The Opulence of the Absolute

śrī-bhagavān uvāca bhūya eva mahā-bāho śṛṇu me paramaṁ vacaḥ yat te ’haṁ prīyamāṇāya vakṣyāmi hita-kāmyayā

The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: Listen again, O mighty-armed Arjuna. Because you are My dear friend, for your benefit I shall speak to you further, giving knowledge that is better than what I have already explained.

na me viduḥ sura-gaṇāḥ prabhavaṁ na maharṣayaḥ aham ādir hi devānāṁ maharṣīṇāṁ ca sarvaśaḥ

Neither the hosts of demigods nor the great sages know My origin or opulences, for, in every respect, I am the source of the demigods and sages.

yo mām ajam anādiṁ ca vetti loka-maheśvaram asammūḍhaḥ sa martyeṣu sarva-pāpaiḥ pramucyate buddhir jñānam asammohaḥ kṣamā satyaṁ damaḥ śamaḥ sukhaṁ duḥkhaṁ bhavo ’bhāvo bhayaṁ cābhayam eva ca ahiṁsā samatā tuṣṭis tapo dānaṁ yaśo ’yaśaḥ bhavanti bhāvā bhūtānāṁ matta eva pṛthag-vidhāḥ

He who knows Me as the unborn, as the beginningless, as the Supreme Lord of all the worlds – he only, undeluded among men, is freed from all sins. 10.4-10.5 Intelligence, knowledge, freedom from doubt and delusion, forgiveness, truthfulness, control of the senses, control of the mind, happiness and distress, birth, death, fear, fearlessness, nonviolence, equanimity, satisfaction, austerity, charity, fame and infamy – all these various qualities of living beings are created by Me alone.

maharṣayaḥ sapta pūrve catvāro manavas tathā mad-bhāvā mānasā jātā yeṣāṁ loka imāḥ prajāḥ

The seven great sages and before them the four other great sages and the Manus [progenitors of mankind] come from Me, born from My mind, and all the living beings populating the various planets descend from them.

etāṁ vibhūtiṁ yogaṁ ca mama yo vetti tattvataḥ so ’vikalpena yogena yujyate nātra saṁśayaḥ

One who is factually convinced of this opulence and mystic power of Mine engages in unalloyed devotional service; of this there is no doubt.

ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate iti matvā bhajante māṁ budhā bhāva-samanvitāḥ

I am the source of all spiritual and material worlds. Everything emanates from Me. The wise who perfectly know this engage in My devotional service and worship Me with all their hearts.

mac-cittā mad-gata-prāṇā bodhayantaḥ parasparam kathayantaś ca māṁ nityaṁ tuṣyanti ca ramanti ca

The thoughts of My pure devotees dwell in Me, their lives are fully devoted to My service, and they derive great satisfaction and bliss from always enlightening one another and conversing about Me.

teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam dadāmi buddhi-yogaṁ taṁ yena mām upayānti te

To those who are constantly devoted to serving Me with love, I give the understanding by which they can come to Me.

teṣām evānukampārtham aham ajñāna-jaṁ tamaḥ nāśayāmy ātma-bhāva-stho jñāna-dīpena bhāsvatā arjuna uvāca paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān puruṣaṁ śāśvataṁ divyam ādi-devam ajaṁ vibhum āhus tvām ṛṣayaḥ sarve devarṣir nāradas tathā asito devalo vyāsaḥ svayaṁ caiva bravīṣi me

To show them special mercy, I, dwelling in their hearts, destroy with the shining lamp of knowledge the darkness born of ignorance. 10.12-10.13 Arjuna said: You are the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the ultimate abode, the purest, the Absolute Truth. You are the eternal, transcendental, original person, the unborn, the greatest. All the great sages such as Nārada, Asita, Devala and Vyāsa confirm this truth about You, and now You Yourself are declaring it to me.

sarvam etad ṛtaṁ manye yan māṁ vadasi keśava na hi te bhagavan vyaktiṁ vidur devā na dānavāḥ

O Kṛṣṇa, I totally accept as truth all that You have told me. Neither the demigods nor the demons, O Lord, can understand Your personality.

svayam evātmanātmānaṁ vettha tvaṁ puruṣottama bhūta-bhāvana bhūteśa deva-deva jagat-pate

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!

vaktum arhasy aśeṣeṇa divyā hy ātma-vibhūtayaḥ yābhir vibhūtibhir lokān imāṁs tvaṁ vyāpya tiṣṭhasi

Please tell me in detail of Your divine opulences by which You pervade all these worlds.

kathaṁ vidyām ahaṁ yogiṁs tvāṁ sadā paricintayan keṣu keṣu ca bhāveṣu cintyo ’si bhagavan mayā

O Kṛṣṇa, 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?

vistareṇātmano yogaṁ vibhūtiṁ ca janārdana bhūyaḥ kathaya tṛptir hi śṛṇvato nāsti me ’mṛtam

O Janārdana, again please describe in detail the mystic power of Your opulences. I am never satiated in hearing about You, for the more I hear the more I want to taste the nectar of Your words.

śrī-bhagavān uvāca hanta te kathayiṣyāmi divyā hy ātma-vibhūtayaḥ prādhānyataḥ kuru-śreṣṭha nāsty anto vistarasya me

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.

aham ātmā guḍākeśa sarva-bhūtāśaya-sthitaḥ aham ādiś ca madhyaṁ ca bhūtānām anta eva ca

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.

