussion about Brahma Vidya enables crystallization  of ideas and attaining deeper insight into the amount of knowledge gained.

A  true seeker is the one who remembers constantly the Consciousness principle.  They ultimately lead him to be free from external circumstances and inner  dissatisfactions. He experiences a sense of contentment and delight which  provide an ideal backdrop for the spiritual progress.

teshaam satatayuktaanaam bhajataam  preetipoorvakam
    dadaami buddhiyogam tam yena  maamupayaanti te  // 10.10 //

To  them, ever devoted to Me, worship Me with love, I give the Yoga `Buddhi' by  which they come to Me.

The  devotees who have dedicated themselves to The Lord, who are ever harmonious and  self-abiding, who are ever devout and who adore Him with intense love and with  no selfish motives obtain the divine grace. The Lord gives them ‘buddhiyoga' or the Yoga of understanding by which they gain the wisdom which sees the One  in all the forms which constantly change and pass.

teshaam evaanukampaartham aham  ajnaanajam tamah
    naashyaamyaatmabhaavastho jnaanadeepena  bhaaswataa  // 10.11 //

Solely  out of compassion for them, I, dwelling within their hearts, destroy the  darkness born of ignorance by the shining lamp of knowledge.

The  purpose of imparting the Buddhi Yoga is given here.

Darkness  born of ignorance - The veil which prevents one from recognizing the Self which  is already within him due to the absence of the knowledge of Right  Discrimination. Even in darkness the Self is abiding in us but It is only not  available for subjective experience by the seeker due to ignorance.

Destroy  by the shining lamp of knowledge - Seekers who established themselves in the  constant awareness of the Supreme, with the aid of Buddhi Yoga, experience  their real identity with the Self. This act of Self-revelation is performed by  The Lord (The Self) who always abides in the hearts of the devotees out of the  spirit of compassion.

The  Lord makes out how Bhakti or devotion leads to the destruction of ignorance and  the rise of illumination. When ignorance is destroyed God stands revealed in  the human spirit. When love and wisdom arise, the eternal is fulfilled in the  individual. Bhakti is also a means to Jnana. Through it we obtain Divine Grace  and the power of understanding, buddhiyoga. Intellectual knowledge is rendered  luminous and certain by the direct intuition of the Buddhi.

LORD IS THE SEED AND PERFECTION OF ALL THAT IS

arjuna uvaacha
    param brahma param dhaama pavitram  paramam bhavaan
    purusham shaashvatam divyamaadidevamajam  vibhum  // 10.12 //

Arjuna  said
    You  are the Supreme Brahman, the Supreme Abode (or the Supreme Light), the Supreme  Purifier, the Eternal, Divine Person, the Primeval God, Unborn and Omnipresent.

aahustwaam rushayah sarve  devarshinaaradastathaa
    asito devalo vyaasah swayam chaiva  braveeshi me // 10.13 //

All  the sages have thus declared You as also the Devarshi Narada; so also Asita,  Devala and Vyasa and now the same You Yourself are telling me.

Arjuna  tells Sri Krishna that he was taught much earlier the same ideas as He has been  telling him now such as Supreme Brahman, Supreme Abode, Supreme Purifier,  Eternal, Self-luminous Purusha, First Deva, Birthless and All Pervading. These  were also declared by the ancient Rishis like Asita, Devala and Vyasa and by  the Deva Rishi Narada. Hence he wonders how Sri Krishna who is standing before  him be Himself the Infinite, the Supreme, the Birthless and the All pervading.

Param  Brahman - The highest Self, the pure and attributeless Absolute completely free  from the limiting adjuncts. Param Dhama - The Supreme Light, the Supreme Abode,  the substratum. Pavitram Paramam - He who destroys ignorance which is the very  cause for all dualities.

sarvametadritam manye yanmaam vadasi  keshava
    na hi te bhagavan vyaktim vidurdevaa na  daanavaah // 10.14 //

I  believe all this that You say to me as true, O Keshava, verily O Bhagavan,  neither the Devas nor the Danavas know your manifestation (identity).

In  Bhagavan exist in fullness all wisdom, dispassion, lordship, virtue, wealth and  omnipotence. He also knows the origin and dissolution and the future of all  beings. He is omniscient.

Arjuna  admits the truth of what has been declared and proclaims his conviction that  Sri Krishna who is speaking to him is the Supreme Godhead, the Absolute. He  confirms by his own experience to the truth revealed by the seers who have seen  It and become one with It. Abstract truths uttered by the sages become now  luminous intuitions and glowing experiences of one's own being.

swayamevaaatmanaa'tmaanam vettha twam  purushottama
    bhootabhaavana bhootesha devadeva  jagatpate // 10.15 //

Verily,  You Yourself know Yourself by Yourself, O Purushottama (Supreme Person), O  Source and Lord of all beings, O God of Gods, O Ruler of the world.

The  Self cannot be known as an object through the instruments of knowing. It cannot  be understood as an object either by the best or the worst in us. The Self  being itself Awareness or Knowledge no other knowledge is required to know It.  Thus Arjuna says `You Yourself know Yourself by Yourself'.

Purushottama:  The best or the most glorious among the Purushas who is the source of beings,  The Lord of the beings, God of the gods and the ruler of the world. It means  the Self of all the selves, the one without any second, the Supreme Self.

vaktumarhasyasheshena divyaa  hyaatmavibhootayah
    yaabhir vibhootibhir lokaanimaamstwam  vyaapya tishthasi // 10.16 //

You  should indeed tell, without reserve, of Your Divine glories by which You exist,  pervading all these worlds.

katham vidyaamaham yogimstwaam sadaa  parichintayan
    keshu keshu cha bhaaveshu chintyo'si  bhagavan mayaa // 10.17 //

How  shall I, ever meditating, know You O Yogin? In what aspects, O Blessed Lord,  are You to be thought of by me.

vistarenaaatmano  yogam vibhootim cha janaardana
    bhooyah kathaya triptirhi shrinvato  naasti me'mritam // 10.18 //

Tell  me again in detail, O Janardana, of your Yoga-power and Immanent glory; for I  am not satisfied in hearing your nectar-like speech.

After  expressing his wonder on what Sri Krishna was telling him all along Arjuna now  directly asks The Lord: What exactly are The Lord's divine manifestations in  the world of plurality? In what aspects of nature where The Lord's presence is  more clearly manifest? In what various aspects he should think of Him to help  his meditation?

Arjuna,  full of anxiety to listen (Jigyasa), tells The Lord that he is not satisfied  with His invigorating nectar-like words of Discourses and requests Him to tell  him in detail His Yogic power and eminent glory. This shows that Arjuna has  come to realize that the whole creation is nothing but the manifestation of the  Lord’s powers and no one but the Lord himself knows their mystery. So he  desires to learn about those powers from the Lord Himself.

By  divine glory or manifestation or Vibhooti is meant the formative forces or  spiritual powers which give to each object its essential nature. The Gita does  not set up an opposition between Brahman and the world, between the Ineffable  Reality and its inadequate expression. It gives a comprehensive spiritual view.  Worship of the Absolute is difficult for embodied beings. It is easier to  approach the Supreme through Its relations with the world and this method is  more natural. The nature of the Supreme in man and the universe is veiled by  the series of becomings. Man has to discover his spiritual unity with God and  so with all His creatures.

sri bhagavaan uvaacha
    hanta te kathayishyaami divyaa  hyaatmavibhootayah
    praadhaanyatah kurushreshtha naastyanto  vistarasya me // 10.19 //

Sri  Bhagavan said
    Very  well, now I will declare to you My divine glories but only of those which are  prominent, O the best of Kurus. There is no end to their detailed description.

Sri  Krishna in the rest of this Chapter explains to Arjuna exhaustively the  identity of the Self (i.e. His identity) in individual beings and things and in  their combinations. The Lord makes it clear His supreme importance in  individual beings and things and emphasizes the fact that without Him none of  the constituent members of a community will have any organized existence.

