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11/11/2003
BG CHAPTER 10: MANIFESTATION
10.1: Sri Bhagavan said:
O Mahā-bāho, hear again My supreme words, which I say to you
for your good, for you are dear to Me.
Mahā-bāho: Mighty-armed one
10.2: Neither the bevy of gods, nor the great sages (Rishis) know My
origin. I am also the origin of the gods and great rishis in every way.
10.3: He who knows Me as unborn, beginningless, and the Great
Controller of the worlds, is undeluded among mortals and freed from all sins.
10.4: Intelligence, knowledge, freedom from delusion, patience, truth,
self-restraint, calmness, happiness, sadness, birth, death, fear, fearlessness,
10.5: and ahimsa (nonviolence), equanimity, contentment, austerity,
charity, fame and infamy―these different natures of living beings come
from Me only.
Lord Krishna has in Him the whole spectrum of
human emotions, character, qualities, achievements, and knowledge, known,
unknown and yet to be known. He has in Him the best, the worst, and everything
in-between. There is nothing that he has not fathomed that we know now or will
ever know in our thoughts, speech and deed. But they do not affect him; this
quality is like the heat in the sun; the sun does not feel it, but we do. Such
is His nature, power and māyā.
Garuda Purana (1.51.1-34) gives us many
interesting details on (Dāna) charity. Sattvika charity is giving with
faith to those who deserve such gift. It is of four types: Nitya (daily or obligatory),
Naimittika (episodic or occasional), Kāmya (wanting in return a special
result), and Vimala (free from filth). In Nityadāna, the recipient is a
Brahmin who returns nothing for the charity. All good people perform
Naimitikadāna and offer any gift to a scholar to expunge sins. In Kāmyadāna, charity is given
with the expectation of progeny, prosperity, success in all endeavors, and
eventually heaven. A charity given to person with the knowledge of Brahman in a
sattvika mood (donor) is Vimaladāna. It is auspicious and has no stain,
because the recipient possesses knowledge of the Self (Brahman). A person who
blocks a donor from giving charity to a deserving person is reborn as an animal.
Buddhist concept of Ahimsa is special. Targeted killing of an animal for food is not allowed, but meat and fish may be bought from a commercial outlet where animal was not killed specially for one person. Meat and fish consumption is allowed under those circumstances. Killing of game animals, and elephants are prohibited.
Non-Destruction of life. pânâtipâthâ veramanî sikkhâ pada samâdiyâmi (I agree to follow the precept of abstaining from the taking of life). This involves not contributing to the death of any living being. This means not only the actual killing but also "causing to kill". However this rule does not require one to be a vegetarian, only that meat consumed should not have been "specially killed" for direct, personal consumption. Meat purchased in the market does not come under the "specially killed" category.
10.6: The seven Great
Rishis;
their ancestors, the four Munis; and besides, the fourteen Manus of my mental
disposition were born of my mind. In this world, all these people are their
descendants.
Rishi is derived from drs meaning “to see.”
The seven rishis or Saptarishis are the Maharishis (the primary progenitors);
Rajarishis are of royal lineage, while Brahmarishis are the priestly rishis.
Narada is Devarishi or divine Rishi. (There are Rishis in every religion.)
These Rishis wrote the Vedas, but they are not the authors. As our body and mind are sensitive to external
objects and stimuli, the rishis are sensitive in matters of religion; that
intuitive consciousness in a rishi is ārsa-jnāna– knowledge of a
rishi. As a dog has supersensitive olfactory sense, the rishis have a
supersensitive spiritual sense. The rishis have gone beyond or transcended
limits of reason and senses to comprehend the Truth; their consciousness is
transcendental. These truths are in abstract and not concrete as in science.
Here (as in science) one is trying to measure, define, and characterize the
infinite with the finite faculties. That is impossible. Finding God is not
science. If God were a science test subject, the human intellect and reason
would not be adequate and would not measure up to study It. One has to transcend
the limits of human consciousness and go to the fourth plane: Turiya. Ramana
Maharishi received Vedic and spiritual knowledge in this manner.
During dreamless deep sleep, our body and mind are at rest except for
physiological functions. This is the state where the individual self embraces
the greater Self. It is bliss because that state knows no evils, no fears, or
no desires. In this pristine deep sleep state, we lose our identity; we are not
fathers, mothers, sons, brothers, daughters, thieves, or murderers. The sorrows
of the phenomenal world drown during deep sleep, which is bliss. Everyone in
deep sleep is in communion with the Greater Self; that is sacrifice to God; and
during sleep, his world is at peace. During this state, the Self is the Seer
and the Self shines. When the individual self communes with the Greater Self in
deep sleep, bliss is the result. He knows not that he is a seer; the seer and
the Seen are One. This is only temporary empirical consciousness without
manifestation. Transcendental consciousness beyond deep sleep is Turiya, which
is not liable to interruptions as in deep sleep. The rishi and the Brahman
are one. In this fourth state namely Turiya (wakefulness, dream sleep, deep
sleep and Turiya are the four states), there is a permanent union with Brahman.
Nonduality or metaphysical unity is realized. Rishis, Munis, and yogis
experience this state. Ramana Maharishi was one among the Rishis to experience
Turiya.
10.7:
He who knows in truth My manifestation and pervading power of yoga
(Vibhutim and Yogam) is steadfast in yoga. Never is there any doubt.
10.8:
I am the origin of all. From Me everything emanates. Thus knowing, the
wise ones worship Me with conviction.
10.9: With their
mind (Citta) focused on Me and their
lives (prānas) dedicated or surrendered to Me,
enlightening one another by always talking about Me, they enjoy happiness and
delight.
Citta
consists of Mahat or buddhi, ahankāra, and manas. Mahat is the Great principle;
buddhi comes from Mahat; ahankāra, I-ness or individuation comes from buddhi.
Mahat and buddhi are the cosmic and individual aspects of intellect born of
prakriti; and citta, a product of Prakriti, is an unconscious entity. Buddhi or
intellect gets its discerning capacity by its proximity to the self-effulgent
Self. Buddhi is an unthinking prakriti without reflection from Self. Buddhi is
like the moon; moon appears effulgent in the night and it is only a reflected
glory. Moonlight is sun-dependent: No sun, no moonlight; and no Self, no
intellect or Buddhi.
10.10:
To them who are continuously devoted, and worship Me with eternal love,
I give Buddhi Yogam (Yoga of intelligence), by which they come to Me.
Buddhiyogam
is the kind of intelligence, wisdom, facility, intuition, and understanding a
person needs, in order to see the Brahman in all, all in the Brahman; unity in existence,
and universe in Him; and the Atman beyond avidya and māyā (ignorance
and illusion). Buddhi and yogam act in combination and collaboration: without
yogam, buddhi is inert. Once buddhi is close to the Self, buddhi acquires the
light and the energy to function.
10.11: Out of compassion
(anukampā-artham), I destroy their (Ajnāna and Tamasah) ignorance and
darkness by abiding in their self (Ātmabhāvasthah) with the light of
wisdom (shining lamp of wisdom).
Anukampā-artham:
the purpose of compassion.
Ātma-bhāvasthah:
by abiding in their self.
By waving the
lightning rod of wisdom and compassion and abiding in our self, he removes the
ignorance and darkness in our personality. This Light is Self-knowledge and
Self-realization (Jnāna and Vijnāna). The cloud of ignorance and the
veil of māyā, which interpose between the jivātman and
Paramatman, lift and the self-effulgent Light of Atman (Paramatman) shines on
the jivātman.
10.12:
Arjuna said:
You are the Supreme Brahman, the Supreme abode,
the Supreme purifier, the Eternal, the Divine, the First Primal God, the
Unborn, and all-pervading.
