अहं सर्वस्य प्रभवो मत्त: सर्वं प्रवर्तते |
इति मत्वा भजन्ते मां बुधा भावसमन्विता: || 8||
ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate
iti matvā bhajante māṁ budhā bhāva-samanvitāḥ
aham—I; sarvasya—of all creation; prabhavaḥ—the origin of; mattaḥ—from me; sarvam—everything; pravartate—proceeds; iti—thus; matvā—having known; bhajante—worship; mām—me; budhāḥ—the wise; bhāva-samanvitāḥ—endowed with great faith and devotion
Translation:
I am the origin of all; from Me all things evolve. The wise know this and worship Me with all their heart.
Commentary:
There are many who repeat God’s name, serve Him, and meditate on Him. But very few are capable of pure devotion born of true realisation that He is the source of all things. