In the previous chapters of Srimad Bhagwad Gita, we start to observe the unravelling of the magnificent cosmic form of Sri Krishna as the Parabrahma. In this chapter, we delve into many specific divine manifestations (Vibhuti) as narrated by Sri Krishna. As with previous chapters, he continues to re-emphasise that he is sharing all this knowledge because Arjuna is dear to him.
The question that could arise in anyone’s mind is : How did the Parabrahma himself originate? What are his origins? Sri Krishna dispels these doubts and declares clearly without any doubt:
न मे विदु: सुरगणा: प्रभवं न महर्षय: ।
अहमादिर्हि देवानां महर्षीणां च सर्वश: ॥ 10.2॥
Neither celestial gods nor the great sages know of My origin. I am the source from which the gods and great seers come.
Sri Krishna further reiterates that Bhakti Yoga is the easiest way to attain him. In Kali Yuga, this is perhaps the easiest way to attain his abode.
एतां विभूतिं योगं च मम यो वेत्ति तत्त्वत: ।
सोऽविकम्पेन योगेन युज्यते नात्र संशय: ॥ 10.7॥
Those who know in truth My glories and divine powers become united with Me through unwavering Bhakti Yog. Of this there is no doubt.
In previous chapters, specially in Karma Yoga, we understand that all emotions, thoughts arise from him. This is again emphasised by Sri Krishna himself in this chapter:
बुद्धिर्ज्ञानमसम्मोह: क्षमा सत्यं दम: शम: ।
सुखं दु:खं भवोऽभावो भयं चाभयमेव च ॥ 10.4॥
अहिंसा समता तुष्टिस्तपो दानं यशोऽयश: ।
भवन्ति भावा भूतानां मत्त एव पृथग्विधा: ॥ 10.5॥
From Me alone arise the varieties of qualities in humans, such as intellect, knowledge, clarity of thought, forgiveness, truthfulness, control over the senses and mind, joy and sorrow, birth and death, fear and courage, non-violence, equanimity, contentment, austerity, charity, fame, and infamy.
One point that needs close attention is that he describes he is the cause for everything that are even opposites i.e. birth and death, fear and courage, joy and sorrow. We can find similar analogies in Chinese philosophy with the Yin-Yang concept.
So the question is: How do I develop this Bhakti. This is answered by Sri Krishna in this profound verse which was one of preferred verse for this chapter:
तेषां सततयुक्तानां भजतां प्रीतिपूर्वकम् ।
ददामि बुद्धियोगं तं येन मामुपयान्ति ते ॥ 10.10॥
To those whose minds are always united with Me in loving devotion, I give the divine knowledge by which they can attain Me.
I chose this verse as compared to rest of the verses as this is a specific instruction on how to alleviate ourselves from the bondage of this Mrityu Loka. Every single detail in the overarching Omnipresence below is a powerful verse of its own, but the mode or method to achieve him and his benevolence to reach that goal is far more important. We could worship him in any form, be it Sri Rama or Sri Krishna or Sri Narasimhaswamy. The objective is to focus our Bhakti and meditate on the overall supreme being, Parabrahma.
Human mind is fickle and needs a form to focus and direct their energies to. Arjuna poses this question to Sri Krishna little later in the chapter:
वक्तुमर्हस्यशेषेण दिव्या ह्यात्मविभूतय: ।
याभिर्विभूतिभिर्लोकानिमांस्त्वं व्याप्य तिष्ठसि ॥ 10.16॥
कथं विद्यामहं योगिंस्त्वां सदा परिचिन्तयन् ।
केषु केषु च भावेषु चिन्त्योऽसि भगवन्मया ॥ 10.17॥
Please describe to me Your divine opulences, by which You pervade all the worlds and reside in them. O Supreme Master of Yog, how may I know You and think of You. And while meditating, in what forms can I think of You, O Supreme Divine Personality?
The answer to these queries forms the crux of this chapter. There are many interesting details starting from the inner world (mind, consciousness) to meta universe. For me, the preferred verse of this chapter is the one that describes Sri Krishna’s omnipresence in the most detailed manner:
अहमात्मा गुडाकेश सर्वभूताशयस्थित: ।
अहमादिश्च मध्यं च भूतानामन्त एव च ॥ 10.20॥
O Arjun, I am seated in the heart of all living entities. I am the beginning, middle, and end of all beings.
