Srimad Bhagavat Gita commentary chapter 11 verse 52-55

 Chapter 11 verse 52-55 

“The Supreme Lord said: This form of mine that you are seeing is exceedingly difficult to behold. Even the celestial gods are eager to see it. Neither by the study of the Vedas, nor by penance, charity, or fire sacrifices, can I be seen as you have seen me.

O Arjuna, by unalloyed devotion alone can I be known as I am, standing before you. Thereby, on receiving my divine vision, O scorcher of foes, one can enter into union with me.

Those who perform all their duties for my sake, who depend upon me and are devoted to me, who are free from attachment, and are without malice toward all beings, such devotees certainly come to me.” 

Even this 2 armed form of Bhagwan Krishna in his most personalized form is not visible to mere mortal not even celestial gods. They are unable to see it even with the study of Vedas, doing fire sacrifices or by deep penance. So why is Arjuna getting to see this divine vision and how can someone see this vision? Bhagwan explains that only through deep devotion and surrender to Bhagwan, any being is able to attain Him and have divine vision. Those who perform their duties as an offering to Him, who depend on Him and Him alone, free from all and any desires and only love towards fellow beings are Krishna’s dearest devotees and they will attain Him and behold His divine form.

 

Srimad Bhagavat Gita commentary chapter 11 verse 51

 Chapter 11 verse 51 

“Arjuna said: O Shree Krishna, seeing your gentle human form (two-armed), I have regained my composure and my mind is restored to normal.” 

A person obtains the highest possible divine vision of the Supreme Universal entity-Bhagwan and he is terrified at that vision. There is a saying “watch what you wish for since it might come true”. As well, as long as a human being has desires for something particular in their bosom, both anger and fear take center stage. In this case, Arjuna asked for that divine cosmic form from Bhagwan Krishna not knowing what he is going to see with divine vision given to him by the Lord. He probably was expecting something more pleasing to the eye, mind and intellect. Instead he was given a vision of the stark reality of the Universe and that several of his friends and relatives were about to perish and Arjuna himself is just an instrument of all these future happenings. Also surrendering completing is important to fully accept whatever is going to come our ways. I am not sure Arjuna has fully surrendered his body, mind and intellect to Bhagwan Krishna yet. This is a huge wakeup call that it is important to be ready for His Grace and get over the hurdle and attain enlightenment when presented the opportunity. This is the classic saying that great things happen when opportunity meets readiness. Let us all be ready for his GRACE!!!

Srimad Bhagavat Gita commentary chapter 11 verse 50

 Chapter 11 verse 50 

“Sanjay said: Having spoken thus, the compassionate son of vasudeva displayed his personal (four-armed) form again. Then, he further consoled the frightened Arjun by assuming his gentle (two-armed) form.” 

Divine cosmic grand form of Bhagwan Krishna was too frightening and majestic for Arjuna to comprehend and feel safe and devotional. Hence upon his request and deep compassion towards his friend and devotee, Bhagwan transitions first  to the 4 armed Bhagwan Krishna form which is still worshipped by the devout and the pious and quickly comes back to the 2 armed Krishna who Arjuna is used to seeing. The 2 armed Krishna is Arjuna’s friend, cousin and fellow warrior. Sanatana dharma understands the psychology of the being and offers various ways to know and reach Almighty. Both the form and formless are contained in the monotheistic parabrahmam (Supreme Being) displayed in polytheistic ways to the world of beings. The different forms and even the formless are just manifestations of the body, mind, intellect of the being but the individual soul still resides as part of the Supreme Soul albeit might take eons to merge with that Supreme Being.

Srimad Bhagavat Gita commentary chapter 11 verse 49

 Chapter 11 verse 49 

“Be neither afraid nor bewildered on seeing this terrible form of mine. Be free from fear and with a cheerful heart, behold me once again in my personal form.” 

Arjuna is being reassured by Bhagwan not to be afraid or bewildered by His cosmic form and that he afforded this vision of His not to scare him but to bless him with Grace not easily obtained by mere mortals. Fear and anger are two sides of the coin originating from expectations and association of the soul with the body and mind. Arjuna had a particular expectation of the divine cosmic form and was not expecting to see a dreadful form. Expectation of particular happening in future is root cause of fear or anger. Bhagwan shows immense compassion towards Arjuna to help him overcome his fear and inhibitions to prod forward on this path to righteous karma uploading Dharma.

 

Srimad Bhagavat Gita commentary Chapter 11 verse 48

 Chapter 11 verse 48 

“Not by study of the Vedas, nor by the performance of sacrifice, rituals, or charity, nor even by practicing severe austerities, has any mortal ever seen what you have seen, O best of the Kuru warriors.” 

We discussed that there are 2 forms of energy of Bhagwan-material and spiritual energy. All His creation is from his material energy and the laws of karma are valid for the entire material realm. All our good actions such as studying the Vedas, living by the Vedas, performing action according to Dharma etc., would lend us merit in the material world according to the karma phala (fruits of those actions). Karma phala itself is orchestrated justly by Bhagwan. However, gaining entry into the spiritual energy realm happens only by His Grace. Therefore Bhagwan states that His divine cosmic form was visible to Arjuna only due to His infinite Grace. This form is not available for any other mortal.

Srimad Bhagavat Gita commentary chapter 11 verse 47

 Chapter 11 verse 47 

“The Blessed Lord said: Arjuna, being pleased with you, by my Yogamaya power, I gave you a vision of my resplendent, unlimited, and primeval cosmic form. No one before you has ever seen it.” 

Arjuna is being reassured by Bhagwan that disclosing and displaying the universal cosmic form of Lord is not a punishment meted out to Arjuna for which he needs to be fearful but it is His Grace to show him this form which none have seen before him. Arjuna did not get this vision just because he was Krishna’s friend in this lifetime. He has done severe penance in multiple life times to get to this stage of receiving His cosmic vision. However even with the gift of the vision, Arjuna required wherewithal of absorbing this vision. This shows how difficult it is to attain complete control of our senses and mind. Ways of laws of karma are complex indeed. The reason behind every action of the paramatma is inexplicable but only for the benefit of the Universe. ALWAYS!

How will you measure your life? A Book Excerpt and ode to a great person

 

How will you measure your life by Clayton M. Christensen

Book Excerpt

Clayton, who recently passed away in early 2020 was a leading innovations expert and professor at Harvard Business School and a fairly successful entrepreneur. However the most endearing aspect of Clayton is that he is a long term devoted member of a community for which I have deep respect due to the amazingly committed and awesome people it has brought forth. In order to aid in answering the question of “How to measure one’s life”, 3 basic questions are being asked by Clayton and his co-authors.

1.      How to be successful and happy in your career?

2.      How can my relationships with my spouse, children, and extended family and close friends become an enduring source of happiness?

3.      How to live a life of integrity and stay out of jail?

To answer 1, Clayton calls out the theory of motivation by Fredrick Herzberg, who distinguishes hygiene factors at work such as status, compensation, job security, company politics, working conditions etc., and motivating factors such as meaningful work, development opportunity, learning new things, recognition and achievement, additional responsibilities.  In the quest for a combination of motivating and hygiene factors to determine the right career, it is advised to remain flexible about any emerging opportunities or strategy and not stick to the first career strategy one embarks on. 93% of companies fail in their original strategy and succeed in what they attempt next if they still have resources and capital left to address the new and emergent strategy. Likewise it is important to stay open to new developments in our careers as well when the combination of motivating and hygiene factors meet up. The real strategy for a company or your own life is NOT what one says it is but where one employs all their resources and energies into.

To answer 2, we need to be able to answer the question- what job does my spouse or children most needs me to do? Once we realize the answer to that question, we need to be able to invest all our energies in doing that even if that is not what we like to do or is our priority. One may think that by sacrificing this way, one will be unhappy but contrary to that, this is the shortest way to happiness. Begin with the question “What job needs to get done for the other person”. This is very similar to business question of “what is the problem customer wants solved?” As parents, all of us want to provide our children infinite opportunities and resources at their beck and call. Instead what is being signified is to provide capabilities. Capability is defined as the sum total of resources, processes and priorities. Children need to do more than learn new skills. The theory of capabilities suggests they need to be challenged. When you find yourself providing more and more experiences that are not giving children an opportunity to be deeply engaged, one is not equipping them with the processes they need to succeed in the future. They will learn when they are ready to learn and when the time is right, you need to be there to shape their priorities and their lives.  What “schools of experience” do our children go through as enabling processes to develop the capability and in the area of their priority to develop? Coping with a difficult individual in their lives, failing in sports, learning to navigate complex cliques at school, dealing with bullying and doing the right thing-all become “courses” in the school of experience. Usually people who don’t succeed in particular roles in their career or life are due to not been prepared with previous “courses” taken to prepare them for that particular challenge. How do we prepare children to go out in the world and live their lives best way possible? The best way is to instill the family values growing up and being consistent with it throughout that it becomes second nature for them.

To answer 3, we need to avoid the trap of marginal thinking? Why would doing this just once is a bad idea? As in business decisions made on marginal thinking, the only way to avoid consequences of uncomfortable moral concessions in life is to never start making them in the first place.

Life will be well lived when lived with a purpose. What are the 3 tenets of purpose? Likeness- the person one wants to become, Commitment (to that likeness) and finding the right metric to measure that likeness. Being clear on the measurement is also important to evaluating how successful one has been in living their purpose.  This is a great book for anyone who has a passion for something and also searching for meaning in their lives. Others who have arrived can also validate what they know with the easy to understand principles articulated in this easy read. It took me 3 years to finally get to finish my first read of this book. Something tells me I might get back to another read a few years later.

Srimad Bhagavat Gita commentary chapter 11 verse 46

 Chapter 11 verse 46 

“O thousand-armed one, though you are the embodiment of all creation, I wish to see you in your four-armed form, carrying the mace and disc, and wearing the crown.” 

Today is Bhagavat Gita Jayanti, Vaikunta Ekadashi and also happens to be the birth date of Jesus Christ. An auspicious day and date for Arjuna to request to see the 4 armed vision of Shree Krishna with his mace, disc, conch and crown. We have a very lovely gita stoopa in Bentonville, Arkansas and are celebrating Gita Jayanti and Vaikunta Ekadashi today in our temple here. This morning we got the divya darshan of chathurbuja Krishna in all splendor and reading Arjuna’s request after that feels like a huge blessing. I personally feel like Sree Krishna is blessing us with his cosmic form the same way he blessed his beloved Arjuna with his brilliant form. Reading this sloka today is a blessing for me. Bhagwan’s grace is infinite and we are just a speck in his creation.

Srimad Bhagavat Gita commentary chapter 11 verse 45

 Chapter 11 verse 45 

“Having seen your universal form that I had never seen before, I feel great joy. And yet, my mind trembles with fear. Please have mercy on me and again show me your pleasing form, O God of gods, O abode of the universe.” 

Arjuna it is said in Srimad Bhagavatam in his previous life was the accomplished sage Nara and who along with sage Narayana, who in this avatar is Bhagwan himself-Krishna used to do deep penance in Badarika ashram in Himalayas and gathered a lot of merit over thousands of years. Arjuna does not remember his connection with Bhagwan from his previous lives while Bhagwan ofcourse remembers everything. Arjuna in this life doesn’t remember since he has a particular purpose to fulfill in this life and remembering his past life was not going to help accomplish those tasks. Arjuna has mixed feelings about seeing the Universal Cosmic form of Bhagwan who hitherto he has seen as only his friend Krishna. The mind usually wants to relegate its experience to what it is used to and comfortable with. Hence here Arjuna is asking Bhagwan to revert to his original form as seen so far by Arjuna. The big question is what is His original form? What the levels of devotion from a devotee? What are the different emotions which well up in their mind and intellect for the object of their devotion? What is the highest form of devotion? I am going to again quote Swami Mukundananda’s commentary verbatim. 

There are two kinds of bhakti—aiśhwarya bhakti and mādhurya bhakti. Aiśhwarya bhakti is that where the devotee is motivated to engage in devotion by contemplating upon the almighty aspect of God. The dominant sentiment in aiśhwarya bhakti is of awe and reverence. In such devotion, the feeling of remoteness from God and the need for maintaining propriety of conduct is always perceived. Examples of aiśhwarya bhakti are the residents of Dwaraka and the residents of Ayodhya, who worshipped Shree Krishna and Lord Ram respectively as their kings. Ordinary citizens are highly respectful and obedient toward their king, although they never feel intimate with him. 

Mādhurya bhakti is that where the devotee feels an intimate personal relationship with God. The dominant sentiment in such devotion is “Shree Krishna is mine and I am his.” Examples of mādhurya bhakti are the cowherd boys of Vrindavan who loved Krishna as their friend, Yashoda and Nanda baba, who loved Krishna as their child, and the gopīs who loved him as their beloved. Mādhurya bhakti is infinitely sweeter than aiśhwarya bhakti. 

“The divine bliss of God is immensely sweet in all his forms. Yet, there is a gradation in it—the bliss of his Dwaraka pastimes is sweet, the bliss of his Mathura pastimes is sweeter, and the bliss of his Braj pastimes is the sweetest.” 

In Mādhurya bhakti, forgetting the almightiness of God, devotees establish four kinds of relationships with Shree Krishna: 

Dāsya bhāv—Shree Krishna is our Master and I am his servant. The devotion of Shree Krishna’s personal servants, such as Raktak, Patrak, etc. was in dāsya bhāv. The sentiment that God is our Father or Mother is a variation of dāsya bhāv and is included in it. 

Sakhya bhāv—Shree Krishna is our Friend and I am his intimate companion. The devotion of the cowherd boys of Vrindavan, such as Shreedama, Madhumangal, Dhansukh, Mansukh, etc. was in sakhya bhāv. 

Vātsalya bhāv—Shree Krishna is our Child and I am his parent. The devotion of Yashoda and Nand baba was in vātsalya bhāv. 

Mādhurya bhāv—Shree Krishna is our Beloved and I am his lover. The devotion of the gopīs of Vrindavan was in mādhurya bhāv. 

Arjuna is a sakhya bhāv devotee and relishes a fraternal relationship with the Lord. On seeing the universal form of God, Arjuna experienced tremendous awe and reverence, and yet he longed for the sweetness of sakhya bhāv that he was used to savoring. Hence, he prays to Shree Krishna to hide the almighty form that he is now seeing and again show his human form.

Srimad Bhagavat Gita commentary chapter 11 verse 44

 Chapter 11 verse 44 

“Therefore, O adorable Lord, bowing deeply and prostrating before you, I implore you for your grace. As a father tolerates his son, a friend forgives his friend, and a lover pardons the beloved, please forgive me for my offences.” 

There are 2 lessons to be learnt from this sloka. One is that Arjuna is asking for forgiveness for his behavior with his dear friend Krishna thinking that he was his friend, cousin and fellow royal. He does not need to apologize but he is asking for forgiveness from a feeling of deep gratitude and devotion. The lesson to be learnt in the 1^st instance is devotion and genuine love trumps all other emotions and the Lord enjoys that pure affection. The 2^nd lesson is that instead of regretting behavior towards fellow beings, why cannot we treat all of them as divine in their souls and behave appropriately as one would behave with Bhagwan. Interacting amongst all beings with love, affection and empathy will ensure we will not regret our behavior ever.

Srimad Bhagavat Gita commentary chapter 11 verse 43

 Chapter 11 verse 43 

“You are the father of the entire universe, of all moving and non-moving beings. You are the most deserving of worship and the supreme spiritual master. When there is none equal to you in all the three worlds, then who can possibly be greater than you, O possessor of incomparable power?” 

Arjuna is able to conclude and realize that Bhagwan Krishna is indeed the creator or originator of the Universe and hence the father and mother of all beings both sentient and insentient. He is the Guru of gurus, master of masters. There is no greater number than infinity and there is no greater person or being than paramatma. Arjuna realizes that words cannot describe the greatness of Supreme Being who stood before him.

Srimad Bhagavat Gita commentary chapter 11 verse 41-42

 Chapter 11 verse 41-42 

“Thinking of you as my friend, I presumptuously addressed you as, “O Krishna,” “O Yadav,” “O my dear mate.” I was ignorant of your majesty, showing negligence and undue affection. And if, jestfully, I treated you with disrespect, while playing, resting, sitting, eating, when alone, or before others—for all that I crave forgiveness” 

Arjuna reflect now on all the times he has not realized that his playmate, friend, cousin, confidant etc., is indeed the Bhagwan of the Universe. He is asking for skhama prathana (prayer of repentance and pardon). Arjuna thinks he has wronged Krishna Bhagwan since he treated him as his equal. This attitude shows his surrender to the cosmic form Krishna is exhibiting and his realization of how grand his so called charioteer is indeed. Don’t we all have this happen in our lives? We demand great things from the Supreme Lord as if He is here to do only our biding. However Bhagwan loves it if we develop this intimate relationship however without expectations of quid pro quo. True devotion does not come forth unless there is surrender of the ego within us. Drop that and we can merge with Him.

Srimad Bhagavat Gita commentary chapter 11 verse 40

 Chapter 11 verse 40 

“O Lord of infinite power, my salutations to you from the front and the rear, indeed from all sides! You possess infinite valor and might and pervade everything, and thus, you are everything.” 

Arjuna praises sincerely Bhagwan Krishna and realizes that he should be worshipped from all sides and pervades all space and ether. All his glories are infinite and limitless and He is in and is everything.

 

Srimad Bhagavat Gita commentary chapter 11 verse 39

Chapter 11 verse 39 

“You are Vāyu (the god of wind), Yamraj (the god of death), Agni (the god of fire), Varuṇ (the god of water), and Chandra (the moon-God). You are the creator Brahma, and the great-grandfather of all beings. I offer my salutations unto you a thousand times, again and yet again!” 

Finally I feel that Arjuna has internalized the teaching of Bhagwan Krishna and showing his understanding of what Krishna himself uttered earlier in the Bhagavat Gita. He had stated that all the celestial gods also pray to him and any prayers towards these celestial gods also go to the paramatma alone. Just like we show gratitude to our ancestors for bringing us to this earth, wouldn’t we show faith and reverence to the One who brought our ancestors to life? Arjuna is exhibiting that reverence and realization.

Srimad Bhagavat Gita commentary chapter 11 verse 38

 Chapter 11 verse 38 

“You are the primeval God and the original Divine Personality; you are the sole resting place of this universe. You are both the knower and the object of knowledge; you are the Supreme Abode. O possessor of infinite forms, you alone pervade the entire universe.” 

Nature’s laws states that there is a cause for every effect and without the cause, there is no effect. Hence everything originates from something. If we trace it all the way back, the only entity which doesn’t have a cause, beginning or end is the Supreme Being. Think of it as Vishnu, Krishna, Shiva or Jaganmata, the Universe or multi-verse started from that paramatma where the whole genesis of all creation started. Therefore pure knowledge exists in the Supreme cosmic form of Bhagwan. Whatever there is to know-“Veda is to know”, is known first by Bhagwan and that knowledge is imparted to all his material creation which is all of us. Arjuna also says that Supreme Being is the ultimate abode or destination and is both formless and contains all known and perceivable forms. He is omnipresent, omniscient and transcends time and space.