10.13:
All Rishis (sages) say this of you. The deva-rishis like Narada, also
Asita, Devala, Vyasa, and You Yourself are telling me.
Deva Rishis are
divine sages or seers. Narada was the foremost among Deva-Rishis or Divine
Seers or Sages and was one of the Prajapatis, the progenitors. He was born from
Brahma’s throat or forehead, and gained his eminent standing among Saptarishis
by observing vrata (pious observance) for twelve years with the blessings of
Lords Skanda and Ganesa. Narada has the knack of stepping into and out of the
lives of mortals and immortals over centuries across continents and different
worlds. Sankaracharya explains this travel in time and space: Such perfect
sages, free from ignorance and delusion, appear from time to time, until their
mission is complete. Narada has foreseen the death of Kamsa at the hands of
Lord Krishna. See Supplement to read on Vyasa, the author of Mahabharata and
Lord Ganesh, the scribe.
10.14: I hold all that you told me
as true, O Kesava (Krishna). O Bhagavan (Lord), neither the gods nor the demons
know your manifestation.
10.15:
You alone know Yourself by You, O Supreme person (Purusa-Uttama),
Creator of all beings, Lord of everything, God of all gods, and Lord of the
universe.
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Govinda/Krishna |
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Supreme Mahavishnu is in charge of countless universes like ours. Karanarnavasayi Vishnu (Karana-arnava = Causal ocean) MAHAVISHNU, the First Purusa. MahaVisnu, in the Causal Ocean, is the creator of the aggregate material energy, and is an expansion of Sankarsana. Karanodakasayi Vishnu With maya. Karanodakasayi Visnu is the Supersoul of the collective universes. Causal ocean |
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Garbhodakasayi Vishnu (Second Purusa) Supersoul of Total living beings. The creator of Brahma living in the Garbho ocean. Four-handed form. Garbhodakasayi Visnu, is an expansion of Pradyumna.
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Ksirodakasayi Visnu is the Supersoul of all individual living entities including demigods. Associated with Maya. Kasira (milk) ocean. The third purusa, Ksirodakasayi Visnu, is an expansion from Aniruddha. He is of goodness –Savatanu. |
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Creation, maintenance, and destruction |
| Once Destruction is complete, Vishnu takes Yoganidra (Yogic Sleep with awareness) on Serpent bed. He is then called Sesasaayi Vishnu. |
10.16:
You alone can give me details of your divine manifestations, and by such
manifestations, you pervade all the worlds and abide (in them).
10.17:
How may I know you O Yogin, by always thinking of you? Moreover, in what
aspects, am I to think of you O Bhagavan?
You are on my
mind all the time. You are everything to me. You have so many forms. What form
of yours should I focus on, in my mind?
10.18: O Janardhana (Krishna) tell me again in detail your yogam and
vibhutim (power of yoga and manifestation). There is no satiation or
satisfaction in me to hear your nectar-like words.
O Janardhana, Please give me all the details
of your yogam and manifestations for I will never ever be satiated to hear your
sweet words.
Sri Bhagavan said:
10.19:
O Kurusreshta, My manifestations are divine; I will now tell you only
the most important of the manifestations, because there is no end to My
expansion.