God  is infinite and His manifestation is infinite. He manifests Himself in the  universe through innumerable forms. Each form is a symbol of an attribute of  the Lord. The true seer finds each finite form carrying in it its own  revelation of the infinite.

ahamaatmaa gudaakesha sarvabhootaashayasthitah
    ahamaadishcha madhyam cha  bhootaanaamanta eve cha // 10.20 //

I  am the Self, O Gudakesa, seated in the hearts of all beings; I am the  beginning, the middle and also the end of all beings.

The  Lord tells Arjuna `I am the Self that exists in the heart of all beings'. This  general statement is the sum and substance of His entire talk in Gita. He  specifically tells that He is the birth, life and death of all beings. The  world is a living whole, a vast inter connectedness, a cosmic harmony inspired  and sustained by the One Supreme.

If  one is unable to meditate on the Lord as the Self, then one should think of Him  in the various beings and things enumerated in the following verses as a  special manifestation of the Godhead, for the Lord is the essence of all the  things

aadityaanaamaham vishnur jyotishaam  raviramshumaan
    mareechirmarutaamasmi nakshatraanaamaham  shashee // 10.21 //

Among  the (twelve) Adityas I am the Vishnu ; among the luminaries, the radiant sun; I  am Marichi among the winds; among the stars I am the moon.

Adityas  are Gods representing the twelve months of the year. Vishnu is considered the  most important among them. Maruts are the gods controlling the winds. The  twelve Adityas, luminaries like Agni, Lightning, the Maruts, the Stars etc. are  the ordinary manifestations of The Lord. Vishnu, Marichi, the sun and the moon  are his special manifestations and hence they have greater splendor in them.

While  the Supreme is in all things, He is more prominent in some than in others.  There is an ascending order in the world. God is more revealed in life than in  matter, in consciousness than in life and in saints and sages than in others.  Within the same order, He is most revealed in the pre-eminent individuals.

In  all these verses of this Chapter Sri Krishna supplies the seekers with various  items of thought (names and forms) over which The Lord can be superimposed for  deeper and single-pointed meditation.

vedaanaam saamavedo'smi devaanaamasmi  vaasavah
    indriyaanaam manashchaasmi bhootaanaamasmi  chetanaa // 10.22 //

Among  the Vedas I am the Sama Veda; I am Vaasava among the Gods; among the senses I  am the mind and I am the intelligence among living beings.

Sama Veda - It is the essence of Rig Veda which is the most important of all the  four Vedas. Sama Veda has the additional characteristic of musical beauty with  tunes, melody and rhythm. Sri Krishna is the Infinite Essence tuned to music as  Rig Veda mantras are in Sama Veda.

Vaasava  - The king of gods, Indra. The Self is as Indra among the Gods, ruling over the  others, controlling, directing and organizing the lives.

Mind  - Indra also means the king of sense organs, the latter being the Devas. Mind  is the controller without which sense organs cannot have the power of  functioning.

Intelligence  - Of all the creations in the world intelligence is the mysterious power which  is still beyond comprehension. It is that which illumines all from the  intellect down to the grossest physical object.

rudraanaam shankarashchaasmi vittesho  yaksharakshasaam
    vasoonaam paavakashchaasmi meruh  shikharinaamaham // 10.23 //

And  among the Rudras I am Sankara; among the Yakshas and Rakshasas Kubera, the Lord  of wealth; among the Vasus I am Pavaka, Agni; and among the mountains I am the  Meru.

Rudras  - Deities of destruction. Destruction is a necessary precedent for construction  just as the seed must perish to enable the plant to come out. Sankara is the  deity for creative destruction.

Pavaka  - Vasus are the deities presiding over the seasons. The six external seasons  get colored by two internal seasons viz. joy and sorrow and all of these can be  experienced only through Consciousness within.