Srimad Bhagavat Gita commentary chapter 11 verse 37

 Chapter 11 verse 37 

“O Great one, who are even greater than Brahma, the original creator, why should they not bow to you? O limitless One, O Lord of the devatās, O Refuge of the universe, you are the imperishable reality beyond both the manifest and the non-manifest.” 

Arjuna has switched completely to realizing that his charioteer is none other than the Supreme Lord of the Universe. So he is not puzzled why all beings who were creations from his material energy bow down to Him. Arjuna realizes that He is the imperishable one and even though He is the cause of both the spiritual and material energy as well as the entire multi-verse, He is not contained in his creation. Describing Bhagawan is like trying to describe infinity. It is in describable and beyond comprehension.

Srimad Bhagavat Gita commentary chapter 11 verse 36

 Chapter 11 verse 36 

“Arjuna said: O Master of the senses, it is but apt that the universe rejoices in giving you praise and is enamored by you. Demons flee fearfully from you in all directions and the hosts of perfected saints bow to you.” 

After Krishna’s big reveal about his true cosmic form, Arjuna initially trembles with awe, some fear and excitement all combined. After he recovers from those emotions, deep devotion pervades his mortal self and he effuses in the praise of the Supreme Lord standing before him. He says that the whole world rejoices in His presence, wicked minded fear him but naturally and the wise and pious revere him constantly.

 

Srimad Bhagavat Gita commentary chapter 11 verse 35

 Chapter 11 verse 35 

“Sanjaya said: Hearing these words of Keshava, Arjuna trembled with dread. With palms joined, he bowed before Shree Krishna and spoke in a faltering voice, overwhelmed with fear.” 

Arjuna’s existential reality is shaken to the core since he has just been told that he is not the doer of all the action and is just an instrument and the near future has been foretold to him by Krishna and that’s a lot to take for Arjuna. He is overwhelmed with multiple emotions but the most obvious one is that of fear and awe that he does not fully realize who is around him and what is happening. He does not control anything much. It can be a very depressing feeling while thought of correctly could be a great relief. What comes to Arjuna’s mind after this BIG REVEAL?

Srimad Bhagavat Gita commentary chapter 11 verse 34

 Chapter 11 verse 34 

“Dronacharya, Bheeshma, Jayadratha, Karna, and other brave warriors have already been killed by me. So slay them without being disturbed. Just fight and you will be victorious over your enemies in battle.” 

What more does a person want that the Supreme Being Himself is providing highest life insurance policy to Arjuna. He is stating in unequivocal terms that the result of this war is going to be in Arjuna’s favor and all his enemies will be killed even though the odds of their death was very low to begin with. Since they were all bestowed with great valor, power and blessings by various celestial gods, it would have been difficult to vanquish them in any battle until the Kurushetra war where the tables were turned due to the presence of the Divine on Arjuna and pandava’s side. Where there is dharma, there is victory! To his credit, Arjuna was never afraid of going to war and that he will be killed or defeated, he was just not sure the utility of this war and killing of his own relatives and friends. What will be Arjuna’s response to this?

Srimad Bhagavat Gita commentary chapter 11 verse 33

 Chapter 11 verse 33 

“Therefore, arise and attain honor! Conquer your foes and enjoy prosperous rulership. These warriors stand already slain by me, and you will only be an instrument of my work, O expert archer.” 

Arjuna was a highly accomplished warrior of his times. He could wield the bow with dexterity in either hand. Even then, faced with the dilemma of killing his own kith and kin in a battlefield, he is confused about what to do. Bhagwan is advising him to do his duty of fighting the war he is destined to win with Grace of Krishna and enjoy the consequences of the victory-kingdom and fame. He further says that Arjuna is “nimmitha maatram-only an instrument of His work”. All the orchestration is happening from Him-Supreme Lord. Are we all not the instrument of His will? Infinite glories are awaiting us if we do His bidding in our lives. Instead we get distracted and keep second guessing what we are supposed to do with our lives. Living life as ordained by Him is the only thing for us to do.

Srimad Bhagavat Gita commentary chapter 11 verse 32

 Chapter 11 verse 32 

“The Supreme Lord said: I am mighty Time, the source of destruction that comes forth to annihilate the worlds. Even without your participation, the warriors arrayed in the opposing army shall cease to exist.” 

In response to the question posed by Arjuna in the earlier verse on who Krishna really was, what was his true form, Bhagwan answers that he is purveyor of time, source of all creation, preservation and destruction. Time and tide wait for none is the saying. What has been destined due to laws of the universe and karma of the individual beings will come to pass even without other actors involved. Numerous warriors are supposed to die in this kurushetra war whether Arjuna kills them or not. Then why should Arjuna himself kill them?

Srimad Bhagavat Gita commentary chapter 11 verse 31

 Chapter 11 verse 31 

“Tell me who you are, so fierce of form. O God of gods, I bow before you; please bestow your mercy on me. You, who existed before all creation, I wish to know who you are, for I do not comprehend your nature and workings.” 

Having seen the universal and cosmic form of Bhagwan encompassing all beings, time and space, Arjuna is shaken to his core and wasn’t expecting this huge and infinite a vision. Now he pleads to Bhagwan who realizes is not anymore a mere mortal but the Lord of Lords of the universe to show him the real nature and workings of this divine supreme being. Arjuna pretty much asks again-who are you really?

Srimad Bhagavat Gita commentary chapter 11 verse 30

 Chapter 11 verse 30 

“With your fiery tongues you are licking up the hosts of living beings on all sides and devouring them with your blazing mouths. O Vishnu, you are scorching the entire universe with the fierce, all-pervading rays of your effulgence.” 

Arjuna is getting a vision of future happenings where both his enemies and even several of his allies are going to be dying and entering the next phase of their journey with paramatma. Arjuna is seeing the destructive part of the Supreme Being who also plays the role of creator and preserver. Why is the Lord providing this vision to Arjuna? It could be to shake him out of inaction and instill either the thought that he is not the doer or if he doesn’t execute his duty of winning the war and restoring dharma back in bharata varsha, he is not going to reap the merits of his current life. Bhagwan being ever kind and compassionate does not practice punitive action but reminding him to do his duty of fighting a righteous battle since all beings born on earth have to die anyways. It is his duty to restore dharma for that particular time.

Srimad Bhagavat Gita commentary chapter 11 verse 28-29

 Chapter 11 verse 28-29 

“As many waves of the rivers flowing rapidly into the ocean so are all these great warriors entering into your blazing mouths. As moths rush with great speed into the fire to perish, so are all these armies entering with great speed into your mouths.” 

Arjuna asked to be shown the cosmic form and He is seeing His form with the divine vision afforded by the Lord Himself. Why is he getting this vision though? Arjuna has a role to play in this kurushetra war and in that he is supposed to kill his own cousins, close relatives, teacher and other elders he grew up respecting and revering. He is also supposed to fight and kill various kings who might have been friendly to Him personally in the past. I feel the Lord is offering this vision of all the kings and great men entering Krishna’s wide mouth rapidly and even violently to drive home the point that Arjuna is NOT the DOER and these men who are standing before Arjuna are doomed to perish anyways. As well, there is a greater philosophy in these slokas that everything ultimately merges with the Supreme consciousness. The jiva atma merges with the paramatma eventually. Just like all the rivers constantly merge into the ocean, all the individual souls merge with the Supreme Soul. As well, we get to see moths being attracted to the fire even though it will kill them since brightness is what is sought by them. Likewise all beings who are born on this earth ultimately seek permanent bliss and hence seek the Supreme consciousness whether they are aware of that concept or not due to the Bhagwan’s maya.

Srimad Bhagavat Gita commentary chapter 11 verse 26-27

 Chapter 11 verse 26-27 

“I see all the sons of Dhritarashtra, along with their allied kings, including Bheeshma, Dronacharya, Karna, and also the generals from our side, rushing headlong into your fearsome mouths. I see some with their heads smashed between your terrible teeth.” 

Since Sri Krishna is the controller of time and space, all realms of time are contained in Him. Past, present and future happenings are evident to Him and now Arjuna gets a glimpse of those happenings. Thus Arjuna sees that all the warriors on both sides are entering his mouth and getting crushed to destruction of this body form. This is a symbolic representation of the merging of the body into His cosmic form and that this body is very temporary. Destruction is a given for anything created in this universe. The permanent aspect is the immutable soul of each being. Earlier in Bhagavat Gita, Krishna goads Arjuna to kill his opponents since they are already dead whether Arjuna kills them or not.

Srimad Bhagavat Gita commentary chapter 11 verse 25

 Chapter 11 verse 25 

“O Bhagwan, having seen your many mouths bearing your terrible teeth, resembling the raging fire at the time of annihilation, I forget where I am and do not know where to go. O Lord of lords, you are the shelter of the universe; please have mercy on me.” 

Arjuna has lost his bearings having witnessed the cosmic form of Bhagwan Krishna with infinite mouths, teeth and the raging fire of destruction at the time of dissolution of the universe. He was not expecting this form of His hitherto cousin and friend and feels lost, directionless and disoriented. He is asking for mercy from Bhagwan thinking that Krishna is angry with him for some reason or other. What should be our relationship with almighty-one of fear and trepidation or love and devotion? How does one get from fear to love for God? God is our friend, fellow traveler in our lives and protector of dharma. One who follows dharma and lives a righteous life doesn’t need to fear almighty. God loves everyone of His creation. There is nothing to fear!

Srimad Bhagavat Gita commentary chapter 11 verse 24

 Chapter 11 verse 24 

“O Lord Vishnu, seeing your form touching the sky, effulgent in many colors, with mouths wide open and enormous blazing eyes, my heart is trembling with fear. I have lost all courage and peace of mind.” 

Arjuna having realized that his cousin, lifelong friend and now his charioteer is indeed Bhagwan Vishnu Himself. So the love and affection he had for Krishna as his friend and close relative has now turned into fear of the Lord of the Universe. This happened in all Krishna’s interactions with Yashoda, Devaki, Vasudeva, cowherds of Brindavan etc. Therefore Krishna had to use his maya to restore back their ignorance of who Krishna really was so he can get on with his avatar. Arjuna describes here the massive, infinite form of Sri Krishna, multi colored, huge mouth open, enormous eyes and this form makes Arjuna tremble with uncertainty and fear that he knows that the person who he dearly asked to be his charioteer is in fact the Lord of the Universe and Supreme Being!. This fact drains all of Arjuna’s courage and mental stability. This aspect of knowing Divine avatars among the contemporaries of the avatars has happened time and again in our sanatana dharma history. All the way from dashavatars to Shirdi Sai Baba, Satya Sai Baba, Kanchi Mahaperiyava etc.,

Srimad Bhagavat Gita commentary chapter 11 verse 23

 Chapter 11 verse 23 

“O mighty Lord, in veneration of your magnificent form with its many mouths, eyes, arms, thighs, legs, stomachs, and terrifying teeth, all the worlds are terror-stricken, and so am I.” 

In the srimad bhagavatam, when prahlada calls out to Bhagwan Vishnu to prove that he is omnipresent, Vishnu in the form of narasimha avatar appears before everyone and most of the people around him are morbidly terrified with his form. However prahlada is able to approach him with complete devotion and love even though he was such a young boy. It is the strength of the faith and surrender in us which will qualify to have the vishwaroopa darshan (divine vision of the cosmic form of Bhagwan) without trepidation. Arjuna in this verse describes that Bhagwan’s grand standing image contains countless arms, legs, stomach, eyes, thighs, mouths and all forms of teeth. A normal human will find it difficult to comprehend this form and that’s why so many legends in countless cultures around the world depict monsters in quasi human form with multiple body parts and/or gruesome forms. In this case, Bhagwan is showing that all beings are included within Him and that could be a terrifying thought for many but assuring view for a few strong and faithful devotees.

Srimad Bhagavat Gita commentary chapter 11 verse 22

 Chapter 11 verse 22 

“The Rudras, Adityas, Vasus, Sadhyas, Vishvadevas, Ashwini Kumaras, Marutas, ancestors, Gandharvas, Yakshas, Asuras, and Siddhas are all beholding you in wonder.” 

In sandhya vandanam ritual stipulated to worship the sun and to remind ourselves of the inherent supreme consciousness in all of us, there is a sloka which says that just like all water from rains, ponds, lakes and rivers merge into the ocean eventually, all prayers end up for Supreme Brahman. Likewise Arjuna here talks about that all the gods and various beings including our ancestor and the best of us (siddhas) all look up to the Supreme Lord and pray to Him. Arjuna is able to view that all their prayers and reverence are for the Supreme Lord whose vision he is receiving through His Grace!

Srimad Bhagavat Gita commentary chapter 11 verse 21

 Chapter 11 verse 21 

“All the celestial gods are taking your shelter by entering into you. In awe, some are praising you with folded hands. The great sages and perfected beings are extolling you with auspicious hymns and profuse prayers.” 

Arjuna is describing the time transcending form of Supreme Being. In that all beings eventually merge into Him including the celestial gods who are righteous and praise his glories or who fear Him for consequences of their actions. As well, the great sages and exalted/enlightened beings are also singing His praises and hymns and enter into His cosmic form transcending time.

 

Srimad Bhagavat Gita commentary chapter 11 verse 20

Chapter 11 verse 20 

“The space between heaven and earth and all the directions are pervaded by you alone. Seeing your wondrous and terrible form, I see the three worlds trembling in fear, O Greatest of all beings.” 

The whole universe is pervaded by him and Him alone. The world is trembling in the fear of the consequences of wrong actions. The consequence of wrong action is dictated by Supreme Being and according to the laws of karma is executed with Grace, impartiality and justice. There is nothing to fear nature’s laws if we adhere to Dharma and do the right thing. Fear is always of the unknown. If our conscience is centered towards Supreme consciousness, there is no need to fear any consequences.

Srimad Bhagavat Gita commentary chapter 11 verse 19

Chapter 11 verse 19 

“You are without beginning, middle, or end; your power has no limits. Your arms are infinite; the sun and the moon are like your eyes, and fire is like your mouth. I see you warming the entire creation by your radiance.” 

Arjuna describes again that Krishna has no beginning, middle or end and is infinite in space, time and powers. He is only describing poetically within the limits of language what he is witnessing and therefore he is comparing the radiant eyes of the Lord as Sun and Moon whereas those bodies in the solar system is just a speck in the entire cosmos over which Krishna rules over. The warmth for earth which keeps all the beings alive and well is coming from the warmth of the cosmic form and He is providing vital energies such as heat, air, water etc., due to His Grace.

 

Srimad Bhagavat Gita commentary chapter 11 verse 18

 Chapter 11 verse 18 

“You are the imperishable, the supreme Being worthy to be known. You are the great treasure-house of this universe. You are the imperishable protector of the eternal dharma. In my opinion, you are the ancient Purusa.” 

Aksharam and Veda means “imperishable” and “to know”. Arjuna says Krishna is at once both imperishable, reflects the indestructible part of the Universe which is Supreme Soul itself as well as the only thing all of us should strive to know. Vedas are named as the truth to be known. Root of all vedic teaching is to reach godliness and knowledge that everything which pervades the universe is the Supreme Soul and Being. Arjuna also calls his “nidhaanam”- treasure house and support for the entire universe. I wonder why the word “patience” in tamil also goes by nidhaanam- being patient to attain what is ordained for you is a godly trait. Arjuna concludes this sloka saying Krishna in his opinion is also the Purushosttama that the ancient, timeless, imperishable Sanatana Dharma calls the creator and sustainer of the Universe.

Srimad Bhagavat Gita commentary chapter 11 verse 17

 Chapter 11 verse 17 

“I see your form, adorned with a crown, and armed with the club and disc, shining everywhere as the abode of splendor. It is hard to look upon you in the blazing fire of your effulgence, which is radiating like the sun in all directions.” 

Arjuna is seeing the divine cosmic form of Bhagwan Krishna-avatara of Mahavishnu. With granted divine vision, Arjuna is able to see the extremely bright form of Bhagwan. He describes the form as one glowing like infinite suns with crown in the head, 4 arms with club, disc (sudharshana chakra), conch and lotus. This form has personal significance and attachment for me- being the temple deity of my beloved Guruji’s ashram-Om Swamiji’s Bhadrika ashram in himachal Pradesh- Sri Hari modeled on the Sri varadaraja perumal in kanchipuram. As well, this is the same form in the Hindu temple of northwest Arkansas, where I reside called the “chaturbhuja Krishna or gita acharya” presiding over the world’s first gita stoopa preaching the timeless wisdom of sanatana dharma and bhagavat gita. There are no coincidences in life when one starts observing the patterns and messaging nature and cosmos is trying to teach us. If we listen, we will definitely benefit. Let’s listen to our pure consciousness and center ourselves in the service of Supreme Bhagwan.

Srimad Bhagavat Gita commentary Chapter 11 verse 16

 Chapter 11 verse 16 

“I see your boundless form on every side, with manifold arms, stomachs, mouths and eyes; neither the end, nor the middle or the beginning do I see; O Lord of the Universe, O cosmic form.” 

Arjuna calls Sri Krishna vishveshwara- Lord of the Universe and vishwaroopa-divine cosmic form. Arjuna recognizes that his lifelong friend, cousin and now his charioteer is indeed not all those relationships but the Supreme Lord Himself. In his universal form, Arjuna cannot find the beginning, middle or the end of the form and His cosmic form contains all the arms, legs, stomachs, mouth, eyes of all the beings on not just planet earth but entire universe and multi-verses.

Srimad Bhagavat Gita commentary chapter 11 verse 15

 Chapter 11 verse 15 

“Arjuna said: Bhagwan Sri Krishna, I behold within your body all the gods and hosts of different beings. I see Brahma seated on the lotus flower; I see Shiva, all the sages, and the celestial serpents.” 

Arjuna is beginning to see the divine cosmic form and describes what he is seeing. He is able to see the entire universe contained in Him with both brahma seated on huge lotus flower and shiva residing in Him as well. All the erstwhile and accomplished sages are present in Him as well as the celestial serpents such as vasuki, anantha etc., All kinds and forms of beings are present in His divine form.

Srimad Bhagavat Gita commentary chapter 11 verse 14

 Chapter 11 verse 14 

“Then, Arjuna, full of wonder and with hair standing on end, bowed his head with folded hands before the Lord and addressed him thus.” 

Arjuna, beginning to see the divine cosmic form of Bhagawan, bows down to him in awe, reverence and with wonder and describes what he is able to see..

Srimad Bhagavat Gita commentary chapter 11 verse 13

 Chapter 11 verse 13 

“There Arjuna could see the totality of the entire universe established in one place, in that body of the God of gods.” 

Sanjaya starts to explain the divine cosmic form of Sri Krishna and that Arjuna is beginning to see the totality of the multiple universes from infinite time and space all encompassed in the body of the God of Gods-Supreme Divine form of Sri Krishna. Yasoda also saw this form but could not handle it. It is not easy to comprehend the incomprehensible.

Srimad Bhagavat Gita commentary chapter 11 verse 12

 Chapter 11 verse 12 

“If a thousand suns were to blaze forth together in the sky, they would not match the splendor of that great form.” 

