:: Chapter 10 :: The Opulence of the Absolute
Text 15
svayam evatmanatmanam
vettha tvam purusottama
bhuta-bhavana bhutesa
deva-deva jagat-pate
Synonyms
svayam--personally; eva--certainly; atmana--by Yourself; atmanam--Yourself; vettha--k now; tvam--You; purusa-uttama--O greatest of all persons; bhuta-bhavana--O origin of everything; bhuta-isa--O Lord of everything; deva-deva--O Lord of all demigods; jagat-pate--O Lord of the entire universe.
Translation
Indeed, You alone know Yourself by Your own internal potency, O Supreme Person, origin of all, Lord of all beings, God of gods, Lord of the universe!
Purport
The Supreme Lord, Krisna, can be known by persons who are in a relationship with Him through the discharge of devotional service, like Arjuna and his followers. Persons of demonic or atheistic mentality cannot know Krisna. Mental speculation that leads one away from the Supreme Lord is a serious sin, and one who does not know Krisna should not try to comment on Bhagavad-Gita. Bhagavad-Gita is the statement of Krisna, and since it is the science of Krisna, it should be understood from Krisna as Arjuna understood it. It should not be received from atheistic persons.
As stated in Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.2.11):
vadanti tat tattva-vidas
tattvam yajjnanam advayam
brahmeti paramatmeti
bhagavan iti sabdyate
The Supreme Truth is realized in three aspects: as impersonal Brahman, localized Paramatma and at last as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So at the last stage of understanding the Absolute Truth, one comes to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. A common man or even a liberated man who has realized impersonal Brahman or localized Paramatma may not understand God's personality. Such men, therefore, may endeavor to understand the Supreme Person from the verses of Bhagavad-Gita, which are being spoken by this person, Krisna. Sometimes the impersonality accept Krisna as Bhagavan, or they accept His authority. Yet many liberated persons cannot understand Krisna as Purusottama, the Supreme Person. Therefore Arjuna addresses Him as Purusottama. Yet one still may not understand that Krisna is the father of all living entities. Therefore Arjuna addresses Him as Bhuta-bhavana. And if one comes to know Him as the father of all the living entities, still one may not know Him as the supreme controller; therefore He is addressed here as Bhutesa, the supreme controller of everyone. And even if one knows Krisna as the supreme controller of all living entities, still one may not know that He is the origin of all the demigods; therefore He is addressed herein as Devadeva, the worshipful God of all demigods. And even if one knows Him as the worshipful God of all demigods, one may not know that He is the supreme proprietor of everything; therefore He is addressed as Jagatpati. Thus the truth about Krisna is established in this verse by the realization of Arjuna, and we should follow in the footsteps of Arjuna to understand Krisna as He is.
Text 16
vaktum arhasy asesena
divya hy atma-vibhutayah
yabhir vibhutibhir lokan
imams tvam vyapya tisthasi
Synonyms
vaktum--to say; arhasi--You deserve; asesena--in detail; divyah--divine; hi--certainly; atma--Your own; vibhutayah--opulences; yabhih--by which; vibhutibhih--opulences; lokan--all the planets; iman--these; tvam--You; vyapya--pervading; tisthasi--remain.
Translation
Please tell me in detail of Your divine opulences by which You pervade all these worlds.
Purport
In this verse it appears that Arjuna is already satisfied with his understanding of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krisna. By Krisna's grace, Arjuna has personal experience, intelligence and knowledge and whatever else a person may have through all these agencies, and he has understood Krisna to be the Supreme Personality of Godhead. For him there is no doubt, yet he is asking Krisna to explain His all-pervading nature. People in general and the impersonalists in particular concern themselves mainly with the all-pervading nature of the Supreme. So Arjuna is asking Krisna how He exists in His all-pervading aspect through His different energies. One should know that this is being asked by Arjuna on behalf of the common people.
Text 17
katham vidyam aham yogims
tvam sada paricintayan
kesu kesu ca bhavesu
cintyo 'si bhagavan maya
Synonyms
katham--how; vidyam aham--shall I know; yogin--O supreme mystic; tvam--You; sada--always; paricintayan--thinking of; kesu--in which; kesu--in which; ca--also; bhavesu--natures; cintyah asi--You are to be remembered; bhagavan--O Supreme; maya--by me.
Translation
O Krisna, O supreme mystic, how shall I constantly think of you, and how shall I know You? In what various forms are you to be remembered, O Supreme Personality of Godhead?
Purport
As it is stated in the previous chapter, the Supreme Personality of Godhead is covered by His yoga-maya. Only surrendered souls and devotees can see Him. Now Arjuna is convinced that His friend, Krisna, is the Supreme Godhead, but he wants to know the general process by which the all-pervading Lord can be understood by the common man. Common men, including the demons and atheists, cannot know Krisna, because He is guarded by His yoga-Maya energy. Again, these questions are asked by Arjuna for their benefit. The superior devotee is concerned not only for his own understanding but for the understanding of all mankind. So Arjuna, out of his mercy, because he is a Vaisnava, a devotee, is opening for the common man the understanding of the all-pervasiveness of the Supreme Lord. He addresses Krisna specifically as yogin because Sri Krisna is the master of the yoga-maya energy, by which He is covered and uncovered to the common man. The common man who has no love for Krisna cannot always think of Krisna; therefore he has to think materially. Arjuna is considering the mode of thinking of the materialistic persons of this world. The words kesu kesu ca bhavesu refer to material nature (the word bhava means "physical things"). Because materialists cannot understand Krisna spiritually, they are advised to concentrate the mind on physical things and try to see how Krisna is manifested by physical representations.
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