Meru  - A mythological mountain believed to be the centre of the Universe from which  Ganga (Spiritual Knowledge) flows in all four directions to bless the humanity.

purodhasaam cha mukhyam maam viddhi  paartha brihaspatim
    senaaneenaamaham skandah sarasaamasmi  saagarah // 10.24 //

And,  among the household priests, O Partha, know Me the chief, Brihaspati; among the  generals, I am Skanda; among the lakes, I am the ocean.

Brihaspati  - The spiritual teacher for the celestials. Skanda- Son of Siva the peacock  rider and the wielder of the spear.

Ocean - It is the source of all rivers  because from it the evaporation of water takes place to flood the rivers.  Similarly the sentient and insentient things and beings of the world cannot  exist but for the Infinite Ocean of Truth, The Lord.

maharsheenaam bhriguraham  giraamasmyekamaksharam
    yajnaanaam japayajno'smi sthaavaraanaam  himaalayah // 10.25 //

Among  the great sages I am Bhrigu; among words I am the one syllable"OM";  among sacrifices I am the sacrifice of silent repetition (Japa Yoga); among  immovable things the Himalayas.

Bhrigu  - He is the chief of the seven rishis.

One syllable `OM' - It indicates the  Eternal and Infinite.

Japa Yoga - It is the repetition of the mantra or divine  name by maintaining the same divine thoughts. Japa Yagna is regarded as the  best of all Yagnas because it involves the unbroken remembrance of the Self.

The  Himalayas - It is great because it is the highest in the world and provides  spiritual advancement to the seekers.

ashwatthah sarvavrikshaanaam  devarsheenaam cha naaradah
    gandharvaanaam chitrarathah  siddhaanaam kapilo munih // 10.26 //

Among  all trees I am the Peepul; among the Divine Rishis, Narada; among Gandharvas  Chitraratha; among the perfected ones, the sage Kapila.

Peepul  - Both in magnitude and life span it is the largest and hence considered  immortal. It has divinity attached to it and therefore worshipped. As per  Upanishads and Gita itself it represents pluralistic phenomenal world.

Narada -  He is a great devotee of Narayana. He is the greatest sage because he guides the deluded. He has the missionary zeal and enthusiasm.

Gandharvas - Celestial  beings famous for their art and music.

Chitraratha is the most brilliant among  them noted for his singing.

Siddhas  - Those who at their very birth attained virtue, wisdom and dispassion. They  are great thinkers and perfected ones. Sage Kapila is the author of Sankhyan  Philosophy and is the greatest thinker.

ucchaihshravasamashwaanaam viddhi  maamamritodbhavam
    airaavatam gajendraanaam naraanaam cha  naraadhipam // 10.27 //

Know  Me among horses as Ucchaisravas, born of nectar, among lordly elephants the Airavata  and among men, the king.

Ucchaisravas,  Airavata - The winged horse, mighty and powerful and the white elephant came up  during the churning of the Milky ocean which were presented to Indra. King -  Leader among men.

aayudhaanaamaham vajram dhenoonaamasmi  kaamadhuk
    prajanashchaasmi kandarpah  sarpaanaamasmi vaasukih // 10.28 //

Among  the weapons I am the thunderbolt; among cows I am Kamadhuk; I am Kandarpa the  cause for off-springs; among serpents I am Vasuki.

Vajra  - An item in the divine artillery which can never be destroyed.

Kamadhuk - The  cow `Kamadhenu' which yields all the desired objects.

Kandarpa - The Cupid, the  God of Love.

Vasuki - Mythological serpent living on Siva's ring finger as an  ornament. This serpent served as a rope for churning the milky ocean. Sarpa is single-hooded serpent.

anantashchaasmi naagaanaam varuno  yaadasaamaham
    pitreenaamaryamaa chaasmi yamah  samyamataamaham // 10.29 //

I  am Ananta among Nagas; I am Varuna of water-deities; Aryaman of Pitris or  ancestors I am; among controllers I am Yama.