ādityānām ahaṁ viṣṇur jyotiṣāṁ ravir aṁśumān marīcir marutām asmi nakṣatrāṇām ahaṁ śaśī

Of the Ādityas I am Viṣṇu, of lights I am the radiant sun, of the Maruts I am Marīci, and among the stars I am the moon.

vedānāṁ sāma-vedo ’smi devānām asmi vāsavaḥ indriyāṇāṁ manaś cāsmi bhūtānām asmi cetanā

Of the Vedas I am the Sāma 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].

rudrāṇāṁ śaṅkaraś cāsmi vitteśo yakṣa-rakṣasām vasūnāṁ pāvakaś cāsmi meruḥ śikhariṇām aham

Of all the Rudras I am Lord Śiva, of the Yakṣas and Rākṣasas I am the Lord of wealth [Kuvera], of the Vasus I am fire [Agni], and of mountains I am Meru.

purodhasāṁ ca mukhyaṁ māṁ viddhi pārtha bṛhaspatim senānīnām ahaṁ skandaḥ sarasām asmi sāgaraḥ

Of priests, O Arjuna, know Me to be the chief, Bṛhaspati. Of generals I am Kārttikeya, and of bodies of water I am the ocean.

maharṣīṇāṁ bhṛgur ahaṁ girām asmy ekam akṣaram yajñānāṁ japa-yajño ’smi sthāvarāṇāṁ himālayaḥ

Of the great sages I am Bhṛgu; of vibrations I am the transcendental oṁ. Of sacrifices I am the chanting of the holy names [japa], and of immovable things I am the Himālayas.

aśvatthaḥ sarva-vṛkṣāṇāṁ devarṣīṇāṁ ca nāradaḥ gandharvāṇāṁ citrarathaḥ siddhānāṁ kapilo muniḥ

Of all trees I am the banyan tree, and of the sages among the demigods I am Nārada. Of the Gandharvas I am Citraratha, and among perfected beings I am the sage Kapila.

uccaiḥśravasam aśvānāṁ viddhi mām amṛtodbhavam airāvataṁ gajendrāṇāṁ narāṇāṁ ca narādhipam

Of horses know Me to be Uccaiḥśravā, produced during the churning of the ocean for nectar. Of lordly elephants I am Airāvata, and among men I am the monarch.

āyudhānām ahaṁ vajraṁ dhenūnām asmi kāma-dhuk prajanaś cāsmi kandarpaḥ sarpāṇām asmi vāsukiḥ

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 Vāsuki.

anantaś cāsmi nāgānāṁ varuṇo yādasām aham pitṝṇām aryamā cāsmi yamaḥ saṁyamatām aham

Of the many-hooded Nāgas I am Ananta, and among the aquatics I am the demigod Varuṇa. Of departed ancestors I am Aryamā, and among the dispensers of law I am Yama, the lord of death.

prahlādaś cāsmi daityānāṁ kālaḥ kalayatām aham mṛgāṇāṁ ca mṛgendro ’haṁ vainateyaś ca pakṣiṇām

Among the Daitya demons I am the devoted Prahlāda, among subduers I am time, among beasts I am the lion, and among birds I am Garuḍa.

pavanaḥ pavatām asmi rāmaḥ śastra-bhṛtām aham jhaṣāṇāṁ makaraś cāsmi srotasām asmi jāhnavī

Of purifiers I am the wind, of the wielders of weapons I am Rāma, of fishes I am the shark, and of flowing rivers I am the Ganges.

sargāṇām ādir antaś ca madhyaṁ caivāham arjuna adhyātma-vidyā vidyānāṁ vādaḥ pravadatām aham

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.

akṣarāṇām a-kāro ’smi dvandvaḥ sāmāsikasya ca aham evākṣayaḥ kālo dhātāhaṁ viśvato-mukhaḥ

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 Brahmā.

mṛtyuḥ sarva-haraś cāham udbhavaś ca bhaviṣyatām kīrtiḥ śrīr vāk ca nārīṇāṁ smṛtir medhā dhṛtiḥ kṣamā

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.

bṛhat-sāma tathā sāmnāṁ gāyatrī chandasām aham māsānāṁ mārga-śīrṣo ’ham ṛtūnāṁ kusumākaraḥ

Of the hymns in the Sāma Veda I am the Bṛhat-sāma, and of poetry I am the Gāyatrī. Of months I am Mārgaśīrṣa [November-December], and of seasons I am flower-bearing spring.

dyūtaṁ chalayatām asmi tejas tejasvinām aham jayo ’smi vyavasāyo ’smi sattvaṁ sattvavatām aham

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.

vṛṣṇīnāṁ vāsudevo ’smi pāṇḍavānāṁ dhanañ-jayaḥ munīnām apy ahaṁ vyāsaḥ kavīnām uśanā kaviḥ

Of the descendants of Vṛṣṇi I am Vāsudeva, and of the Pāṇḍavas I am Arjuna. Of the sages I am Vyāsa, and among great thinkers I am Uśanā.

daṇḍo damayatām asmi nītir asmi jigīṣatām maunaṁ caivāsmi guhyānāṁ jñānaṁ jñānavatām aham

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.

yac cāpi sarva-bhūtānāṁ bījaṁ tad aham arjuna na tad asti vinā yat syān mayā bhūtaṁ carācaram

Furthermore, O Arjuna, I am the generating seed of all existences. There is no being – moving or nonmoving – that can exist without Me.

nānto ’sti mama divyānāṁ vibhūtīnāṁ paran-tapa eṣa tūddeśataḥ prokto vibhūter vistaro mayā

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.

yad yad vibhūtimat sattvaṁ śrīmad ūrjitam eva vā tat tad evāvagaccha tvaṁ mama tejo-’ṁśa-sambhavam

Know that all opulent, beautiful and glorious creations spring from but a spark of My splendor.

atha vā bahunaitena kiṁ jñātena tavārjuna viṣṭabhyāham idaṁ kṛtsnam ekāṁśena sthito jagat

But what need is there, Arjuna, for all this detailed knowledge? With a single fragment of Myself I pervade and support this entire universe.