Chapter 10

Krishna.¹⁶ Hear farther yet, thou Long-Armed Lord! these latest words I say-- Uttered to bring thee bliss and peace, who lovest Me alway-- Not the great company of gods nor kingly Rishis know My Nature, Who have made the gods and Rishis long ago; He only knoweth-only he is free of sin, and wise, Who seeth Me, Lord of the Worlds, with faith-enlightened eyes, Unborn, undying, unbegun. Whatever Natures be To mortal men distributed, those natures spring from Me! Intellect, skill, enlightenment, endurance, self-control, Truthfulness, equability, and grief or joy of soul, And birth and death, and fearfulness, and fearlessness, and shame, And honour, and sweet harmlessness,¹⁷ and peace which is the same Whate'er befalls, and mirth, and tears, and piety, and thrift, And wish to give, and will to help,--all cometh of My gift! The Seven Chief Saints, the Elders Four, the Lordly Manus set-- Sharing My work--to rule the worlds, these too did I beget; And Rishis, Pitris, Manus, all, by one thought of My mind; Thence did arise, to fill this world, the races of mankind; Wherefrom who comprehends My Reign of mystic Majesty-- That truth of truths--is thenceforth linked in faultless faith to Me: Yea! knowing Me the source of all, by Me all creatures wrought, The wise in spirit cleave to Me, into My Being brought; Hearts fixed on Me; breaths breathed to Me; praising Me, each to each, So have they happiness and peace, with pious thought and speech; And unto these--thus serving well, thus loving ceaselessly-- I give a mind of perfect mood, whereby they draw to Me; And, all for love of them, within their darkened souls I dwell, And, with bright rays of wisdom's lamp, their ignorance dispel.

Krishna.¹⁶ Listen further, Long-Armed Lord! Hear these latest words from me. I speak to bring you joy and peace, for you have always loved me. Neither the great company of gods nor the royal Rishis know my nature, for I created the gods and Rishis long ago. Only someone who knows me is free from sin and wise, seeing me with eyes enlightened by faith as Lord of the Worlds, unborn, undying, without beginning. Every quality found in mortal beings comes from me! Intelligence, skill, enlightenment, endurance, self-control, truthfulness, evenness of mind, sorrow and joy, birth and death, fear and fearlessness, shame, honor, gentle harmlessness,¹⁷ and peace that remains unchanged whatever happens, laughter, tears, devotion, frugality, the desire to give, and the will to help all come as gifts from me! The Seven Chief Saints, the Elders Four, and the mighty Manus share my work of ruling the worlds. I brought them into being, along with the Rishis, Pitris, and Manus, through a single thought. From them came the races of mankind, filling this world. Whoever understands my rule in its mysterious majesty, this deepest truth, is then joined to me in unwavering faith. Yes! Knowing I am the source of all, and that I made all creatures, the spiritually wise hold fast to me and are drawn into my being. Their hearts are fixed on me. Their lives are devoted to me. They praise me to one another. Through their devoted thoughts and words, they find happiness and peace. To those who serve me well and love me without ceasing, I give perfect understanding, through which they draw near to me. And out of love for them, I dwell within their darkened souls. With the bright light of wisdom's lamp, I drive away their ignorance.

Arjuna. Yes! Thou art Parabrahm! The High Abode! The Great Purification! Thou art God Eternal, All-creating, Holy, First, Without beginning! Lord of Lords and Gods! Declared by all the Saints--by Narada, Vyasa Asita, and Devalas; And here Thyself declaring unto me! What Thou hast said now know I to be truth, O Kesava! that neither gods nor men Nor demons comprehend Thy mystery Made manifest, Divinest! Thou Thyself Thyself alone dost know, Maker Supreme! Master of all the living! Lord of Gods! King of the Universe! To Thee alone Belongs to tell the heavenly excellence Of those perfections wherewith Thou dost fill These worlds of Thine; Pervading, Immanent! How shall I learn, Supremest Mystery! To know Thee, though I muse continually? Under what form of Thine unnumbered forms Mayst Thou be grasped? Ah! yet again recount, Clear and complete, Thy great appearances, The secrets of Thy Majesty and Might, Thou High Delight of Men! Never enough Can mine ears drink the Amrit¹⁸ of such words!