Poets from time immemorial have used metaphors and similes to illustrate experience, imagination and observations. Likewise, Sanjaya is attempting to explain what he saw while witnessing the divine cosmic form of Bhagawan Sri Krishna. Even though radiance and brilliance of Bhagawan is incomprehensible and indescribable, Sanjaya says it is as if 1000 suns are blazing together in high noon. 1000 is a number which has been used in our history (ittihaasa) multiple times to denote numerous or countless. All the names sung in praise of Supreme Lord is 1000 number-Lalitha sahasranama, Vishnu sahasranama etc., the import of 1000 is innumerable and countless. This is the closest Sanjaya can come to the description of the Supreme Bhagawan.

Srimad Bhagavat Gita commentary chapter 11 verse 10-11

Chapter 11 verse 10-11 

“In that cosmic form, Arjuna saw infinite faces and eyes, decorated with many celestial ornaments and wielding many kinds of divine weapons. He wore many garlands on his body and was anointed with many sweet-smelling heavenly fragrances. He revealed himself as the wonderful and infinite Lord whose face is everywhere.” 

Sanjaya explains the divine cosmic form further saying that it contained innumerable eyes, faces, adorned by all kinds of divine ornaments and contained all the weapons the world can imagine. Krishna wore the most beautiful garlands, most divine and heavenly perfumes emanated from his body and His form transcended the realm of time and space-infinite expanse was being covered by his cosmic form. It is impossible to imagine this form for mere mortals and even with divine vision. 

Srimad Bhagavat Gita commentary chapter 11 verse 9

 Chapter 11 verse 9 

“Sanjaya said: O King, having spoken thus, the Supreme Lord of yoga, Shree Krishna, displayed his divine and opulent form to Arjuna.” 

Sanjaya was granted the remote viewing capacity by sage veda vyasa in order to narrate to Dhritarastra what was transpiring in the kurustretra war. As well, Sanjaya had enormous bhakti towards Bhagawan Krishna and hence had the ability to see the vishwaroop darshana (vision of divine cosmic form of Lord Krishna) as shown to arjuna by the Lord himself. The power of maya is so severe that a majority of the contemporaries of Lord Krishna during dwapara yuga did not comprehend that he was divinity personified even in his material form. Forget the few who could even withstand seeing Krishna in His divine form. This part of history repeats itself time and again when avataras descend on earth. Very few recognize exalted avataras all over the world. Blessed are those who are able to realize the avatars in real time. All glories to the Bhagawan!

Srimad Bhagavat Gita commentary chapter 11 verse 8

 Chapter 11 verse 8 

“But you cannot see my cosmic form with these physical eyes of yours. Therefore, I grant you divine vision. Behold my majestic opulence!” 

All mortal beings on earth cannot comprehend the divine cosmic form of the avatar of Krishna or any of the other avatars. Very few recognize divine form of the avatars. We only see the material form of the avatar or avatara purushas. In order to view, understand and enjoy the cosmic form of  Bhagawan, beings need the divine eyes, divine mind and divine intellect which can only be bestowed by bhagawan’s grace. Krishna is bestowing that Grace on Arjuna.

Srimad Bhagavat Gita commentary chapter 11 verse 7

 Chapter 11 verse 7 

“Behold now, Arjuna, the entire universe, with everything moving and non-moving, assembled together in my universal form. Whatever else you wish to see, observe it all within this universal form.” 

Not only are all the celestial gods contained in His Supreme cosmic form, everything moving, non-moving, past, present and future time is enshrined in His cosmic form. He is both formless and contains every form there is. Maharaja Bali got darshan of his form in vamana avatara and is expected to be Indra in a future manvantara. Such is the exalted state of beings who get to view his cosmic form. Reading and writing about itself is a huge blessing!

Srimad Bhagavat Gita commentary chapter 11 verse 6

 Chapter 11 verse 6 

“Behold in me, the (twelve) sons of Aditi, the (eight) Vasus, the (eleven) Rudras, the (twin) Ashwini Kumaras, as well as the (forty-nine) Marutas and many more marvels never revealed before.” 

The universal form or vishwaroopa of Lord Krishna or paramatma not only contains the entire creation on earth but other celestial bodies and the whole multi-verse. All the celestial gods are but a small speck of his whole. Quoting Swami Mukundananda’s research below: 

 He shows the twelve Adityas, eight Vasus, eleven Rudras, two Ashwini Kumars, as well as the forty-nine Marutas within himself. 

The twelve sons of Aditi are: Dhata, Mitra, Aryama, Shakra, Varun, Amsha, Bhaga, Vivasvan, Pusha, Savita, Tvashta, Vaman. The eight Vasus are: Dara, Dhruv, Soma, Ahah, Anila, Anala, Pratyush, Prabhas. 

The eleven Rudras are: Hara, Bahurupa, Tryambaka, Aparajita, Vrisakapi, Shambhu, Kapardi, Raivata, Mrigavyadha, Sarva, Kapali. The two Ashwini Kumaras are the twin-born physicians of the gods. 

The forty-nine Maruts (wind gods) are: Sattvajyoti, Aditya, Satyajyoti, Tiryagjyoti, Sajyoti, Jyotishman, Harita, Ritajit, Satyajit, Sushena, Senajit, Satyamitra, Abhimitra, Harimitra, Krita, Satya, Dhruv, Dharta, Vidharta, Vidharaya, Dhvanta, Dhuni, Ugra, Bhima, Abhiyu, Sakshipa, Idrik, Anyadrik, Yadrik, Pratikrit, Rik, Samiti, Samrambha, Idriksha, Purusha, Anyadriksha, Chetasa, Samita, Samidriksha, Pratidriksha, Maruti, Sarata, Deva, Disha, Yajuh, Anudrik, Sama, Manusha, and Vish.

Srimad Bhagavat Gita commentary chapter 11 verse 5

 Chapter 11 verse 5 

“The Supreme Lord said: Behold, O Partha, my hundreds and thousands of wonderful forms of various shapes, sizes, and colors.” 

Arjuna is already blessed to reach the stage in his journey to enlightenment-Moksha of obtaining Supreme Being’s vision. In his lifetime as Arjuna, he has been a great warrior who has put in great efforts to attempt excelling at what he does. As we have seen earlier, that’s not the only qualification though. Bhagawan is ready to show him his infinite forms, shapes, sizes and colors which are contained within Him now.

Srimad Bhagavat Gita commentary chapter 11 verse 4

 Chapter 11 verse 4 

“O Lord of all mystic powers, if you think I am strong enough to behold it, and then kindly reveal that imperishable cosmic form to me.” 

Arjuna humbly requests Lord Krishna to reveal his divine cosmic form if he feels that he is worthy of that darshan. There are 2 things I want to illustrate here. First is that Arjuna is an incarnation of nara and narayana and has led many righteous previous lives to beget this life with the supreme being Himself. So he is not in the presence of the Lord by happenstance or accident. It is his efforts from all previous lives, current life and Grace of the Lord. Second, his humility and surrender to divine is now complete and that’s clear in his words and affection towards Lord Krishna. These 2 conditions are the ones which will help Arjuna achieve this darshan he is seeking.

Srimad Bhagavat Gita commentary chapter 11 verse 2-3

 Chapter 11 verse 2-3 

“I have heard from you in detail about the appearance and disappearance of all living beings, O lotus-eyed one, and also about your eternal majesty. O Supreme Lord, you are precisely what you declare yourself to be. Now I desire to see your divine cosmic form, O greatest of persons.” 

Arjuna summarizes what he had heard from Lord Krishna so far and reiterates that he is the controller of all living beings and that his prowess is infinite. Having heard all the glories of the Lord and being convinced that Lord Krishna is Supreme Being Himself, Arjuna requests him to show his divine cosmic form. Although Vedas and Vedanta stipulate that Brahman is both form and formless, mere mortals cannot easily comprehend the formless divine and would like to imagine Lord in human form. Sanatana dharma understands this psyche very well and lets devotees and followers worship Lord in various forms while knowing that all these polytheistic forms converge to the monotheistic God principle. Sanatana dharma is the most evolved scientific and efficient way of life for time immemorial.

Srimad Bhagavat Gita commentary chapter 11 verse 1

 Chapter 11 verse 1 

“Arjun said: Having heard the supremely confidential spiritual knowledge, which you have revealed out of compassion to me, my illusion is now dispelled.” 

After a glorious chapter 10 where Lord has indicated vast extents of his glories, one wonders what actions lead someone to be blessed with such grace from the Divine. His devotion getting perked up, Arjuna first of all recognizes and submits to the infinite compassion of Krishna, who he hitherto thought of his lifelong friend, cousin and confidant but beginning to recognize that He is supreme being personified. Arjuna claims that his illusion about Krishna is dispelled. Has Arjuna truly recognized the extent of Lord Krishna’s omniscience and omnipresence as the Lord of the multi-verse? What has Arjuna done in the past to deserve such quality time with the Lord? Will all of us get that kind of exposure and grace if we did His work? Yes is the simple answer and surrender 100% is the simplified way.

Srimad Bhagavat Gita commentary chapter 10 verse 42

 Chapter 10 verse 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.” 

Lord had earlier indicated that there are 2 forms of his creative energy-material and spiritual. Only a quarter of His energy is material and is the cause of all multi-verses. Lord mentioned some of the glories of the material world but in this chapter didn’t cover His spiritual prowess. Arjuna may not yet have comprehended all his glory. Out of sheer compassion, Krishna gave Arjuna a glimpse of His vast glories but He is now indicating that it is enough to just know that Lord is everywhere, everything and all pervading. That’s all and that much all of us need to know. It is not easy to accomplish that without His Grace.

 

Srimad Bhagavat Gita commentary chapter 10 verse 41

 Chapter 10 verse 41 

“Whatever one sees as beautiful, glorious, and powerful, know that to spring from but a spark of my splendor.” 