Nagas  - Many hooded serpents among which Sesha Naga is the mightiest and the most  divine because he is the substratum upon which Vishnu, the sustainer and Brahma, the creator of the multiple worlds function.

Varuna - He is the ruler  of the oceans, the Lord of all waters.

Aryaman - Ruler of the world of  ancestors.

Yama - The Lord of Death who controls life. The principle of  creation has to be preceded by the principle of death. Death serves the purpose  of orderly existence in the world.

prahlaadashchaasmi daityaanaam kaalah  kalayataamaham
    mrigaanaam cha mrigendro'ham  vainateyashcha pakshinaam // 10.30 //

I  am Prahlada among Daityas (Demons); among measurers I am Time; among beasts I  am their king, the lion; and Garuda among birds am I.

Prahlad  - Though the son of a demon king, Hiranyakashipu, Prahlad was a great devotee  of Sri Krishna.  

Time - Time is an Eternal Factor which is divided into past,  present and future by the play of mind and intellect. The Lord is thus an  Infinite Substratum supporting the finite multiplicity.  

The Lion - Noted for  its majesty, manliness and dignity among the animals. 

Garuda - Noted for its  flight, powers of perception and the heights up to which it can soar among the  birds.

pavanah pavataamasmi raamah  shastrabhritaamaham
    jhashaanaam makarashchaasmi  srotasaamasmi jaahnavee // 10.31 //

Among  purifiers I am the wind; among warriors Rama am I; among the fishes I am the shark;  among the rivers I am the Ganga.

Wind  - Sweeps clean every thing.  

Rama - A Perfect man in all aspects of life: as a  son, husband, brother, friend, warrior, teacher, ruler and even as a father.

Shark  - The largest and most powerful fish.

Jahnavi - Most sacred river Ganga.

sargaanaamaadirantashcha madhyam  chaivaham arjuna
    adhyaatmavidyaa vidyaanaam vaadah  pravadataamaham // 10.32 //

Among  creations I am the beginning, the middle and also the end, O Arjuna; among  sciences I am the science of the Self and I am the logic in all arguments.

In  verse 20 of this Chapter The Lord said that He is the beginning, middle and also the end of all individual beings (movable and immovable). Here He says that He is the essence of the entire creation.

The  science of Self is the way to beatitude or salvation. It is not an intellectual  exercise or a social adventure. It is a way to saving wisdom and so is pursued  with deep conviction. Philosophy as the science of Self helps us to overcome  the ignorance which hides from us the vision of Reality. Without it the  sciences of objective elements become misleading.

Logic  - There are various types of argumentations in logic such as vada, jalpa and  vitanda. Vada (Logic) is a way of arguing by which one gets at the truth of a  question without any attraction, repulsion or jealousy or for scoring victory  over the other. Jalpa means assertion of one's own opinion through vehement  criticism of the other's while vitanda means harping upon one's own views  without caring for the opposite side. In jalpa and vitanda the aim is to gain  victory over the other side.

aksharaanaamakaaro'smi dwandwah  saamaasikasya cha
    ahamevaakshayah kaalo dhaataaham  vishwatomukah  // 10.33 //

Among  the letters of the alphabet, the letter `A' I am and the dual (Co-ordinates) among all compounds, I am verily, the inexhaustible or the everlasting time; I  am the (all-faced) Dispenser (of fruits of actions) having faces in all  directions.

The  letter `A' - In Sanskrit the sound of the letter `A' preponderates in every  letter which makes the pronunciation of the words very sweet and rhythmical. This letter also occupies  the first place among the alphabets in all languages.

Dual -  One of the Sanskrit forms of compounds is Dwandwa in which the essential  elements in the components co-ordinate with each other in the newly formed  compound word. Similarly the Self and the Not-Self look mixed up together  constituting the world of perceptions experienced by us, but to a  discriminative mind the component parts are clear.

