Chapter 10
The Opulence of the Absolute
- śrī-bhagavān kahilen:
- ābāra bali ye śuna parama vacana
- tomāra maṅgala hetu kahi vivaraṇa
Text 1: 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.
- āmāra prabhāva yei keha nāhi jāne
- suragaṇ ṛṣigaṇ kata jane jane
- sakaler ādi āmi dev ṛṣi yata
- bhaviyā cintiyā tārā ki bujhibe kata
Text 2: 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.
- ye more anādi jāne loka maheśvara
- saccida ānanda śreṣṭha avyaya ajara
- marta-loke asaṁmūḍha yei vyakti hay
- ei mātra jāni tār sarva pāpa kṣay
Text 3: He who knows Me as the unborn, as the beginningless, as the Supreme Lord of all the world—he only, undeluded among men, is freed from all sins.
- sūkṣmārtha nirṇaya yogya buddhi yāhā hay
- ātma ye anātma tāhā jñānera viṣay
- satya, dama, śama, kṣamā, sukha, duḥkha, bhay
- abhaya, bhabābhaba ār ahiṁsā yā hay
- samatādi-tuṣṭi-yaśa a-yaśa vā dāna
- sakala bhūtera bhāv yāhā kichu āna
- āmi tār sṛṣṭi-kartā pṛthaka pṛthak
- buddhimān yevā hay bujhaye nichak
Texts 4-5: 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.
- marīcyādi sapta-ṛṣi cāri sanakādi
- caturdaś manu pūrva hiraṇya-garbhādi
- tādera e prajā sab yata loke āche
- āmā hate janma sab mānasādi pāche
Text 6: 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.
- āmāra svarūpa-jñān śakti va bibhūti
- samasta kriyādi yog śreṣṭha se bhakati
- ei sab tattva yārā niścita jānila
- bhakti-yog sādhibāre yogya se haila
Text 7: One who is factually convinced of this opulence and mystic power of Mine engages in unalloyed devotional service; of this there is no doubt.
- prākṛtāprākṛt sab āmā hate hay
- buddhimān vyakti jāni āmāke bhajay
- āmār ye bhāv tāhā bhaktira lakṣaṇ
- apaṇḍit nāhi jāne jāne paṇḍitagaṇ
Text 8: 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.
- āmār ananya-bhakta maccitta mat-prāṇ
- paraspara bujhe paḍe ānande magan
- āmāra se-kathā nitya baliyā śuniyā
- toṣaṇ ramaṇ kare bhaktite majiyā
Text 9: 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.
- sei nitya-yukta yārā bhajane kuśal
- prītira sahit tārā dhare bhakti-bal
- āmi di-i bhakti-yog tādera antare
- āmāra parama dhām tārā lābh kare
Text 10: To those who are constantly devoted to serving Me with love, I give the understanding by which they can come to Me.
- sei se ananya-bhakta nahe ta ajñānī
- āmi tār hṛdayete jñān-dvīp āni
- andhakāra tamonāśa kari se aśani
- jñāna-dvīp jvālāiyā kari tāre jñānī
Text 11: To show them special mercy, I, dwelling in their hearts, destroy with the shining lamp of knowledge the darkness born of ignorance.
- arjun kahilen:
- parama brahma parama dhāma pavitra param
- tumi kṛṣṇa hao nitya ei mora jñān
- śāśvata puruṣ tumi aja, ādi bibhu
- aprākṛta deha taba sakalera prabhu
- devarṣi nārada ār jata ṛṣi āche
- asita-devala vyās sei gāhiyāche
- tomāra ei śrī-mūrti ohe bhagavān
- nā jāne devatā kimbā yārā dānavān
Texts 12-13: 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.
- he keśava tomāra e gīta vāṇī yata
- sarva satya māni āmi se veda-sammata
- tomāra mahimā tumi jāna bhāla mate
- ananta pāre nā gāhite ananta jihvāte
Text 14: 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.
- he puruṣottama, tumi jāna tomāra tomāke
- bhūta-bhāvana bhūteśa deva-deva jagat-pate
- tomāra bibhūti yog divya se aśeṣ
- yadi kṛpā kari bala bistāri viśeṣ
Text 15: 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!
- ye ye bihūti bale bhuvana caturdaś
- vyāpiyā rayecha tumi sarvatra se yaś
- kibhāve kariyā cintā tomāra mahimā
- he yogī tomāke jāni tāhā se kahibā
Text 16: Please tell me in detail of Your divine opulences by which You pervade all these worlds.
- kibhāve bujhiva āmi tomāra se baibhav
- kṛpā kari tumi more kaha se bhāv
Text 17: 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?
- he janārdan tomāra yoga vā bibhūti
- bistāra śunite mana hayeche se ati
- punaḥ punaḥ bala yadi tabu tṛpta nay
- amṛta tomāra kathā mṛtattva nā kṣay
Text 18: 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 kahilen:
- he arjun bali śuna bibhūti āmār
- yāhāra nāhika anta ananta apār
- pradhānata bali kichu śuna man diyā
- kuru-śreṣṭha nija sreṣṭha bujha se śuniyā
Text 19: 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.
- sarva-bhūta āśraya se āmi guḍākeś
- āmi ādi āmi madhya āmi se-i śeṣ
Text 20: 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.
- aditya-gaṇera viṣṇu jyotiṣe se sūrya
- marīci marut-gaṇe śaśī tārācarya
Text 21: 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.