This verse sums up all Lord’s glories he highlighted. Now that Arjuna and the world got a glimpse of His glories, it is much easier to accept that everything which is attractive, awe inspiring, glorious and powerful in the world is just a reflection of a small spark of his unlimited splendor. No wonder our ancestors had opening prayers for every action they started to invoke the Divine energies to help with that activity. They understood the import of this verse completely.

Srimad Bhagavat Gita commentary chapter 10 verse 40

 Chapter 10 verse 40 

“There is no end to my divine manifestations, O conqueror of enemies. What I have declared to you is a mere sample of my infinite glories.” 

From verse 20 to 39 in this chapter, Lord enumerates his 82 divine glories. However he concludes that there is no end to his glories and manifestations. His glories and manifestations are infinite. In the theory of mathematical induction, a concept is tested for N=1,2 and N-1 and hence established for all conditions. Similarly Lord has shared his 82 divine glories as a sample to indicate that His glories are infinite and unbounded. Arjuna and all of us beings need to comprehend this and surrender to His will.

Srimad Bhagavat Gita commentary chapter 10 verse 39

 Chapter 10 verse 39 

“I am the generating seed of all living beings. No creature moving or non-moving can exist without me.” 

Lord is beginning to summarize his glories spoken thus far in this chapter by stating that all living and non living beings originate from him not only in this planet earth but all multi-verses known and unknown to man. His glories are incomprehensible for the ordinary human. That’s why surrender to Divine is extolled.

Srimad Bhagavat Gita commentary chapter 10 verse 38

 Chapter 10 verse 38 

“I am just punishment amongst means of preventing lawlessness, and proper conduct amongst those who seek victory. Amongst secrets I am silence, and in the wise I am their wisdom.” 

Sanatana dharma has reams of literature on how to run a just society with consequences of lawless action including avatars of Lord to rid society of evils by eliminating such evil. Violence is not encouraged but suitable punishment to prevent lawlessness is absolutely prescribed. Lord has indicated that such punishment is also meted out by Him. When someone earns a victory or success in their endeavor, it is only natural to celebrate. However the best of us celebrate with humility and contentment. The victory itself is obtained through moral means. This is a great lesson and reminder in current times of political and global anarchy. There is no secret which can be kept unless the person keeps it to himself/herself. It doesn’t remain a secret when another person knows about the secret. That’s why silence is the best way to keep a secret. That silence represents the glory of the Lord. There are countless secrets of the multi-verse He holds in his bosom without divulging to anyone over eons. The wisdom to see that all creation is His and love, compassion is the way of the world makes the wise stand out. That wisdom emanates from the Lord through His GRACE alone.

 

Srimad Bhagavat Gita commentary chapter 10 verse 37

 Chapter 10 verse 37 

“Amongst the descendants of Vrishni, I am Krishna, and amongst the Pandavas I am Arjuna. Know me to be Veda Vyasa amongst the sages, and Shukracharya amongst the great thinkers.” 

There is something common among the great scriptures of sanatana dharma. Conversations are captured verbatim by the writers. Is there any more evidence needed to establish that Krishna is the great avatar of the Supreme Divine when he refers to himself in third person. He wants to make it even more tenable for Arjuna to learn his glories by pointing out his contemporaries as reflection of His great glory. He calls Krishna (vasudeva or himself) as the greatest among the vrishni clan, Arjuna as the greatest among pandavas, veda vyasa (who is sincerely reporting this Mahabharata and hence the Srimad Bhagavat Gita as well) as greatest sage and Shukracharya who was kind enough to agree to be guru of asuras. All of these great men were great reflections of the creative glory of the Supreme Lord.

 

Srimad Bhagavat Gita commentary chapter 10 verse 36

 Chapter 10 verse 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.” 

Even our lowest tendencies such as cheating during gambling and all other sins happen only due to the freedom of choice the Lord is giving the soul to choose. The freedom of choice itself is His glory that even with all that power, he chooses to lend that freedom to beings and does not interfere. He is also the best of the best, the good choices are enabled as well by Him. Firm resolutions of the best of us and the victory of the good vs. bad all emanate from Him. For those who doubt whether we have free will, Lord gives a clear message in the affirmative in this verse. Free will is available at the present moment. Let us choose wisely. Let us surrender to Him and reap the benefit of His GRACE.

Srimad Bhagavat Gita commentary chapter 10 verse 35

 Chapter 10 verse 35 

“Amongst the hymns in the Sāma Veda know me to be the Brihatsama; amongst poetic meters I am the Gayatri. Of the twelve months of the Hindu calendar I am Margsheersha, and of seasons I am spring, which brings forth flowers.” 

Lord Krishna is bringing forth the joys and gifts of nature as a reflection of his creative glories. The Vedas are called strutis-what was obtained initially from nature and divine sound waves discerned by our ancient sages and then passed on orally through eons. Krishna had earlier indicated that the sweetest of the Vedas is Sama Veda and now he points to the Brihatsama portion to be the best hymns. Gayatri meter (chandas) has been extensively used in the Vedas including the famous Gayatri mantra discovered by sage Vishwamitra. Turning then to the seasons, Krishna points to November-December timeframe in most of India especially north India where the weather is neither too cold or hot and when harvest happens and there is joy in the air overall. Margsheersha reflects his abundant glory. So does spring season when flowers bloom and major Indian festivals are celebrated to appreciate nature’s bounty itself.

Srimad Bhagavat Gita commentary chapter 10 verse 34

 Chapter 10 verse 34 

“I am the all-devouring Death, and I am the origin of those things that are yet to be. Amongst feminine qualities I am fame, prosperity, fine speech, memory, intelligence, courage/firmness, and forgiveness.” 

Continuing to enumerate his unlimited glories, Lord says that both inevitable deaths for all beings are controlled by him as well the origin of all things past, present and future. Both men and women should have unique great qualities and there are various common qualities suitable for both men and women. Lord highlights 7 great qualities of women- 3 external such as fame, prosperity and clarity in speech. For all those who think Bharata varsa itihasa (Indian history) and scriptures didn’t respect women-why would Lord talk about “fame” as one of the top qualities of a woman if they did not have complete freedom to do what they wanted and get famous for righteous action. 4 internal qualities of women Lord Krishna wants to highlight as part of his glories are great memory, intelligence, firmness and courage to take a decision and see it through and the ability to forgive wrong done to them. A lot of them are great qualities for both men and women. Interestingly Sanatana dharma and Bharata Itihasa (Indian history) always associated material wealth and abundance as the stronghold of women and is the only way of life where women got this kind of power in scriptures and early way of life. Things might have declined over time in those values in society but the high ideals were set in our history and way of life early on.

Srimad Bhagavat Gita commentary chapter 10 verse 33

 Chapter 10 verse 33 

“I am the beginning “A” amongst all letters; I am the dual word in grammatical compounds. I am the endless Time, and amongst creators I am Brahma.” 

Again, I am just going to quote from Swami Mukundananda’s commentary as below: 

In Sanskrit, all letters are formed by combining a half-letter with “a.” For example, क् + अ = क (k + a = ka). Hence, the letter “a” is the most important in the Sanskrit alphabet. “A” is also the first vowel of the alphabet, and since the vowels are written before the consonants, “A” comes at the very beginning. 

Although Sanskrit is such an ancient language, it is highly refined and sophisticated. A common procedure in Sanskrit language is to combine words to form compound words. When, in the process of making one compound word, two or more words give up their case endings, it is called samāsa, and the resulting word is called samāsa pada, or compound word. There are primarily six kinds of samāsa: 1) dwandva, 2) bahubṛihi, 3) karm dhāray, 4) tatpuruṣh, 5) dwigu, 6) avyayī bhāv. Amongst these, dwandva is the best because both words remain prominent in it, while in the others, either one word becomes more prominent, or both words combine together to give the meaning of a third word. The dual word Radha-Krishna is an example of dwandva. Shree Krishna highlights it as his vibhūti. 

Creation is a magnificent act and awesome to behold. Humankind’s most sophisticated and technologically advanced inventions pale in comparison. Therefore, Lord Krishna singles out the first-born Brahma, who made the entire universe, and says that amongst creators, the creative ability of Brahma best reflects the glory of God.

Srimad Bhagavat Gita commentary chapter 10 verse 32

 Chapter 10 verse 32 

“O Arjuna, know me to be the beginning, middle, and end of all creation. Amongst sciences I am the science of spirituality, and in debates I am the logical conclusion.”

I am just going to quote Swami Mukundananda’s commentary for this verse since it is so complete and I cannot abridge it further without losing the essence and beauty of it. 

Earlier in the twentieth verse, Shree Krishna had stated that he is the beginning, middle, and end of all living beings. Now, he states the same for all creation, “All that is created, such as space, air, fire, water, and earth, is called sarga. I am the Creator (ādi), Maintainer (madhya), and Annihilator (anta) of these. Therefore, the processes of creation, maintenance, and dissolution can be meditated upon as my vibhūtis.” 

Vidyā is the education that a person acquires in relation to subjects of knowledge. The scriptures describe eighteen types of vidyās. Amongst them, fourteen are prominent: 

“Śhikśhā, Kalp, Vyākaraṇ, Nirukti, Jyotiṣh, Chhanda—these are the six types of knowledge known as Vedāṅg (limbs of the Vedas). Ṛig, Yajur, Sāma, Atharva—these are the four branches of Vedic knowledge. Along with Mīmānsā, Nyāya, Dharma Śhāstra, and the Puranas, these comprise the fourteen chief vidyās.” Practice of these vidyās cultivates the intellect, deepens the knowledge, and increases awareness of the path of dharma. Additionally, the science of spirituality liberates human beings from material bondage and gives them immortality. Thus, it is superior to the previously mentioned vidyās. This is mentioned in the Śhrīmad Bhāgavatam as well: sā vidyā tanmatiryayā (Verse 4.29.49)[v30] “The best knowledge is that by which the intellect becomes attached to the lotus feet of God.” 