Everlasting  Time - The `Time' mentioned earlier in verse 30 is finite time while here it is  mentioned as infinite. These put together mean that the Self is the substratum  for both the absolute concept  of Pure  Time and the finite experience of each Moment. But for the awareness of each  fraction of time the total concept of Time is impossible. Hence The Lord is  immanent in each unit of time and also the substratum for the total time.

Dispenser  - He is the sustainer of the mental impressions in every individual which  determine as to how he will react with the outside world.

Facing all directions - As the Supreme Being is all pervading He is said to face all directions. In all perceptions whether physical, mental or intellectual there is the grace of Consciousness which is the Self and hence It is said to see in all directions.

mrityuh sarvaharashashchaaham  udbhavashcha bhavishyataam
    keertih shreervaakcha naareenaam  smritirmedhaadhritih kshamaa // 10.34//

And  I am all devouring death and the source of all that is to be; among the  feminine qualities (I am) fame, prosperity, speech, memory, intelligence,  firmness and forgiveness.

Death  - It is the supreme leveler. Separateness and individuality are maintained only  during life time due to one's relationship with other than oneself. After death  all individualities vanish and all beings wise and ignorant, rich and poor,  noble and ignoble, strong and weak etc. are reduced to the same dust wherein no  distinction can be identified.

Source of all that is to be - The Lord is the source of all new creations that will  have to come in future. In the scheme of life destruction is only a  modification of the existing form into another new one to come in the future.  The idea is that the Infinite, through the continuous process of destruction  and creation, is in fact the finite Universe.

Fame,  prosperity etc. - These qualities are such that through them one can visualize  the Divine more clearly.

brihatsaama tathaa saamnaam gaayatree  chhandasaamaham
    maasaanam maargasheersho'ham ritoonaam  kusumaakarah // 10.35 //

Among  the hymns also I am the Brihat Saman; among the metres Gayatri am I; among  months I am Margashirsha (December-January); among seasons (I am) the flowery  spring.

Brihatsama  - Songs of Sama Veda, consisting of various tunes and meters which require long  and enduring practice to sing. Of all the meters in Sama Veda, the meter called  `Brihati' is the most difficult one and the songs composed in this meter are  called `Brihatsama'.

Gayatri  - This meter is the most divine and powerful. The hymn composed in this meter (Om  Gayatri Mantra) which glorifies the sun is recited every morning and evening by  all. The Supreme is indicated in the Gayatri Mantra as All-pervading, Omniscient and Eternal. He who understands Gayatri in this way attains full and  unending prosperity.

Margashirsha  - End of hot season and beginning of cold.

Spring  - Flowery season with all colors, beauty and charm around.

dyootaam chhalayataamasmi  tejastejaswinaamaham
    jayo'smi vyavasaayo'smi sattwam  sattwavataamaham // 10.36 //

I  am the gambling of the deceitful; I am the splendor of the splendid; I am  victory, I am determination (of those who are determined); I am the goodness of  the good.

Gambling  - Most deceptive game of that time on account of which Pandavas had to undergo  extreme sufferings.

Splendor -It is the most satisfying experience.  

Victory,  effort and goodness - Great qualities in an individual.

vrishneenaam vaasudevo'smi paandavaanaam  dhananjayah
    muneenaamapyaham vyaasah  kaveenaamushanaa kavih // 10.37 //

Among the Vrishnis I am Vaasudeva; among the Pandavas (I am) Dhananjaya; also among the Munis I am Vyasa; and among the poets I am Ushana, the great seer.

Vrishni  - Yadva clan.
Vaasudeva - Sri Krishna whose father’s name was Vasudeva.  

Dhananjaya  - Arjuna , the winner of wealth, the focal point among the five Pandava brothers but for whom nothing could have been achieved by them.  

Vyasa - Of all the men of  reflection, The Lord is he who is behind all the Puranas, Vedas and Upanishads,  sage Vyasa.

