THE TENTH CHAPTER
"Lord Krishna spoke to His dear devotee Arjuna, 'O Arjuna! Hear once more my supreme words. Because you have faith in my words and are my beloved friend, I speak for your benefit. The gods and sages do not know my origin, for I am the progenitor of all deities and sages; they are born from me. No one knows my birth and lordship because I am birthless, the God of all beings; I have no beginning or end. Thus, one who understands me in this way can be deemed wise and is free from all sins.
O Arjuna! Understand that true intellect is the ability to discern truth from falsehood, and true knowledge is the trust in God. Asammoha is the unwavering commitment to righteous deeds. To be forgiving is to endure the good and bad judgments of all. To speak truthfully and lovingly, to control one’s senses from distractions, to direct the mind away from evil intentions towards God, to remain equanimous in joy and sorrow, life and death, fear and fearlessness, to harm no one, to see the soul equally in all beings, and to always be content—these are virtues.
To give donations to a worthy person, to practice detachment with transcendental knowledge, to eat sparingly, speak minimally, live solitarily, sleep lightly, and constantly remember God’s name—these qualities lead to success or failure based on one’s actions. Yet all beings are created by me through my maya.
Listen further: Marichi Rishi, Atri Rishi, Angira Rishi, Pulah Rishi, Krita Rishi, Ucheta Rishi, Kashyapa Rishi—these seven great sages of the householder’s life—and their predecessors Sanaka, Sanandana, Sanatan, Sanatkumara—these four enlightened by Hansa Avatar—are all born of my will through my maya. Swayambhu Manu, Swarochish Manu, Uttammanu, Raivatmanu, Chakshushmanu, Vaivasvatmanu, Savarnimanu, Dakshasavarnimanu, Dharmasavarnimanu, Rudrasavarnimanu, Brahmasavarnimanu, Devasavarnimanu, Savarnimanu, Tamasamanu, expanded the world by my will.
Thus, the man who truly understands my sovereignty and power is a true yogi. Knowing that I am the cause of all creation and that it is by my will that my maya has created everything, the wise worship me with devotion.
They sing hymns to me, keep their minds focused on me, listen to my words, and sing my praises among themselves; thus they live happily and contentedly. They do not engage in conversations about any goddesses or gods or any kings or emperors. What can I say about the glory of my devotees who even offer their lives to me? To those dear devotees who always love and worship me, I grant special knowledge through which they reach me.
I bestow special favors upon such loving devotees; I reside in their hearts and with the lamp of great light; I dispel the darkness of ignorance.
Then Arjuna said: 'O Keshav! You are the Supreme Brahman, the ultimate refuge, the master of maya, purest of the pure; you purify everything with your presence. You are without beginning or end; eternal; ancient; supreme; brighter than millions of suns; from whom everything originates; father of all; master of all; birthless.
Everything you tell me is true. Neither gods nor demons know your omnipresent form or glory. O Supreme Being! You are the creator of beings; Lord of all; master of everything.
O Lord of the Universe! You alone know your glory. Please tell me about your glory and power. How should I think of you as omnipresent? In what form should I meditate on you? Please tell me again.'"
"Upon hearing Arjuna’s prayer, Lord Krishna spoke, 'O Arjuna! My power is limitless; I am omnipresent; my power pervades everywhere. Listen, the omnipresent form of power that exists within and beyond the world is mine; by my power, the world is created and destroyed. Among the twelve suns of the twelve months, the sun named Vishnu embodies my power. Among the Maruts, Marichi bears my power. The sun among luminaries and the moon among stars also possess my power. The Sama Veda is superior to all Vedas as it describes my qualities; it emanates from my power. Among the deities of heaven, there is Indra; among the senses, there is the mind; among beings, there is consciousness—all infused with my power.
Among the Rudras, there is Shankara; among the Yakshas and Rakshasas, there is Kubera, the treasurer of heaven; among the Vasus, there is Agni—these too are endowed with my power. The greatest of mountains, Mount Meru of gold; the foremost of priests, Brihaspati, who serves Indra; the chief of generals, Kartikeya; the noblest of lakes, the ocean; and the wisest of sages, Bhrigu Rishi—all these are manifestations of my strength.
And in speech, which encompasses these three sounds: ‘A’, ‘U’, ‘M’, forming ‘Om (ॐ)’, there lies an imperishable name that signifies eternal bliss—attaining me frees one from the sorrows of birth and death. Those who reach the deities never escape suffering.
O Arjuna! Of all sacrifices, those that remember my name are supreme; this chanting is known as Japa Yajna. It is performed by those upon whom I have bestowed my grace. Among immovable entities, there is the Himalayas where I reside. Among trees, there is the Peepal tree; among divine sages, Narada Rishi; among Gandharvas, Chitraratha; among Siddhas, Kapila Muni; among horses, Ucchaishrava from Surya’s chariot; among elephants, Airavata from heaven—all these are imbued with my power.
Among men, there is the wise king; among weapons, Indra’s Vajra forged from sage Dadhichi’s bone; among cows, heaven’s Kamadhenu; among progenitors, Kamadeva; among serpents, Vasuki—the most venomous; and Sheshnaga—these too are filled with my energy.
The noblest of ancestral deities is Aryama. The ruler of punishers is Yama. Among demons, Prahlada stands out. Time itself is under my dominion. The king of beasts is the lion. Garuda reigns over birds. Pawan commands the winds—all these are aspects of my strength.
Just as Indra, Chandra, Surya, Prahlada, Yama, Brihaspati, and Bhrigu are manifestations of my energy so too are Rama’s and Parashurama’s weapons extensions of me.
Now hear this: among fish there is Makara (crocodile), and among rivers Ganga and Godavari flow with my essence.
O Arjuna! I am both creator and destroyer of the universe. The highest form of knowledge—Brahmavidya—is mine. The theories posited by scholars arise from my inspiration. Tone exists in letters by my will—if tone were absent from letters, words would not exist.
I am also that grand form which sustains all conditions and nurtures all beings. Even in death which ends all things—there lies my power.
Lakshmi, Saraswati, intelligence (Buddhi), fortitude (Dharna),
strength (Shakti), and peace (Shanti) reside in women—all these too are expressions of my might."
"The hymn of Brihatsam in the Sama Veda, the Gayatri verses among hymns, the month of Margashirsha among the twelve months, and spring among the seasons—all these are imbued with my power. Victory among the victorious, enterprise among the enterprising, and righteousness (Satoguna) among the virtuous—these too are manifestations of my energy.
Among the Yadavas is Vasudeva; his son Balarama; among the Pandavas, Arjuna; among sages, Vyasa Muni; among poets, Shukracharya—all these beings are endowed with my power. The punishment meted out to sinners is executed by my will; even in the silence of secrets, there lies my strength. And the knowledge (Gyan) within the wise (Gyani) is also mine.
O Arjuna! I alone am the creator of all creation; nothing exists without
my power. O Partha! There is no limit to my powers and manifestations. I have revealed to you my might in its principal forms. Wherever there is prosperity (Aishwarya), brilliance (Tej), and fortune (Lakshmi), it stems from my own energy.
O Arjuna! The entire world operates within my dominion. Such are my infinite powers; thus, knowing me, those devoid of attributes (Nirguna Gyani) worship only me; they alone attain eternal bliss by being liberated from the sufferings of this world."
ITI SHRIMADBHAGWADGEETASUPANISHATSHU BRAHMAVIDYAYAM YOGSHASTRE SHRIKRISHNAARJUN SAMVADE VIBHOOTI YOGONAM DASHMOADHYAYAH ॥10॥
|| SHRIKRISHAN ARPAN MASTU ||
