Main Points of the Discourse:
- The sovereign yogic powers of the lord, and the effect of knowing them. (1-7)
- The power and fruit of Bhakti Yoga. (8-11)
- Arjuna’s appeal to the Lord to describe His miraculous power and manifestation. (12-15)
- The Lord speaks of His infinite glories. (19-42)
Verses 1 to 42
- The Lord said: Once more, Ο mighty Arjuna, listen to My supreme word, which I, from a desire for your welfare, will impart to you, to your great delight. (10.1)
- Neither the hosts of gods nor the great sages know My origin; for, in all respects, I am the source of the gods and the sages. (10.2)
- Who knows Me as the birthless, without a beginning, the Lord of all the worlds, he among mortals is undeluded and freed from all sins. (10.3)
- From me alone arise the varieties in the qualities amongst humans, such as intellect, knowledge, clarity of thought, forgiveness, truthfulness, control over the senses and mind, joy and sorrow, birth and death, fear and courage, non-violence, equanimity, contentment, austerity, charity, fame, and infamy. (10.4-10.5)
- The seven great Rishis, the ancient four Devarshis, the fourteen Manus, were born of My nature from My mind; and from them have come forth all these beings in the world. (10.6)
- He who knows in truth this glory and power of Mine acquires unshakable devotion; of this there is no doubt. (10.7)
- I am the origin of all; from Me all things evolve. The wise know this and worship Me with all their heart. (10.8)
- With their thought fixed on Me, with their life absorbed in Me, enlightening one another about Me, and always conversing about Me, they derive satisfaction and delight. (10.9)
- On those who are ever devoted to Me and worship Me with love, I bestow the yoga of understanding, by which they come to Me. (10.10)
- Solely out of compassion for them, I, dwelling in their hearts, dispel with the shining lamp of wisdom the darkness born of ignorance. (10.11)
- Arjuna said: You are the Supreme Brahman, the Supreme Abode, the Supreme Holiness. All the sages have declared You to be the eternal, self-luminous Person, the first of the gods, unborn and all-pervading; likewise have the divine sages Nārada, Asita, Devala, and Vyāsa proclaimed. So, too, have You said unto me. (10.12-10.13)
- I hold as true all that You have said to me, Ο Keśava. Verily, neither the gods nor the demons, Ο Lord, know Your manifestations. (10.14)
- You alone know Yourself through Yourself, Ο Supreme Person, Ο Creator of all beings, Ο Lord of all beings, Ο God of gods, Ο Ruler of the world. (10.15)
- You should indeed tell me, in full, of Your divine powers, whereby You pervade all the worlds and abide in them. (10.16)
- How may I know You, Ο Yogi, by constant meditation? In what various things, Ο Lord, are You to be contemplated by me? (10.17)
- Tell me once more, in detail, Ο Janārdana, of Your yoga-powers and glories; for I am never filled with hearing Your ambrosial words. (10.18)
- The Lord said: I will tell you now of My divine attributes, Ο best of the Kurus— only of those that are pre-eminent; for there is no limit to My extent. (10.19)
- I am the Self, O Guḍākeśha, seated in the hearts of all creatures. I am the beginning, the middle, and the end of all beings. (10.20)
- Of the Ādityas I am Vishnu; of lights I am the radiant sun. I am Marichi of the Maruts, and among the orbs of night I am the moon. (10.21)
- Of the Vedas I am the Sāma Veda; of the gods I am Indra. Of the senses I am the mind, and in living beings I am intelligence. (10.22)
- Of the Rudras I am Śiva; of the Yakshas and Rākshasas I am Kubera. Of the Vasus I am fire, and of mountains I am Meru. (10.23)
- Of priests, Ο Pārtha, know Me to be the chief, Brihaspati. Of generals I am Skanda; of reservoirs of water I am the ocean. (10.24)
- Of the great rishis I am Bhrigu, and of words I am the monosyllable “Om.” Of sacrifices I am the sacrifice of japa; of immovable things I am the Himālaya. (10.25)
- Of all trees I am the aśvattha(peepal), and of the devarshis I am Nārada. Of the Gandharvas I am Chitraratha, and of the perfected ones I am the sage Kapila. (10.26)
- Of horses know Me to be Uchchaih-shravas, born of the amrita; of lordly elephants I am Airāvata, and of men I am the monarch. (10.27)
- Of weapons I am the thunderbolt; of cows I am Kāmadhenu. I am Manmadha, the cause of offspring and of serpents I am Vāsuki. (10.28)
- Of the Nāgas I am Ananta; of the dwellers in water I am Varuna. Of the Pitris I am Aryamā, and of those that practise self-control I am Yama. (10.29)
- Of the Daityas I am Prahlāda, and of measurers I am Time. Of beasts I am the lion, and of birds I am Garuda. (10.30)
- Of purifiers I am the wind; of warriors I am Rāma. Of fishes I am the shark, and of rivers I am the Ganges. (10.31)
- Of created things I am the beginning and the end and also the middle, Ο Arjuna. Of all sciences I am the Science of the Self, and in disputation I am reason. (10.32)
- Of letters I am the letter A, and of compound words I am the Dvandva. I Myself am inexhaustible Time, and I am the Dispenser facing everywhere. (10.33)
- I am all-seizing Death. I am the prosperity of those who are to be prosperous, and of female powers I am Glory, Fortune, Speech, Memory, Intelligence, Constancy, and Forbearance. (10.34)
- Of the Sāman hymns I am the Brihat-Sāman, and of metres I am the Gāyatri. Of months I am Mārga-śirsha, and of seasons I am the flowery spring. (10.35)
- I am the gambling of cheats; I am the vigour of the strong. I am victory; I am effort; I am the quality of sattva in the good. (10.36)
- Of the Yādavas I am Vāsudeva, and of the Pāndavas I am Arjuna. Of the sages I am Vyāsa, and of seers I am Uśanas the seer. (10.37)
- I am the punishment of those that chastise and the statesmanship of those that conquer. Of secret things I am silence, and of the wise I am the wisdom. (10.38)
- And that which is the seed of all beings— that am I, Ο Arjuna. There is no being, whether moving or unmoving, that can exist without Me. (10.39)
- There is no end of My divine manifestations, Ο dreaded Arjuna. This is but a partial statement by Me of the multiplicity of My attributes. (10.40)
- Whatever glorious or beautiful or mighty being exists anywhere, know that it has sprung from but a spark of My splendour. (10.41)
- But what need is there of your acquiring this detailed knowledge, Ο Arjuna? With a single fragment of Myself I stand supporting the whole universe. (10.42)