He is the beginning to the end of everything. In other words, we are just reflections of him in many forms across births. Sri Krishna confirms this at the end of the chapter when he advises Arjuna: Why do you need these details? I am the one who pervades and supports the entire creation.
अथवा बहुनैतेन किं ज्ञातेन तवार्जुन ।
विष्टभ्याहमिदं कृत्स्नमेकांशेन स्थितो जगत् ॥ 10.42॥
What need is there for all this detailed knowledge, O Arjun? Simply know that by one fraction of My being, I pervade and support this entire creation.
Sri Krishna / Parabrahma’s universal form
The following details are derived from verses 10.21 - 10.39. These are some extraordinary details that I feel needs to be assimilated to understand his magnificence. The details are far too many to enlisted and is best understood by referring to specific verse. I am quoting one few examples which are really interesting.
In his own words, Sri Krishna describes that he represents what among which entities. I am trying to map some of these attributes to specific verses or phrases from Vishnu Sahasranama which I feel is the distilled version of these wonderful phrases from Srimad Bhagwad Gita.
Vishnu among 12 sons of Aditi (Adityas)
विष्णुं जिष्णुं महाविष्णुं प्रभविष्णुं महेश्वरम् || VSN.22 ||
Sun among luminous objects
Moon among stars in night sky
भूः पादौ यस्य नाभिर्विय-दसुर निलश्चन्द्र सूर्यौ च नेत्रे || VSN poorvapeetika ||
I bow before that God, Vishnu, Who is the lord of three worlds, Who has earth as his feet, Who has air as his soul, Who has sky as his belly, Who has moon and sun as eyes
Surya as a name also comes up as one of the 1008 names in VSN.94
Samaveda among Vedas
त्रिसामा सामगः साम निर्वाणं भेषजं भिषक् || VSN. 62 ||
Indra among celestial gods
इन्द्रकर्मा महाकर्मा कृतकर्मा कृतागमः || VSN. 84 ||
Mind among senses
Consciousness (Chetana) among living beings
अहस्संवत्सरो व्यालः प्रत्ययः सर्वदर्शनः || VSN.10 ||
Pratyayah = Prajna (consciousness)
OM among sounds
वैकुण्ठः पुरुषः प्राणः प्राणदः प्रणवः पृथुः || VSN. 44 ||
Pranava = OM
Japa Yajna among Yajna (chanting among sacrifices)
Though this is not a specific phrase, this is actually one of the core questions posed by Yudhishtira during the onset of Vishnu Sahasranama
किं जपन्मुच्यते जन्तुर्जन्मसंसार बन्धनात् ||
What are those mantras by reciting which a being becomes freed from the bonds of birth and death.
Kapila among Siddhas
महर्षिः कपिलाचार्यः कृतज्ञो मेदिनीपतिः || VSN. 57 ||
Maharshi Kapila who has mastered all vedas
King (Raja) among humans
Yamaraja among dispensers of law
धनुर्धरो धनुर्वेदो दण्डो दमयिता दमः || VSN. 92 ||
Damayitā: He who inflicts punishments on people as Yama and as king.
Kamadhenu among cows
भारभृत् कथितो योगी योगीशः सर्वकामदः || VSN. 91 ||
Sarva-kāmadaḥ: One who bestows all desired fruits.
Beginning “Aa” among letters
Kamadeva among causes of procreation
अजो महार्हः स्वाभाव्यो जितामित्रः प्रमोदनः || VSN. 56 ||
कामहा कामकृत्कान्तः कामः कामप्रदः प्रभुः || VSN. 32 ||
Vasuki among serpents (sarpa)
Anantha among snakes (naga)
मरीचिर्दमनो हंसः सुपर्णो भुजगोत्तमः || VSN.21 ||
Here, Bhujagottama is the core name which describes Maha Vishnu’s forms as Vasuki and Anantha. Ananta as a name has multiple other meanings include infinite / limitless.