Ushana - Sukracharya, the preceptor of demons.

dando damayataamasmi neetirasmi jigeeshataam
    maunam chaivaasmi guhyaanaam jnaanam  jnaanavataamaham // 10.38 //

Among  those who chastise I am the scepter (rod of chastisement); among those who seek  victory I am statesmanship; and also among the secrets I am silence; the wisdom  among knowers am I.

Scepter  - Symbol of the royal power to punish the guilty.  

Statesmanship - Finesse,  skill, tact etc. in administration.

Secret - Secret if expressed in any form,  subtle or overt, remains no more a secret. Silence is therefore the best form  of maintaining secrecy.

Wisdom - The knowledge in the knower or the wisdom in  the wise are the expressions of Divinity through individuals.

yacchaapi sarvabhootaanaam beejam  tadahamarjuna
    na tadasti vinaa yatsyaanmayaa bhootam  charaacharam // 10.39 //

And  whatsoever is the seed of all beings, that also am I, O Arjuna; there is no  being, whether moving or unmoving that can exist without Me.

Self  is the source of all creation just as the seed is the source of all trees. This  idea is repeated in several ways. When the seed germinates it dies to become a  tree. But this is not the case with the Self. Hence Sri Krishna says that He is  the seed of the Universe and even after its germination and growth the tree  (universe) is sustained by the seed (Self) just as all the waves during their  appearance and disappearance are sustained by the ocean and without which waves  cannot exist. Nothing can exist without the Self, which is the essence of  everything like saying all cloth has come out of cotton and no cloth can exist  without cotton.

naanto'sti mama divyaanaam vibhooteenaam  parantapa
    esha too'ddeshatah prokto  vibhootervistaro mayaa // 10.40 //

There  is no end to My Divine glories, O Parantapa; but this is a brief statement by  Me of the particulars of My Divine Glories.

As  the Lord is infinite so are His manifestations. Although there is no end to  narrate all His glories the Lord has provided Arjuna with some specific  examples in order to teach him the Art of seeing the Unseen through the Seen.

The  implication is that one should meditate upon these ideas or examples and try to  discover the Infinite Resplendency of The Lord in every finite shape and name.





    yadyad vibhootimat sattwam  shreemadoorjitameva vaa
        tattadevaavagaccha twam mama  tejom'shasambhavam // 10.41 //

Whatever that is glorious, prosperous or powerful in any being, you know that to be a  manifestation of a part of My splendor.

The  above examples illustrate clearly that The Lord is present in all names and  forms revealing Himself as the glorious or the great or the mighty aspect in  all beings and things. Sri Krishna summarizes his discourse on His several  glories by saying whatever that is great or glorious or mighty is nothing but  the expression of a ray of His infinite splendor. Each one of the examples  given by The Lord indicates as either the great one in the whole species or the  noblest and the most glorious thing or happening or the mightiest among the  powerful. This indication is useful to the seekers to perceive the play of the  Infinite among the finite and ever changing world of names and forms. “While  all things are supported by God, things of beauty and splendor reveal Him more  than others. Every deed of heroism, every life of sacrifice, every work of  genius, is a revelation of the Divine. The epic moments of man's life are  inexplicably beyond the finite mind of man”. Dr.S.Radhakrishnan

athavaa bahunaitena kim jnaatena  tavaarjuna
    vishtabhyaahamidam kritsnamekaamshena  sthito jagat // 10.42 //

But  of what use to you is the knowledge of all these details, O Arjuna? I exist  supporting this whole world by one part of Myself.

Jagat  - The sum total the world perceived by the sense organs and the worlds of ideas  and emotions i.e. the entire field comprehended by the sense organs, the mind  and intellect. Sri Krishna declares that the total world is supported and  nourished by a fraction of Him or His glory. Not that the Divine glory is  broken into fragments. This cosmos is but a partial revelation of the Infinite,  is illumined by one ray of His shining light. The transcendent light of the  Supreme dwells beyond all this cosmos, beyond time and space. Purusha Suktam makes out that all this is only a description of His greatness; the Purusha  Himself is much greater than this.

om  tat sat 
iti srimadbhagavadgeetaasu upanishatsu brahma vidyaayaam yogashaastre
   sri  krishnaarjuna samvaade vibhootiyogo naama dashamo'dhyaayah

Thus  in the Upanishads of the glorious Bhagavad Gita, the science of the Eternal,  the scripture of Yoga, the dialogue between Sri Krishna and Arjuna, ends the  tenth discourse entitled :The Yoga of the Divine Manifestations.