Arjuna. Yes! You are Parabrahm! The Highest Home! The Great Purifier! You are God, Eternal, Creator of All, Holy, the First, Without beginning! Lord of Lords and Gods! All the Saints declare you so: Narada, Vyasa Asita, and Devalas. And now you declare this to me yourself! I now know that what you have said is true, O Kesava! Neither gods nor men Nor demons understand your mystery As you reveal yourself, Most Divine! You yourself, And you alone, know yourself, Supreme Maker! Master of all living beings! Lord of Gods! King of the Universe! You alone Can tell of the heavenly greatness Of the perfections with which you fill Your worlds, present everywhere and within all! How can I learn, Supreme Mystery, To know you, though I reflect on you constantly? In which of your countless forms Can I understand you? Ah! Tell me again, Clearly and fully, of your great manifestations, The secrets of your Majesty and Might, You, the Highest Joy of Humanity! My ears can never Drink enough of the Amrit¹⁸ of such words!

Krishna. Hanta! So be it! Kuru Prince! I will to thee unfold Some portions of My Majesty, whose powers are manifold! I am the Spirit seated deep in every creature's heart; From Me they come; by Me they live; at My word they depart! Vishnu of the Adityas I am, those Lords of Light; Maritchi of the Maruts, the Kings of Storm and Blight; By day I gleam, the golden Sun of burning cloudless Noon; By Night, amid the asterisms I glide, the dappled Moon! Of Vedas I am Sama-Ved, of gods in Indra's Heaven Vasava; of the faculties to living beings given The mind which apprehends and thinks; of Rudras Sankara; Of Yakshas and of Rakshasas, Vittesh; and Pavaka Of Vasus, and of mountain-peaks Meru; Vrihaspati Know Me 'mid planetary Powers; 'mid Warriors heavenly Skanda; of all the water-floods the Sea which drinketh each, And Bhrigu of the holy Saints, and OM of sacred speech; Of prayers the prayer ye whisper;¹⁹ of hills Himala's snow, And Aswattha, the fig-tree, of all the trees that grow; Of the Devarshis, Narada; and Chitrarath of them That sing in Heaven, and Kapila of Munis, and the gem Of flying steeds, Uchchaisravas, from Amrit-wave which burst; Of elephants Airavata; of males the Best and First; Of weapons Heav'n's hot thunderbolt; of cows white Kamadhuk, From whose great milky udder-teats all hearts' desires are strook; Vasuki of the serpent-tribes, round Mandara entwined; And thousand-fanged Ananta, on whose broad coils reclined Leans Vishnu; and of water-things Varuna; Aryam Of Pitris, and, of those that judge, Yama the Judge I am; Of Daityas dread Prahlada; of what metes days and years, Time's self I am; of woodland-beasts-buffaloes, deers, and bears- The lordly-painted tiger; of birds the vast Garud, The whirlwind 'mid the winds; 'mid chiefs Rama with blood imbrued, Makar 'mid fishes of the sea, and Ganges 'mid the streams; Yea! First, and Last, and Centre of all which is or seems I am, Arjuna! Wisdom Supreme of what is wise, Words on the uttering lips I am, and eyesight of the eyes, And "A" of written characters, Dwandwa²⁰ of knitted speech, And Endless Life, and boundless Love, whose power sustaineth each; And bitter Death which seizes all, and joyous sudden Birth, Which brings to light all beings that are to be on earth; And of the viewless virtues, Fame, Fortune, Song am I, And Memory, and Patience; and Craft, and Constancy: Of Vedic hymns the Vrihatsam, of metres Gayatri, Of months the Margasirsha, of all the seasons three The flower-wreathed Spring; in dicer's-play the conquering Double-Eight; The splendour of the splendid, and the greatness of the great, Victory I am, and Action! and the goodness of the good, And Vasudev of Vrishni's race, and of this Pandu brood Thyself!--Yea, my Arjuna! thyself; for thou art Mine! Of poets Usana, of saints Vyasa, sage divine; The policy of conquerors, the potency of kings, The great unbroken silence in learning's secret things; The lore of all the learned, the seed of all which springs. Living or lifeless, still or stirred, whatever beings be, None of them is in all the worlds, but it exists by Me! Nor tongue can tell, Arjuna! nor end of telling come Of these My boundless glories, whereof I teach thee some; For wheresoe'er is wondrous work, and majesty, and might, From Me hath all proceeded. Receive thou this aright! Yet how shouldst thou receive, O Prince! the vastness of this word? I, who am all, and made it all, abide its separate Lord!