Vistara:
Expansion
He is only
ONE, the Supreme Self but has many manifestations. Brahma, Vishnu, and Siva are
the manifestations of ONE SUPREME SELF. The Supreme Self or Brahman can be
Sabda-Brahman and Param-Brahman, Nirguna Brahman and Saguna Brahman, Formed and
Formless Brahman. Sabda Brahman is Brahman associated with AUM. There are two
kinds of knowledge: Sabda-Brahman and Param-Brahman. Param-Brahman is superior
and Sabda-Brahman is only a means to Param-Brahman. Knowledge of Upanishads and
Vedas, sacrifices, and rituals are essential for growth and development of the
soul or atman to a finite stage; after that stage, they have to end in the same
spirit of detachment from desires at early stages of development. Here you
stand by your own self: No props, no
cheers, and no support are available to the self. You are dead to the world,
figuratively: You give up everything that you owned, be it material or
knowledge. Names and forms do not matter anymore. You ride the OM sound waves
of Sabda-Brahman until you reach the Param-Brahman, when the sound-syllable OM
falls into silence. Sabda-Brahman or Brahman of Sounds consists of all book
knowledge including rituals, sacrifices, and Vedas. (Soundless Brahman is
superior to Sound Brahman.) But the latter is the preliminary step before
attainment of Soundless Brahman. When Soundless Brahman is attained, the names,
forms, books, rituals, sacrifices, prayers, and hymns fall or should be
abandoned. It is like saying that the raft should be abandoned once you reach
the shore. It is like saying that the chaff should be abandoned or thrown away,
and that one should try to get to the rice.
Then there is
Nirguna Brahman and Saguna Brahman. Sankaracharya has talked on this subject.
He calls Nirguna Brahman as IT or THAT. We do not know WHAT IT is. If you know
WHAT IT is, IT is no more Nirguna Brahman. The idea is that IT has no limits;
and that IT is colorless, odorless, formless, tasteless, nameless, and
stainless; and that IT is free from all impurities and unknowable. Then we have Saguna
Brahman. This is a little easier to understand. He has a mind; His Body is
Life; His Form is Light; and He is Truth. His Soul is Space. When the absent
parts of Nirguna Brahman as said earlier are added, transformation to Saguna
Brahman takes place and He is all colors, all odors, and all tastes. He is the
Universe. Saguna Brahman is Nirguna Brahman with māyā factor
coloring It.
Sankaracharya
dwells on the cause and the effect: The cause is Nirguna Brahman and the effect
is Saguna Brahman. According to Sankara, the cause is real and the effect is a
superimposition and therefore unreal. Samkhya philosophers hold a different
view. A clod of clay is the cause and the pot is the effect. The argument goes
the pot was in the clay, meaning the effect was already in the cause and the
skill of the potter made the difference.
10.20:
I am the Atma O Gudakesa (Arjuna) seated in the hearts of all living
beings. I am the beginning, also the middle, and certainly the end of all
beings.
At death,
the individual soul going up the artery from the heart, and leaves the body
from the top of the head, anterior fontanel area or brahma-randhra, which is
the point of first entry for the soul. It is common knowledge the Greater and
the lesser souls live in the spiritual heart, which is on the right chest. (The
individual soul's point of entry and exit are on the crown.) The soul climbs up
the shaft of sun's rays and reaches the sun, when the ascending soul is in the
“know.” The one not in the “know” takes other paths and reenters another body
by the anterior fontanel. Katha UP2.3.16
Osiris is the
Egyptian god of birth and death.
I am the
“Self” seated in the heart of all living creatures. I am the beginning, the
middle and the end of all beings.
10.21:
Of the Adityas, I am Vishnu. Of the lights, I am the radiant sun. Of the
Maruts, I am the Marici. Of the stars, I am the moon.
Adityas are
the sons of Aditi and the Vedic gods. Aditi is antithetical to Diti, “limited.”
Aditi is female and a female principle with no limits and represents the
unmanifest nonexistence. Since Adityas are sons of Aditi, it is reasonable to
assume that they are limitless. One of the Adityas is the Savitr or the Solar
Vishnu. The sun is one of the six doors to Nirguna Brahman, while the other
doors are fire, wind, water, moon, and lightning. There are twelve Adityas, one
for each solar month; Vishnu is the last, the twelfth and the most important.
Marici is the son of Brahma and one of the secondary prajapatis, the progenitors
or creators. To read about Maruts, go to commentary on verse 23, Chapter
10.