Concepts and Issues

Seeing  the sincere inquisitiveness of Arjuna in knowing the attributes and glories of  The Lord, Sri Krishna reveals them with affection for his welfare and  prosperity and through him for the benefit of humanity at large.

Sri  Krishna tells Arjuna that neither the Gods nor the sages know His origin  because He is the source of all. He, who knows Him as Unborn and Beginningless  and as the Supreme Lord of the Universe, is undeluded and liberated from all  the sins. From Him alone all the qualities of beings viz. understanding,  wisdom, non-illusion, patience, truthfulness, self-control, calmness,  happiness, pain, birth, death, fear and fearlessness arise. The seven great  sages, the ancient four and the Manus, invested with the power of The Lord,  were born out of His mere will and from them all the creatures of the world  descended. He who knows these manifold manifestations and super-natural powers  of The Lord gets established in Yoga.

The  wise ones knowing that He is the source of all, that everything in the world  exists because of Him, worship Him with devotion, talk on Him, surrender  themselves to Him, meditate on Him and rejoice in Him. Sri Krishna says that  those who worship Him with devotion, to them He gives the Yoga of  Discrimination by which they shall reach Him. In order to shower His grace, He  dwells in their Self and destroys the darkness of their ignorance by the shining  lamp of wisdom.

Arjuna  tells The Lord “Narada, Vyasa and other great seers have described You in the  same terms. Now, You too confirm their teachings. I believe that You are the  Supreme Spirit-The Lord, the Infinite Paramatman. You told me earlier that even  the Gods and the great sages do not comprehend you correctly in all Your full  glory. Since You are the only one who knows You, You are the only teacher who  can teach me about Yourself and Your glories. You must tell me therefore all  Your glories which pervade all the worlds. Tell me also how am I to meditate so  that I may know you. In which aspect or form should I contemplate upon You to realize  You in Your full glory? Tell me all about Yoga powers and Your glories ".

From  here till the end of this Chapter Sri Krishna gives several examples of His manifestations  with the idea that he who meditates upon on any one of them will be able to  discover the Infinite in the finite world of pluralities.

The  long list of His manifestations described in the Verses 20 -39 has been  tabulated below for easy reference.

Sri  Krishna says that He is the

Sri  Krishna concludes that nothing can exist without Him, that there is no limit to  His divine manifestations and that He supports the entire Universe by a  fraction of His power.

Live as the Gita Teaches You to Live

  In  this Chapter Arjuna requested The Lord to explain His manifestations, power of  Yoga and His form to meditate upon. Sri Krishna explained the technique for  meditation by citing several examples of His glories on which one has to  concentrate.

In  meditation one will have to take the mind away from the grosser to the subtler  levels of consciousness so as to reach mind's source which is Pure  Consciousness. The mind is always extroverted and feeds on sensory perceptions.  If one gets convinced that He alone exists in everything as its essence (consciousness)  then the mind will begin to perceive the divinity in every being and thing  which is their essential nature. The consciousness within begins to perceive  the consciousness outside without any effort or obstacle. By this way Sri  Krishna teaches that one can always live in God-Consciousness.

 

Points to Ponder

1. How one can know that which has no beginning and end?
2. What made Sri Krishna to enumerate in so many details His glories?
3. What is the purpose behind this discourse of The Lord?
4. Write short notes on :
a. Buddhi Yoga
b. The single syllable `OM'
c. The alphabet `A'
d. Japa Yagna
e. Pipal Tree
f. Time
g. Death as a leveler and
h. Gayatri

HARIH  OM