Summary of Tenth Discourse
Krishna tells Arjuna that even the Devas and highly evolved souls fail to understand how He projects Himself as the universe and all its manifestations. He goes on to describe the various qualities that beings manifest according to their Karmas. All these qualities—wisdom, truth, contentment, etc.—originate from Him.
The true devotees of the Lord are wholly absorbed in Him. They have completely surrendered to Him and through single-minded devotion they are granted the power of discrimination, the discrimination that leads them from the unreal to the Real. Krishna emphatically declares that ignorance is destroyed and knowledge gained through Divine Grace alone.
Arjuna accepts the descent of the Supreme in a human form, but wishes to know from the Lord Himself His Cosmic powers by means of which He controls the diverse forces of the universe. The Lord describes His Divine glories, bringing within the range of Arjuna’s comprehension His limitless manifestations, and how He upholds everything. In short, the Lord is the Almighty Power that creates, sustains and destroys everything.
Bhagavad-Gita-10
Sri Bhagavaan Uvaacha:
Bhooya eva mahaabaaho shrinu me paramam vachah;
Yatte’ham preeyamaanaaya vakshyaami hitakaamyayaa.
The Blessed Lord said:
1. Again, O mighty-armed Arjuna, listen to My supreme word which I shall declare to thee who art beloved, for thy welfare!
COMMENTARY: The all-compassionate Lord in His mercy wants to encourage Arjuna and cheer him up, and so He Himself comes forward to give him instructions without any request having been made by Arjuna.
Na me viduh suraganaah prabhavam na maharshayah;
Ahamaadirhi devaanaam maharsheenaam cha sarvashah.
2. Neither the hosts of the gods nor the great sages know My origin; for, in every way I am the source of all the gods and the great sages.
Yo maamajamanaadim cha vetti lokamaheshwaram;
Asammoodhah sa martyeshu sarvapaapaih pramuchyate.
3. He who knows Me as unborn and beginningless, as the great Lord of the worlds, he, among mortals, is undeluded; he is liberated from all sins.
COMMENTARY: As the Supreme Being is the cause of all the worlds, He is beginningless. As He is the source of all the gods and the great sages, so there is no source for His own existence. As He is beginningless, He is unborn. He is the great Lord of all the worlds.
Buddhir jnaanamasammohah kshamaa satyam damah shamah;
Sukham duhkham bhavo’bhaavo bhayam chaabhayameva cha.
4. Intellect, wisdom, non-delusion, forgiveness, truth, self-restraint, calmness, happiness, pain, birth or existence, death or non-existence, fear and also fearlessness,
Ahimsaa samataa tushtistapo daanam yasho’yashah;
Bhavanti bhaavaa bhootaanaam matta eva prithagvidhaah.
5. Non-injury, equanimity, contentment, austerity, fame, beneficence, ill-fame—(these) different kinds of qualities of beings arise from Me alone.
Maharshayah sapta poorve chatwaaro manavastathaa;
Madbhaavaa maanasaa jaataa yeshaam loka imaah prajaah.
6. The seven great sages, the ancient four and also the 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 born in this world.
Etaam vibhootim yogam cha mama yo vetti tattwatah;
So’vikampena yogena yujyate naatra samshayah.
7. He who in truth knows these manifold manifestations of My Being and (this) Yoga-power of Mine, becomes established in the unshakeable Yoga; there is no doubt about it.
Aham sarvasya prabhavo mattah sarvam pravartate;
Iti matwaa bhajante maam budhaa bhaavasamanvitaah.
8. I am the source of all; from Me everything evolves; understanding thus, the wise, endowed with meditation, worship Me.
Macchittaa madgatapraanaa bodhayantah parasparam;
Kathayantashcha maam nityam tushyanti cha ramanti cha.
9. With their minds and lives entirely absorbed in Me, enlightening each other and always speaking of Me, they are satisfied and delighted.
Teshaam satatayuktaanaam bhajataam preetipoorvakam;
Dadaami buddhiyogam tam yena maamupayaanti te.
10. To them who are ever steadfast, worshipping Me with love, I give the Yoga of discrimination by which they come to Me.
COMMENTARY: The devotees who have dedicated themselves to the Lord, who are ever harmonious and self-abiding, who adore Him with intense love, who are ever devout, obtain the Divine Grace.
Teshaam evaanukampaartham aham ajnaanajam tamah;
Naashayaamyaatmabhaavastho jnaanadeepena bhaaswataa.
11. Out of mere compassion for them, I, dwelling within their Self, destroy the darkness born of ignorance by the luminous lamp of knowledge.
Arjuna Uvaacha:
Param brahma param dhaama pavitram paramam bhavaan;
Purusham shaashvatam divyam aadidevamajam vibhum.
Arjuna said:
12. Thou art the Supreme Brahman, the supreme abode (or the supreme light), the supreme purifier, the eternal, divine Person, the primeval God, unborn and omnipresent.
Aahustwaam rishayah sarve devarshirnaaradastathaa;
Asito devalo vyaasah swayam chaiva braveeshi me.
13. All the sages have thus declared Thee, as also the divine sage Narada; so also Asita, Devala and Vyasa; and now Thou Thyself sayest so to me.
Sarvametadritam manye yanmaam vadasi keshava;
Na hi te bhagavan vyaktim vidurdevaa na daanavaah.
14. I believe all this that Thou sayest to me as true, O Krishna! Verily, O blessed Lord, neither the gods nor the demons know Thy manifestation (origin)!
Swayamevaatmanaatmaanam vettha twam purushottama;
Bhootabhaavana bhootesha devadeva jagatpate.
15. Verily, Thou Thyself knowest Thyself by Thyself, O Supreme Person, O source and Lord of beings, O God of gods, O ruler of the world!
Vaktum arhasyasheshena divyaa hyaatmavibhootayah;
Yaabhir vibhootibhir lokaanimaamstwam vyaapya tishthasi.