In the field of argument and logic, jalpa means to find fault with the opponent’s statements, for the sake of establishing one’s own opinion. Vitaṇḍa means to avoid proper deliberation on the truth through evasion and frivolous arguments. Vāda is the logical conclusion of the discussion. Logic is the basis for communication of ideas and establishment of truths. It is because of a universal sense of logic that knowledge can be easily cultivated, taught, and learnt in human society. The universal principles of logic are a manifestation of the power of God.

 

Srimad Bhagavat Gita commentary chapter 10 verse 31

 Chapter 10 verse 31 

“Amongst purifiers I am the wind, and amongst wielders of weapons I am Lord Rama. Of water creatures I am the crocodile, and of flowing rivers I am the Ganga.” 

Wind is able to purify smells, cleans up the environment and makes the world a better place to live in. This aspect of wind’s ability purify comes from the Lord. Lord Rama was the best wielder of weapons only for just causes. Even though he was most powerful, he only used his valor for dharmic purposes. That aspect of Lord Rama is the essence of Divine. Crocodiles have been around for ages and are among the most majestic of water creatures. The majestic nature is reflective of the Lord. Amongst all the rivers in the world, ganga is the most revered and it has flown from the heavens through the locks of paramashiva Himself. Therefore the glory of ganga at its best is reflective of the Divine glories of the Lord.

Srimad Bhagavat Gita commentary chapter 10 verse 30

Chapter 10 verse 30 

“I am Prahlada amongst the daityas (clan of asuras and descendants of diti and kashyapa); amongst all that controls I am time. Know me to be the lion amongst animals, and Garuda amongst the birds.” 

Prahlada represents the best of asuras and is a reflection of Lord’s ability to instill utmost devotion to Him. Time ultimately cures every ill, conquers ego, creates and destroys beings and physical aspects of Universe and is the ultimate controller. Lord controls time. Lion is at the top of the animal food chain and is the lord of the animal kingdom but it is just one of the creations of the Supreme Being. Among the bird, the most majestic is the Garuda (Brahminy Kite is the closest contemporary bird representing ancient Garuda) and is the primary vehicle of Lord Vishnu. 

Srimad Bhagavat Gita commentary chapter 10 verse 29

 Chapter 10 verse 29 

“Amongst the snakes I am Ananta; amongst aquatics I am Varuna. Amongst the departed ancestors I am Aryaman; amongst dispensers of law I am Yamaraja, the lord of death.” 

Continuing to enumerate the reflection of his glories in His creation, Lord points to the greatest of all snakes. Ananta reminds us of the infinite glories of the Lord who utilizes Ananta as his resting place-Anathashayana-He who bed is the 1000 headed snake Ananta. Among the serpents, eldest son is Ananta. The king of serpents is Vasuki, a devotee of Shiva and adores His neck and Takshaka is the poisonous one who is famous for killing Parikshit. Among all water bodies across multi-verse, Varuna controls all of it and Lord’s glory is reflected in Varuna. Aryaman is the 3^rd son of Aditi, mother of Adityas and officially is invoked in the Vedas for all ancestral offerings. Chief among the dispensers of laws of karma is Yamaraja, the god of death. He is also called Dharmaraja most appropriately since dharma is the pivotal foundation for all virtuous living.

 

Srimad Bhagavat Gita commentary chapter 10 verse 28

 Chapter 10 verse 28 

“I am the Vajra (thunderbolt) amongst weapons and Kamadhenu amongst the cows. I am Kaamdeva, the god of love, amongst all causes for procreation; amongst serpents I am Vasuki.” 

Lord calls out Vajra as a superlative weapon due to the creation of the weapon by the selfless sacrifice of Sage Dadichi to aid Indra to kill an asura. Lord loves the ability of beings to perform selfless sacrifices. Among the cows, Lord refers to kamadhenu as the supreme due to its piousness and selflessness as well. Sexual activity with intent to procreate virtuous offspring to aid in dharma and welfare of the world is associated with kamadeva, god of love and is reflection of Lord’s ultimate glory. Among all serpents, vasuki is the greatest and Lord calls him out as reflection of His glory.

Srimad Bhagavat Gita commentary chapter 10 verse 27

 Chapter 10 verse 27 

“Amongst horses know me to be Ucchaihshravas, begotten from the churning of the ocean of nectar. I am Airavata amongst all lordly elephants, and the king amongst humans.” 

In the samudra manthanam (churning of the celestial ocean for immortality lending nectar by devas and asuras), several objects, beings came out of the ocean during the churn. Among them was the most beautiful and fastest horse in the universe, Ucchaihshravas. This horse was pure white in color and said to have wings or at least as fast as if it was flying. Among the elephants, the most majestic and beautiful of all is the vehicle of Indra, Airavata- the white elephant among the celestials. As well, the mightiest among men usually becomes the king of men. All these creations are still just the reflection of Lord’s glories.

Srimad Bhagavat Gita commentary chapter 10 verse 26

 Chapter 10 verse 26 

“Amongst trees I am the peepul tree (sacred fig tree); of the celestial sages I am Narada. Amongst the Gandharvas I am Chitratha, and amongst the siddhas I am the sage Kapila.” 

Aswatha or peepul tree is an age old tree which has found mention in sanatana scriptures to be providing shade and peace of mind of billions of people over the ages. The best of what a tree can offer is itself for everyone’s sake and that quality also emanates from Lord and is part of his glories. Sage Narada, over ages has been instrumental in showcasing what true devotion looks like and always signs in praise of the Divine. He has also been the guiding post of several luminaries in history such as sage vedha vyasa, sage valmiki, dhruva, prahlada etc., When one thinks of the best celestial sage, we don’t need to think beyond sage narada and he derives his devotion from the Lord. The best of the musician class of beings-gandharvas is chitratha and he derives his capabilities from the Divine. Sage kapila, who enumerates bhakti yoga and is an incarnation of Lord Vishnu himself is the epitome of all siddha purusas and called out by Lord himself as an extension of his glory.

Srimad Bhagavat Gita commentary chapter 10 verse 25

 Chapter 10 verse 25 

“I am Bhrigu amongst the great seers and the transcendental Om amongst sounds. Amongst chants know me to be the repetition of the Holy Name; amongst immovable things I am the Himalayas.” 

Krishna continues to explain his glories by calling out the best of his creation. Bhrigu was an ancient sage who tested even the trimurti-trifecta of Supreme Beings-Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva and through that test, revealed the glories of the Lord. All of the Vedas, Upanishads and scriptural text call out the important of the pranava mantra- AUM which is said to be first even sound which Lord created and is the cause of the Universe itself. Lord also prefer simple but sincere devotion and so his favorite sacrifice amongst all sacrifices is the repetition of His Holy name (japa yagna). He also calls out that of all the mountain peaks on this earth, Himalayas is the greatest of all. Himalayas has and continues to house the greatest of sages mostly in subtle form who continue to meditate for the greatest welfare of society. His glories are numerous and these call outs are just a glimpse of those infinite glories.

Srimad Bhagavat Gita commentary chapter 10 verse 24

 Chapter 10 verse 24 

“O Arjun, amongst priests I am Brihaspati; amongst warrior chiefs I am Kartikeya; and amongst reservoirs of water know me to be the ocean.” 

The important of these statements from the Lord is to try and comprehend the glories of His divinity and Supreme Being. All these positions he is referring to could be permanent or not since it is created and sustained by Him alone. However these comparisons have reached the pinnacle of their prowess and existence due to the grace of almighty. In a different verse of Bhagavat Gita, Krishna refers to the best of rishis as Kapila as well. In Srimad Bhagavatam, he refers to the best of priests as sage Vashista. It is not the individual who is important but the reflection of the resplendent glory of the Supreme Being in these individuals which are to be noted. I personally believe that these references do not lend justice to the immense vastness of Lord’s glories. Obviously words, similes  and other hyperbole cannot capture His universality, omniscience and omnipresence.

Srimad Bhagavat Gita commentary chapter 10 verse 23

 Chapter 10 verse 23 

“Amongst the Rudras know me to be Shankar; amongst the demons I am Kuber. I am Agni amongst the Vasus and Meru amongst the mountains.” 

Continuing to call out that even though all his creations represent Him, the best of his creation clearly illustrate his glories in various forms. Out of the 11 forms of Rudra enumerated in the puranas, Shankara is the most important and prevalent. Among the semi divine demons who like to acquire wealth and hoard it, kubera is the greatest indicating that the Lord is the creator, preserver of all wealth there is in this multi-verse. Among the eight Vasus—land, water, fire, air, space, sun, moon, and stars, agni (fire) represents His resplendent brightness and heat. Mount Meru is the celestial mountain peak which is the center of the universe around which all celestial bodies are supposed to be rotating. Thus among the mountains Lord represents nothing less than Meru. The import of these references from Lord is to try and comprehend His glories (vibhuti).

Srimad Bhagavat Gita commentary chapter 10 verse 22

 Chapter 10 verse 22 

“I am the Sāma Veda amongst the Vedas, and Indra amongst the celestial gods. Amongst the senses I am the mind; amongst the living beings I am consciousness.” 

Lord further starts to enumerate the various glories of Him. This is a poetic verse as much as a factoid. Even though all 4 vedas have originated from Him alone, Sama Veda sings His praise and is very dear to Him. Likewise, only the most exalted soul from multiple lifetimes gets elevated to the position of Indra among the celestial beings. Without the mind, the 5 senses are not controlled and hence the mind is central to efficient and effective functioning of beings. As well, without the consciousness inherent in living beings, the life spark is not present. Lord provides the life spark by disbursing consciousness to the being as part of His supreme consciousness. Hence this verse points to the fact that describing his glories is akin to reflecting on the best of his creation.