Krishna. Yes! So be it, Kuru Prince! I will reveal to you Some of my majesty, with its many powers! I am the Spirit deep within every creature's heart. All creatures come from me, live through me, and depart at my command! Among the Adityas, those Lords of Light, I am Vishnu. Among the Maruts, the Kings of Storm and Blight, I am Maritchi. By day I shine as the golden Sun at burning, cloudless noon. By night I glide among the constellations as the mottled Moon! Among the Vedas I am Sama-Ved. Among the gods in Indra's Heaven, I am Vasava. Among the abilities given to living beings, I am the mind that understands and thinks. Among the Rudras, I am Sankara. Among the Yakshas and Rakshasas, I am Vittesh. I am Pavaka Among the Vasus, and Meru among mountain peaks. I am Vrihaspati Among planetary Powers. Among heavenly Warriors, I am Skanda. Among all bodies of water, I am the Sea that receives them all. Among holy Saints, I am Bhrigu. In sacred speech, I am OM. Among prayers, I am the prayer you whisper.¹⁹ Among hills, I am Himala's snow. Among all growing trees, I am Aswattha, the fig tree. Among the Devarshis, I am Narada. I am Chitrarath among those Who sing in Heaven, and Kapila among the Munis. I am the finest Of flying horses, Uchchaisravas, who sprang from the Amrit-wave. Among elephants, I am Airavata. Among men, I am the Best and First. Among weapons, I am Heaven's blazing thunderbolt. Among cows, I am white Kamadhuk. Her great, milk-filled udders grant every heart's desires. Among serpent tribes, I am Vasuki, coiled around Mandara. I am also thousand-fanged Ananta, on whose broad coils Vishnu rests. Among water creatures, I am Varuna. I am Aryam Among the Pitris. Among those who judge, I am Yama the Judge. Among the fearsome Daityas, I am Prahlada. Among all that measures days and years, I am Time itself. Among woodland beasts, buffaloes, deer, and bears, I am the majestic, striped tiger. Among birds, I am the mighty Garud. Among winds, I am the whirlwind. Among chiefs, I am bloodstained Rama. Among sea creatures, I am Makar. Among rivers, I am Ganges. Yes, I am the Beginning, End, and Centre of everything that exists or seems to exist, Arjuna! Among all wisdom, I am Supreme Wisdom. I am the words on speaking lips and the sight in seeing eyes. Among written characters, I am "A". In compound expressions, I am Dwandwa.²⁰ I am Endless Life and boundless Love, whose power sustains each being. I am bitter Death, which seizes all, and joyful, sudden Birth, Which brings to light all beings yet to live on earth. Among unseen virtues, I am Fame, Fortune, and Song. I am also Memory, Patience, Skill, and Constancy. Among Vedic hymns, I am Vrihatsam. Among metres, I am Gayatri. Among months, I am Margasirsha. Among all three seasons, I am flower-crowned Spring. In dice games, I am the winning Double-Eight. I am the splendour of the splendid and the greatness of the great. I am Victory and Action, and the goodness of the good. Among Vrishni's race, I am Vasudev. Among this family of Pandu, I am you yourself! Yes, my Arjuna, you yourself, for you are mine! Among poets, I am Usana. Among saints, I am Vyasa, the divine sage. I am the strategy of conquerors and the power of kings. I am the deep, unbroken silence surrounding the secrets of learning. I am the knowledge of all the learned, the seed of everything that grows. Whether living or lifeless, still or moving, whatever beings there may be, Not one exists in all the worlds except through me! No tongue can describe my boundless glories, Arjuna. No account could ever end. I teach you only some of these glories. For wherever there is a wondrous work, majesty, or might, All of it has come from me. Understand this rightly! Yet how can you grasp the vastness of these words, O Prince? I am all, and I made all. Yet I remain its separate Lord!

HERE ENDETH CHAPTER X. OF THE BHAGAVAD-GITA, Entitled "Vibhuti Yog," Or "The Book of Religion by the Heavenly Perfections."

Here ends Chapter 10 of the Bhagavad-Gita, titled "Vibhuti Yog," or "The Book of Religion Through Divine Perfections."