10.22:
Of the Vedas, I am the Samaveda. Of all the gods, I am the Vasavah. Of
all the Indriyas (senses), I am the mind. I am consciousness in living beings.
Vasava is
Indira.
10.23:
Of the (eleven) Rudras, I am Sankara (Lord Siva). (I am) Vitteso
(Kubera) of the yaksas and Raksasas. Of the (eight) Vasus, I am Fire. I am Meru
of all mountaintops or peaks.
Scholars regard
Rudra as a Dravidian god of thunder and lightning, and Indra as the Aryan
counterpart. Rudra means “Red and flashing One.” Rudras or Maruts are the sons
of Rudra. When Maruts enter, they raise a ruckus, flash there lightning, roar
like a lion, unleash their thunder, and wear robes of rain. Rudra wields 100
weapons and is Pasupati, the Lord of the cattle. Rudra is later known as Siva,
who was born of Brahma and is in charge of dissolution of the universe. Lord
Siva is part of the Hindu Holy Trinity of Brahma, Vishnu, and Siva. Siva’s
image appears usually (in the temples) in the form of Linga, which has at least
two meanings:
1. Li, to dissolve; and gam, to go
out
2. Sign
The meaning has significance in that what
leaves the body after death or dissolution and is involved in transmigration of
the soul is Lingasarira or subtle body. Linga also means “Sign.” The sign
stands for transcendental power and generative principle. MERU is a mountain,
considered as the epicenter of the universe and the abode and playground of the
gods. Ganga River gracefully falls on its high point and runs down in four
directions. Brahma's city of gold graces the summit, surrounding which there
are eight satellite cities; Krishna and Vishnu have abodes on Mount Meru. Deep
below the base of the mountain are the seven netherworlds, and the mountain is
supported by and balanced on the seven manifold heads of snake Vāsuki,
whose movement causes tremor of the mountain. At Pralaya or dissolution, his
fiery breath consumes the whole creation and universe. (Mount Meru is the
Himalayas and the tremor felt is from the manifold head of the snake [of a
South Asian subcontinent thrusting] under the Himalayas.)
Kubera or
Kuvera is the half brother of the Raksasa, by name Ravana, who is the infamous
abductor of Sita, wife of Lord Rama of Ramayana. Kubera is the Vedic Bill
Gates, or Rockefeller. Read supplement section piece titled “Children Eat Free”
to find out how Lord Ganesa gave him the fright of his life. He is the richest
being on this universe and can divine the exact location of precious gems
without a divining rod. He rolls in gems, gold, and anything that is precious.
Therefore, he is the Lord of riches (Dhanapathi), and is the celestial keeper
of wealth of gods. It is said that his father, Pulastya was a nonAryan Rishi
and his mother, Idavidā, was the daughter of Rishi Bharadvāja.
According to Mahabharata lore, his mother also was a nonAryan. His half
brother, Ravana is a ten-headed, twenty-handed, and fiery-eyed bad raksasa. He
went on a rampage defeating the fiercest of all celestial fighters, Yakshas and
Gandharvas. He had an eye on the celestial chariot owned and operated by his
half brother, Kubera. This chariot is a flying city; no flying object is a
match to Pushpaka Vimanam (Pushpaka+Vimanam=flower+plane). The beauty about
Pushpaka Vimanam is that it does not need any fuel: It runs on thought! To make matters worse, Ravana stole Kubera's
throne too.
10.24:
Of all the priests, know Me O Partha, to be the most important priest,
Brhaspati. Of the Army Chiefs, I am Skanda. Of all ponds, I am the ocean.
Brhaspati is
Lord of prayer: Brh, prayer; pati,
Lord. He is the priest of the gods, and keeps asuras, demons and raksasas at
bay or destroys them. Skanda, born of the sparks emanating from the third eye
of Lord Siva, is the war god, whose other names especially in South India are
Muruga, Kartikeya, Subramanya, Shanmukha, and who is the son of Siva and
Parvathi, and the younger sibling of Ganesa. Shanmukha's vahana or vehicle is
peacock and the banner is cock; Valli and Deivayani are His divine consorts,
and represent sakti or power. His six heads stand for six attributes: Divine
power, wealth, fame, strength, detachment from passion, and knowledge.