- ved-madhye sām-ved devgaṇe indra
- indriya-gaṇera man cetanār kendra
Text 22: 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).
- rudradera madhye śiv yakṣera kuver
- pāvaka se vasu-madhye parvate sumer
Text 23: 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.
- purohita-gaṇa madhye hai bṛhaṣpati
- senānīra madhye skanda sāgara jaleti
Text 24: Of priests, O Arjuna, know Me to be the chief, Bṛhaspati. Of generals I am Kārtikeya, and of bodies of water I am the ocean.
- maharśi-gaṇera madhye bhṛgu āmi hai
- oṁkāra praṇava āmi ekākṣara sei
- yajña yata hay tāra madhye āmi jap
- acalete himālaya sthāvara ye sab
Text 25: 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.
- sarva vṛkṣa madhye hai aśvattha viśāl
- devarṣira madhye nām nārada āmār
- gandharvera citra-rath siddhera kapil
- muni-gaṅer madhye se sarvata jaṭil
Text 26: Of all trees I am the banyan tree, and of the sages among the demigods I am Nārada. Of the Gandharvas I am Citra-ratha, and among perfected beings I am the sage Kapila.
- aśvadera madhye hai uccaiḥśravā nām
- samudra manthane se hay mor dhām
- gajendra-gaṇera madhye airāvata hai
- samrāṭa-gaṇera madhye manuṣyete sei
Text 27: 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.
- astrera madhyete vajra dhenu kāmadhenu
- utpattira kandarpa hai kāmtanu
- sarpa-gaṇer madhyete āmi se vāsuki
- ananta se nāga-gaṇe varuṇa yādasi
- pitṛdeva madhye āmi hai se aryamā
- yamaraja āmi sei madhyete saṁyamā
Texts 28-29: 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. 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.
- daityadera prahlāda se bhaktira pipāsī
- vaśīdera madhye āmi kāl mahā-vaśī
- mṛgadera madhye siṁha āmi haye thāki
- pakṣīdera madhye āmi garuḍa se pakṣe
Text 30: 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.
- vegavāna madhye āmī hai se pavan
- śastradhārī madhye se āmi paraśurām
- jalacara madhye āmi hayechi makar
- jahnavī āmāra nām madhye nadīvar
Text 31: 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.
- yata sṛṣṭa vastu tār ādi madhya anta
- he arjun dekha mor aiśvarya ananta
- yata vidyā hay tār madhye ātma-jñān
- āmi se siddhānta madhye yata bādīgaṇ
Text 32: 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.
- akṣarera madhye āmi 'a'-kāra se hai
- samāsera dvandva āmi kintu dvandva nai
- sraṣṭā-gaṇe āmi brahma dhvaṁse mahākāla
- rudra nāma dhari āmi saṁhāri viśāla
Text 33: 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.
- haraṇera madhye āmi mṛtyu sarva-hara
- bhaviṣya ye haya āmi udbhava ākara
- nārīder madhye āmi śrī vāṇī smṛti
- kīrti, medhā, kṣamā mūrti athavā se dhṛti
Text 34: 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.
- sām ved madhye āmi bṛhata se sām
- chanda yata tār madhye gāyatrī se nām
- mās-gaṇe āmi hai se agrahāyaṇ
- vasanta nāma mora madhye ṛtugaṇ
Text 35: 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.
- vañcanār madhye āmi hai dyūta krīḍa
- tejasvī-gaṇera madhye āmi tejavīrā
- udyamera madhye hai āmi se vijay
- tāra madhye śreṣṭha āmi hai vyavasāya
- balavān madhye āmi haye thāki bal
- āmāra bibhūti ei bujhaha sakal
Text 36: 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.
- vṛṣṇider madhye āmi vāsudev hai
- pāṇḍaver madhye āmi jāna dhanañjay
- munidera madhye vyāsa kavi śukrācārya
- sakalera madhye śreṣṭha āmi sei ārya
Text 37: 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.
- śāsana-kartāra sei āmi hai daṇḍa
- nyāyādhīśgaṇa madhye āmi se nyāyya
- gupta ye viṣaya haya tāra madhye mouna
- jñānī-der āmi jñān ār sab gauṇa
Text 38: 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.
- śarva-bhūta pravāha vīja āmi se arjun
- āmi vinā carācar sakala aguṇ
Text 39: Furthermore, O Arjuna, I am the generating seed of all existences. There is no being—moving or non-moving that can exist without Me.
- āmāra bibhūti divya nāhi tār anta
- saṁkṣepe balinu sab śuna he tapanta
Text 40: 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.
- yekhāne bibhūti sattā aiśvaryādi bal
- se saba āmāra kṛpā jānibe sakal
- āmāra tejāṁsa dvārā hay se sambhav
- sekhāne āmāra sattā kara anubhava
Text 41: Know that all opulent, beautiful and glorious creations spring from but a spark of My splendour.
- adhika ki bali arjun saṁkṣepe śuna
- āmi se praviṣṭa hai sarvaśakti guṇa
- jagate sarvatra thāki āmāra ekāṁśe
- satyavat jaḍa māyā tāi se prakāśe
Text 42: But what need is there, Arjuna, for all this detailed knowledge? With a single fragment of Myself I pervade and support this entire universe.
- bhaktivedānta kahe śrī-gītāra gān
- śune yadi śuddha bhakta kṛṣṇagata-prāṇ
Thus Bhaktivedānta sings the song of Śrī Gītā, with the hope that hearing this, Kṛṣṇa conscious pure devotees will be pleased.