Adhyaya
10 : Vibhooti Yőga
lntroduction
The single Absolute brings out of
Itself the diversity of the universal manifestations. Unmanifest is the cause of the
manifest and Itself is beginningless, having no cause. It is the source of everything. On
account of It everything evolves and functions. The Unmanitest is very difficult to
contemplate upon. The 9th Adhyăya dealt with various modes of devotion to worship
God in his manifest forms. Lord had enumerated certain objects, essences and energies in
which the Absolute manifested. Arjuna became curious to know all forms of the
Lords manifestations and accordingly he puts up a question.
Verses 1 to 7
The Lord begins with expressing his love
for Arjuna in whom he finds a receptive mind that gets delighted by his teachings of high
order. He is interested in his well-being, so the Lord urges him to listen.
The Lord states that even seers and the devas
are unable to know His root because he is their origin by all means. He declares that he
who knows Him birth less, having no beginning and the Lord of all worlds does not get
deluded and is freed from all sins.
The Lord explains in what way He is the
Lord of everything. Intellect, knowledge, daubtlessness, perseverance, truth, control of
senses, calmness, joy and sorrow, existence and non-existence, fear and fearlessness,
non-violence equanimity of mind, satisfaction, penance, charity, fame and infamy.... these
varied states expressed in many natures of living beings are produced by Him alone... Thus
all emotional and intellectual qualities and experiences are induced by the Eternal
Principle.
Seven great sages, the ancient four and Manus
belong to His nature and were the products of his mind. From them descended the living
beings on this earth.
One who truly knows this opulence and
mystic power of Him, practising Yőga with undeterred mind doubtlessly
attains union with Him.
Verses 8 to 11
"I am the source of everything and all
things evolve from Me. Knowing this the men of wisdom worship Me with their hearts full of
devotion." Proclaiming this the Lord showers praise on such worshippers and narrates
what rewards he grants them in return of their devotion.
Their thoughts, their life forces are
always absorbed in Him. Instructing each other and singing His glory they remain happy and
contented.
To such devotees of constant awareness and
love towards Him, He grants mental steadiness by which they are able to reach Him. Out of
compassion for them and still remaining in His own nature the Lord dispels their ignorance
by Himself lighting the lamp of knowledge in their hearts. The Lord Himself strengthens
the devotion and the steadfastness of his devotees who are constantly engaged in his
worship.
Verses 12 to 18
Filled with divine emotions Arjuna
became curious to know more about the glorious aspects of the Lord. He minced no words in
showering high praise on the Lord. He uttered :-
"You are ParaBrahma, the
Supreme Absolute, Param Dham, the highest abode, utterly holy, a great
purifier. You are the self glowing Eternal Lord, the first God, birthless and all
pervading."
Arjuna cites the words of
sages and the words of Narada, Deval, Asit, Vysă including the Lords
own words which praised the Lord in the same glory as Arjuna did. Arjuna
frankly admits that whatever has been taught to him by the Lord he accepts it as the
truth. Neither gods nor the demons comprehend His manifested form. Calling him the great
Lord the source of ael life, master of all creatures, God of gods and the Lord of the
world Arjuna declares that the Lord alone knows what He is by his own nature. Arjuna
urges the Lord to speak to him, holding back nothing, his divine opulence by which
pervading all these worlds He stays within and beyond them. Arjuna asks the
Lord how he would recognise Him while constantly meditating on Him and in what various
forms He should be contemplated upon.. He pleads to the Lord to narrate all his divine
power and his divine manifestations again at length because he would never be fully
satisfied listening to his nectar-like words.
Verses 19 to 30
The Lord responds to Arjunas
prayer and agrees to narrate his divine opulence of prominent nature only since his
extensions have no limit. The Lord begins:
"Oh Arjuna! I am the Atman
occupying the hearts of all living beings. I am the beginning, the middle and the end of
all beings. I am Vishnu of the Adityas, I am the radiant sun
among the luminous, I am Marichi among the wind Gods and among night stars I
am the moon .
Among Vedas I am Săma
Veda, I am lndra among heavenly gods. I am the mind among the
senses. Among living beings I am the moving force. I am Shankar among the Rudras
and the Lord of the wealth among Yakshas and Rakshasas I am
fire among vasus and among mountain peaks I am Meru. Among
priests know Me the chief Brihaspati, among generals I am Skanda.
I am ocean among waters.
I am Bhrigu among great
sages, Among spoken words I am the single syllable om, Among the sacrifices
I am the silent prayer and among the immovables I am the Himalayas.
Among the trees I am the Banyan
tree. Among godly sages I am Narad, among gandharvas, the celestial
musicians I am Chitraratha and I am the sage Kapila among the
perfected souls. Among horses sprung out of the nectar-churning know me Uchaishravas
I am Airavat among royal elephants. I am the king among men. Among weapons I
am the thunderbolt, among cows. I am Kamadhenu I am the love god Madan
among the creators of life. I am Vasuki among serpents. I am Ananta
among the snakes. I am Varuna among all aquatics. Among departed fathers I
am Aryama. Among the controllers I am Yama, the god of death.
I am Prahlad among the demons, Among those who measure I am the time. I am
the lion among the beasts and among birds I am Vainateya, the Garuda.
Verses 31 to 42
Among the purifiers I am the wind. I am
Rama among warriors. Among the fishes I am crocodile. 1 am Ganga
among rivers.
I am the beginning, the middle and the end
of all creation. I am spiritual learning among all leanings. 1 am the logic among
arguments.
Among letters I am "v
" among the compounds I am the dual compound. I am the endless time, I
am the sustainer with faces to all directions.
I am death that devours all. I am the
source of all that to happen. Among feminine I am fame, prosperity, speech, memory,
intelligence, steadfastness and patience. I am the great Sama of all the Vedic
hymns, among the poetic metres I am Găyatri. I am Mărgashirsha
among the months and among seasons I am the spring full of flowers. I am the gambling of
the deceitful. I am the splendour of the splendid, I am triumph, I am the enterprise and I
am virtue of the virtuous.
I am Vasudeva among Vrishnis
I am Dhananjay among Pandavas; I am, Vyasa
among sages; among great thinkers I am Ushana (the Great Shukracharya,
the master of demons)
Among the rulers I am sceptre; among those
who seek victory I am morality. Among the secrets I am silence and I am wisdom of the
wise.
"Oh Arjuna I am the seed
of all created things Nothing in this world movable or immovable can exist without
me."
Lord Krishna while summing up the
various aspects of the Absolute Brahman mentions about its divine power by comparing
it with the generating seed. The Lord now concludes by taking the discourse to higher
plane. He declares:-
"There is no limit to my divine
manifestations. What I have said to you is merely an indication of the vast expanse of my
opulence.
"Whatever in this world is powerful,
beautiful and glorious that you may know to have sprung from a fraction of my splendour.
But what need is there to know all this huge variety, oh Arjuna?
Pervading this entire universe by a single fragment of myself I exist sustaining it."
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