10.25:
Of the great Rishis (sages), I am Bhrgu. Of sounds, I am Aksaram
(monosyllable, AUM). I am Japa of sacrifices. I am Himalaya of the immovables.
10.26:
Of all trees, I am Asvattah. Of all the divine Rishis, I am Narada. I am
Chitraratha among Gandharvas. Of all perfected beings, I am Kapila Muni.
Asvattah is
Ficus religiosa, aka Banyan tree.
10.27:
Know Me, among horses to be Ucchaisravas born along with the nectar. Of
the elephants, I am Airavata. Of men, I am king.
Nectar or
Amrta refers to the ambrosia that floated on the surface of the cosmic ocean,
when the gods and demons churned it. Amrta or A+mrta means deprivation of
death. Dhanvantari, the physician of the gods, collected Amrta, considered as
the rejuvenator by gods and demons, from the ocean surface. Many other living
and nonliving entities came out of the cosmic ocean including Sri (the
consort of Lord Vishnu), the celestial horse, and the celestial elephants.
Flying white
Elephants and long-eared Horses
Ucchaisravas
is the long-eared horse, which came out of the ocean because of the churning.
Lord Vishnu claimed ownership of Ucchaisravas, a white horse with a black tail.
Airavata also came out of the churning of the ocean; the main product was
Amrtam or Celestial nectar. Airavata was a white elephant with four tusks. When
Brahma was holding the two halves of the celestial, primordial, and
pluripotential golden egg (Hiranyagarbha) in His hands, eight male and eight
female elephants emerged from the right and left halves of the eggshells. These
paired elephants hold up the earth at all cardinal and other critical points,
and originally had wings but were deprived of them from a curse laid by a rishi
teaching his students under a tree, when one of them crash-landed by their side
breaking a few branches of the tree.
See
the artist's rendering of the churning of the ocean at the bottom of the file.
10.28:
Of weapons, I am the thunderbolt. Of the cows, I am Kāma-dhuk. Of procreators,
I am Kandarpa (Cupid). Of serpents, I am Vasuki.
Kāmadhuk,
Kāmadhenu, or Surabhi is the cow of plenty emerging out of the ocean
churned by suras (gods) and asuras (demons). It is a white cow and a
wish-giver. It is symbolic of motherhood, nature and plenty. America is the
Surabhi of modern times.
10.29:
Of the Nagas, I am Ananta. Of water-dwellers, I am Varuna. I am Aryama
of (the departed) ancestors. I am Yama of subduers.
Samyamatām: those who subdue or restrain.
10.30:
Of daityas, I am Prahalada. I am Time among timekeepers. Of animals, I
am the king of beasts (the lion). I am also Garuda (son of Vinata) among the
birds.
Garuda is theriomorphic form of Vedic Aditya Vishnu. Garuda appears in the Vaishnava temples with eagle head, wings, talons, serpents and a human body. He dispels diseases, cures poisoning with snake-bites, and removes obstacles like Lord Ganesa. His father was Kasyappa and mother was Vinata, the daughter of Daksha. Vinata lost a wager to Kadru, the co-wife of Kasyappa and mother of serpents, and so became a slave of Kadru, who demanded Ambrosia as the price of freedom of Vinata. Amrta, stashed away in heavens by the Devas, was guarded behind a rotating wheel whose spokes were razor-sharp, and by two snakes whose glance reduced the intruder into ashes. Garuda, being superfast, flew in the space between the spokes, flung dirt and sand in the eyes of the snakes and absconded with Ambrosia which he gave to Kadru and thus obtained release of his mother. Unluckily for the serpents, Indra, the chief of gods, came along to recoup the lost Ambrosia. In the struggle, a few drops of Ambrosia spilled, which was quickly licked by the serpents and which rendered them immortal but also made the tongue forked. Now you know why there is an eternal enmity between talons and the forked tongues. Garuda's older brother, Urud, is the charioteer of Sun's chariot. His son, Jatayu, was killed by Ravana in his fight to prevent the abduction of Sita.