Varuna among aquatics
वरुणो वारुणो वृक्षः पुष्कराक्षो महामनाः || VSN.59 ||
Time among all that controls
ऋतुः सुदर्शनः कालः परमेष्ठी परिग्रहः || VSN.45 ||
Lion among animals
गभस्तिनेमिः सत्त्वस्थः सिंहो भूत महेश्वरः || VSN. 52 ||
Sri Rama among wielders of weapons
धनुर्धरो धनुर्वेदो दण्डो दमयिता दमः || VSN. 91 ||
Dhanurdhara = Sri Rama who wielded the great bow
Adhyatma (Spirituality) amongst all sciences
रामो विरामो विरजो मार्गोनेयो नयोऽनयः || VSN.43 ||
Nayaḥ: One who leads, that is, who is the leader in the form of spiritual illumination
Brahma among creators
ब्रह्मण्यो ब्रह्मकृद् ब्रह्मा ब्रह्म ब्रह्मविवर्धनः || VSN.71 ||
Brahma = creates everything
Brihatsama among Samaveda
आत्मयोनिः स्वयञ्जातो वैखानः सामगायनः || VSN.106 ||
Sāmagāyanaḥ: One who recites the Sama chants.
Though this is not exact match, this phrase repeats the importance of Sama Veda.
Vasudeva among the residents of Vrishni
वसुप्रदो वासुदेवो वसुर्वसुमना हविः || VSN. 74 ||
Arjuna among Pandavas
अनिर्देश्यवपुर्विष्णुर्वीरोऽनन्तो धनञ्जयः || VSN. 70 ||
Dhananjaya = Arjuna
Veda Vyasa among sages
व्यासाय विष्णु रूपाय व्यासरूपाय विष्णवे || VSN. Poorvapeetika ||
Generating seed among all living beings
विस्तारः स्थावर स्थाणुः प्रमाणं बीजमव्ययम् || VSN. 46 ||
Bījamavyayam: One who is the seed or cause of Samsara without Himself undergoing any change.
Brihaspati among priests
Shukracharya among thinkers
These are very important manifestations of the supreme being, for he represents or embodies both great acharyas. Modern society tries to quantify everything in binary sense, but we fail to see the subtle manifestations where Shukracharya is equally worshipped as paramaguru.
Some other forms of Sri Krishna that are widely worshipped are:
Gayatri among poetic metres (chandass)
Margasheerha among the months
Spring among seasons
This is one phrase which is quite interesting (related to the concept of opposites above)
द्यूतं छलयतामस्मि तेजस्तेजस्विनामहम् ।
जयोऽस्मि व्यवसायोऽस्मि सत्त्वं सत्त्ववतामहम् ॥ 10.36॥
I am the gambling of the cheats and the splendor of the splendid. I am the victory of the victorious, the resolve of the resolute, and the virtue of the virtuous.
This is a very interesting phrase. We can find a similar phrase in Sri Rudram in the 3rd Anuvaka - नमो॒ वञ्च॑ते परि॒वञ्च॑ते स्तायू॒ना-म्पत॑ये॒ नमो॒
Salutations and salutations,
To him who cheats,
To him who is the greatest cheat,
And to him who is leader of those who steal by cheating.
The more one delves into the ocean of spiritual literature, we can find many similarities and common themes. We need to focus on being spiritual and realising the magnificence of Supreme Parabrahman and not get caught in worldly entanglements.
Please
do share your view on the choice of shloka and my interpretations
thereof. I would like to get your thoughts and feedback and maybe we
discover something hidden in Srimad Bhagwad Gita.
Sarvam Sri Krishnaarpanamastu
Verses and meanings from:
- https://www.holy-bhagavad-gita.org/
- https://shlokam.org/shloka/vishnu-sahasranamam.htm
Previous Chapters:
- Arjuna Vishada Yoga
- Sankhya Yoga
- Karma Yoga
- Jnana Karma Sanyasa Yoga
- Karma Sanyasa Yoga
- Dhyana Yoga
- Jnana Vijnana Yoga
- Akshara Brahma Yoga
- Raja Vidya Yoga
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