Srimad Bhagavat Gita commentary chapter 10 verse 21

 Chapter 10 verse 21 

“Amongst the twelve sons of Aditi I am Vishnu; amongst luminous objects I am the sun. Know me to be Marichi amongst the Maruts, and the moon amongst the stars in the night sky.” 

Lord talks about his many vibhuthis-glories with comparisons. He is referring to history of bharata varsha which have been enumerated in Srimad Bhagavatam. I am going to quote again Swami Mukandanandaji’s commentary for this verse as below. 

From the Puranas we learn that Sage Kashyap had two wives— Aditi and Diti. From his first wife, Aditi, he fathered twelve celestial personalities—Dhata, Mitra, Aryama, Shakra, Varuna, Amsha, Bhaga, Vivasvan, Pusha, Savita, Twashta, and Vamana. Amongst these, Vamana was the Avatar of the Supreme Lord Vishnu. Thus, Shree Krishna states that amongst the Adityas (twelve sons of Aditi), Vishnu (in the form of Vamana) reveals his opulence. 

Amongst luminous objects, the sun is supreme. The Ramayan states: 

rākāpati ṣhoṛasa uahiñ tārāgana samudāi, 

sakala girinha dava lāia binu rabi rāti na jāi [v26] 

“At night, all the lamps along with all the stars in the sky and the moon as well are together insufficient in removing the darkness of the night. But the moment the sun rises, the night gets dispelled.” That is the power of the sun, which Shree Krishna reveals as his vibhūti. 

Then, he comes to the night sky. There is the well-known saying, “One moon is better than a thousand stars.” Shree Krishna says that amongst all the constellations and stars in the night sky, he is the moon because it best reveals his opulence. 

The Puranas further relate that Sage Kashyap fathered daityas (demons) from his second wife Diti. However, apart from the daityas, Diti desired to have a son more powerful than Indra (the king of the celestial gods). So she kept her baby in her womb for a year. Indra then used a thunderbolt and split her fetus into many pieces, but it turned into many fetuses. These became the Maruts, or the 49 kinds of winds that flow in the universe, doing tremendous good. The major ones amongst them are Avaha, Pravaha, Nivaha, Purvaha, Udvaha, Samvaha, and Parivaha. The chief wind, known as Parivaha, also bears the name Marichi. Shree Krishna states that his vibhūti (opulence) manifests in the wind called “Marichi.”

Srimad Bhagavat Gita commentary chapter 10 verse 20

 Chapter 10 verse 20 

“O Arjuna, I am seated in the heart of all living entities. I am the beginning, middle, and end of all beings.” 

Being the beginning, middle and end of all beings created by Him is like saying I am the prime minister of the country and I am also the head of the government and cabinet. It goes without saying that Lord is the purveyor of the multi-verse and obviously ordains everything related to all beings in this multi-verse. However even this fact has to be disclosed by the Lord since beings are so engrossed in the maya of the world that we tend to forget that He is the cause of the Universe. Our souls are not apart from His Supreme Soul. That’s is why we even have a conscience some times.

Srimad Bhagavat Gita commentary chapter 10 verse 19

 Chapter 10 verse 19 

“The Blessed Lord spoke: I shall now briefly describe my divine glories to you, O best of the Kurus, for there is no end to their detail.” 

The glories of the Lord are limitless and therefore it is indescribable completely. Therefore Lord says that he will explain “briefly” some of His glories. In Srimad Bhagavatam, Vedha Vyasa says that one could count the grains of sand in the entire world but will not be able to count the glories and expanse of the Supreme Being. That is the origin of the names “anantha narayana” and “anantha koti brahmanda vigraha”

Srimad Bhagavat Gita commentary chapter 10 verse 18

 Chapter 10 verse 18 

“Tell me again in detail your divine glories and manifestations, O Janardana. I can never tire of hearing your nectar.” 

Sanatana dharma scriptures employ great technique of repetition of the message until the reader; learner or listener understands or imbibes the message. This is seen in Vedas, Upanishads, ithihaasa, puranas and other texts. Arjuna, having listened to direct knowledge from the Lord is asking for repetition for two reasons- It is so sweet to just hear him talk about His glories-feels like nectar and the other reason is that Arjuna would like to confirm and learn strongly the message he is getting from the Divine. This is also the reason why in our ancient learning schools called ashrams, students used to recite the slokas repeatedly, memorize it first and then later understand the meaning of the slokas. Once the meaning is understood, the devotees still read the slokas everyday to imbibe the teachings. Repetition is an age old proven technique of assimilation of knowledge and with life experiences, converting to wisdom.

 

Srimad Bhagavat Gita commentary chapter 10 verse 16-17

 Chapter 10 verse 16-17 

“Please describe to me your divine opulence, by which you pervade all the worlds and reside in them. O Supreme Master of yoga, how may I know you and think of you. And while meditating, in what forms can I think of you, O Supreme Divine Personality?” 

Arjuna having understood that the being in front of him who he used to think of his dear friend, cousin and now charioteer, is in fact Supreme Lord of the Universe Himself. He has also realized that the vastness of Supreme entity cannot be comprehended by his mortal being. Arjuna seems to have given up his ego and surrendered to his fellow kshatriya and is sincerely seeking to learn about His infinite glories and through His grace wants to know the right form of worship of the Supreme Lord. Our Sanatana dharma scriptures have clearly stipulated some key qualities of a disciple or student. One of the biggest qualities is humility. True knowledge lends itself to humility and vice versa. Humble submission to Lord will yield great results and Lord will become our charioteer to help navigate the path of life.

Srimad Bhagavat Gita commentary chapter 10 verse 15

 Chapter 10 verse 15 

“Indeed, you alone know yourself by your inconceivable energy, O Supreme Personality, the Creator and Lord of all beings, the God of gods, and the Lord of the universe!” 

Who are you? This question has been asked numerous times in our Sanatana Dharma history by even very pious and exalted persons in the presence of various avatars of the Supreme Being. Limitless Divine cannot be comprehended. Lord is the only one who can reveal their infinite capabilities If they choose to. It is only by His grace this is possible. He is not the charioteer of Arjuna or his cousin. Several times in the srimad bhagavatam, Krishna had to resort to his yogamaya to restrict the understanding of people around him that He is Supreme Being. Otherwise it would have been difficult of those people to operate normally- people such as devaki, vasudeva, yasodha etc., God knows all but their love for His own creation is limitless as well. Love for all is the only passport to His world.

Srimad Bhagavat Gita commentary chapter 10 verse 14

 Chapter 10 verse 14

 

“O Krishna, I totally accept everything you have told me as the truth. O Bhagavan, neither gods nor the demons can understand your true personality.” 

Arjuna in this verse for the first time calls Lord Krishna Bhagavan. Wikipedia sources indicate that word Bhagavan does not appear in any of the 4 vedas and Brahman is used instead. It first appears in mundako Upanishad and extensively in Srimad Bhagavat Gita. Vishnu purana has a complete definition of Bhagavan as below. 

उत्पत्तिं प्रलयं चैव भूतानामागतिं गतिम् |

वेत्तिं विद्यामविद्यां च स वाच्यो भगवानिति ||

He who understands the creation and dissolution, the appearance and disappearance of beings, the wisdom and ignorance, should be called Bhagavān. 

— Vishnu Purana, VI.5.78 

So Arjuna has been able to internalize and understand all the teachings of Lord so far in the Bhagavat Gita and also realizes that this infinite expanse of His vibhuthi (glory) cannot be comprehended by any mortal or even immortal being in this multi-verse.

Srimad Bhagavat Gita commentary Chapter 10 verse 12-13

Chapter 10 verse 12-13 

“Arjun said: You are the Supreme Divine Personality, the Supreme Abode, the Supreme Purifier, the Eternal God, the Primal Being, the Unborn, and the Greatest. The great sages, like Narada, Asit, Deval, and Vyasa, proclaimed this, and now you are declaring it to me yourself.” 

After more than half of the Bhagavat Gita, Arjuna finally declares that Lord Sree Krishna is indeed the Supreme Being, ultimate abode, paramatma and param dhaamaa. He also quotes other great sages of his times to confirm his understanding. Some of the sages he quotes are Narada Asit, Deval and Vyasa. Interestingly Arjuna is hearing it directly from Lord Krishna and yet he is still coming to grips with his dearest friend and cousin declaring self to be Supreme. The truth of these verses is mind boggling that Vyasa who wrote Mahabharata and noted down conversation between Lord and Arjuna in Bhagavat Gita does not edit anything and only includes reference to him if it is discussed at all. No poetic or literary license. Thus the purity of the epic has ensured its longevity and relevance for time immemorial.

  

Srimad Bhagavat Gita commentary Chapter 10 verse 11

 Chapter 10 verse 11 

“Out of compassion for them, I, who dwell within their hearts, destroy the darkness born of ignorance, with the luminous lamp of knowledge.” 

When people surrender to Him, pleased with the lesson learnt in an effort to purify themselves, God destroys the darkness which is akin to ignorance in each one’s hearts due to the effect of maya or material energy. Real knowledge-jnana yoga happens when one realizes that the self which people associate with the body, mind and intellect complex is not the real self but Self belongs to the Supreme and is part of the whole and it is whole by itself as well. This knowledge is imparted by His grace upon surrender to Him. All roads whether it is karma, jnana, bhakti or raja yoga- lead to only Supreme power. The grace He bestows is out of eternal love for his creation. He is the ocean of compassion and love. Let us soak in His love!