Garuda fights the snakes
Hoysaleshvara Temple, Halebid
Time (Kāla) exists in the Lord, but He is not subject to the ravages of Time.
As the wind dissipates the clouds, Time carries people from shore to shore:
samsara. All the gunas, (Sattva,
virtue; Rajas, passion; and Tamas, Darkness) function in man due to Time. Time
separates soul from body. Time creates
and destroys sun, moon, Siva, water, Indra, fire, sky, herbs, Vasus, rivers,
seas, the existent and the non-existent in its march. When the hour of death arrives, a
disease or condition pops its head to put an end to life. The heat in the body
dissipates from withdrawal of fuel, which damages the vital functions (Garuda
Purana, 2.2.35-46).
Creator is ParaKāla
(Supreme Time) and MahaKāla (Great Time); Time is broken up into
Lesser Times for the Sun, Moon, the Earth, the seasons, living beings who are
finite entities.
10.31:
Of all the purifiers, I am the wind. Of warriors, I am Rama. Of fish, I
am Makara (Marine Monster, Crocodile or Shark). Of the rivers, I am the Ganges.
10.32:
Of all creations, I am the beginning, the end, and the middle. O Arjuna,
of sciences (I am) the science of self (Universal and individual). Of those who
argue, I am the right argument.
10.33:
Of the letters, I am the first letter, A. Of compounds (I am) the dual.
I am also imperishable time. I am the creator, whose face is all-around:
Brahma. (Visvatah-mukhah).
Time is in the Lord; It has no separate
existence from him; It is under His dynamic control. Time propels Avyakta, the
Unmanifest to manifest itself and the result is Mahat-tattva, the Great
Principle, which is the beginning of the creation cascade. There are three
aspects to Time: God, God’s will and march of Time. Time carries out God’s will
and disturbs the equilibrium of gunas and Prakrti and thereby creation cascade
is set in motion. Time, therefore, pre-exists creation but not the Lord
Himself. Time represents the Lord’s power, his desire to effect a change. Time
has a pervasive control over man as long as he is immersed in samsara, until he
reaches the feet of the Lord. Starting with Mahat-tattva, Time entered 23
principles, mahat, ego, five subtle elements, five gross elements, five motor
and five sensory organs, and mind. These elements by themselves could not work
in an embodied soul, until the Lord entered the body. That is Kriya-sakti
(action-power) of the Lord.
Prajapati, the creator himself is subject to
time. Brahma is subject to time. Everything under the sun and beyond is subject
to time.
Time is a vessel that is always full and
replenishes itself continuously.
10.34: I am all-devouring
death and (am) the origin of future (beings). Among women (I am) fame,
prosperity (Srih), speech, memory, intelligence, firmness and patience.
Shri: One of
the consorts of Lord Vishnu.
10.35:
Of the hymns in Sama Veda (I am) Brhatsama; of meters, I am Gayatri; of
months (I am) Margasirasa (Nov-Dec); of all seasons, I am flower-bearer
(spring).
10.36: I am the fraud of the
gambler; of the splendid, I am the splendor; I am victory; I am the resolve (of
the resolute); I am the absolute virtue of the virtuous.
Kena Upanishad (section three) tells a story to
expose the conceit and ignorance of the Vedic gods, Indra, fire-god and
wind-god about Brahman. Once upon a time Brahman helped gods win over the
Asuras, the demons. Indra and other gods were very proud of "our victory
and greatness." Sensing the self-conceit, Brahman appeared before
them who could not identify him. The gods sent the all-knowing Agni, the
fire-god, and (omnipotent) Vayu, the wind-god (who have the power to burn and
move anything in their path) to find out who this spirit (Yaksam) was. Knowing
their arrogance, ignorance, and self-conceit, Brahman placed a blade of grass
in front of each one of them and asked the fire-god to burn it and the wind-god
to blow it. They tried to exercise their power in vain. It was Indra's turn to
see for himself who this spirit was. As he approached the spirit, it
disappeared and in its place, a damsel of immense beauty and grace (Uma, daughter
of Himalayas) appeared. Indra questioned her who the Spirit was. She told him
that it was Brahman, who obtained the victory and glory for them and he
selectively revealed himself to the deserving gods and men. The message is that
all-knowing Brahman is superior to gods and their claim on victory was in
reality his victory. Fraud, splendor, victory, and virtue are his, and gods and
beings are mere instruments. That idea dawned on Indra, the chief of gods, when
Uma brought it to his attention. Uma was the personification of wisdom sent by
Brahman to dispel Indra and gods' ignorance. The beauty of wisdom enters the
heart as ignorance exits. Revelation came to Indra in a flash, as Brahman
appeared before him and disappeared. Brahman was not revealed to Agni and Vayu,
who had only the fortune to witness Brahman, though they wondered who he was. Even
gods have no knowledge of Brahman.
Yogi also obtains spiritual knowledge and enlightenment at
lightning speed. Agni is considered as omniscient because he carries the
sacrifices and oblations to gods unhindered by anyone, anytime, anywhere.
Fire-god is Jaata-vedas, the all-possessor, because whatever that is created or
born is his property; he can consume them anytime.
Tapas, Dama, and Karma (austerity, self-control, and work) are Brahma’s pratishtha (foundation); Vedas are all its parts; truth is its seat. Tapas has many functions. It pits the spirit against the body, which shrivels as spirit grows in the tapasvin, who gains supernatural powers (siddhis are eight: Anima, Mahima, Laghima, Prapti, Prakamya, Isatva, Vashistva, and Kāmarutattva). The heat (kundalini power) generated in austerity burns up all sins (Prarabdha karma). The Primordial Being was in tapas to create this universe and beings.
10.37: Of the Vrsnis, I
am Vasudeva; of the Pandavas (I am) Dhananjaya (Arjuna); of the Munis, I am
Vyasa; of the poets, I am Usana.
10.38: I am the punishment of
the punishers; I am justice of the victorious; I am the silence of the secrets;
I am the wisdom of the wise.
10.39: Whatever may be the
seed of all existence (living beings), that I am, O Arjuna; there is no being
or entity (Bhūtam), moving or unmoving that exists without Me.
Bhutam: living being, human, animal, and even vegetable; the world; the
Spirit; the ghost; the elements.
It covers everything that you see and do not see in this universe and
beyond.
There
are eight million four hundred thousand species of living creatures, divided
into four classes: Andajas, egg-born; Svedajas, sweat-born (insects and
vermin); Udbhijjas, seed-born; Jarayujas, the viviparous (Garuda Purana,
11.12.2-3).
Svedajas (sweat or heat): These creatures are
called sweat-born, because sweat indicates heat. The eggs laid by insects in
the cavities of dead body come out as larvae in 12 to 24 hours if the body
stays warm from the high environmental temperature.
10.40: Nor is there an end to
My divine manifestations, O Parantapa, conqueror of enemies. This is only a
brief exposition by Me of the extent of My manifestations.
10.41: Whatever being has
vitality, splendor and power, know that to be a manifestation of a fragment of
My splendor.
10.42: What benefit do you gain
from surfeit of this knowledge, O Arjuna? I support this entire universe with a
fraction of My energy or Myself.
End BG CHAPTER 10:
MANIFESTATION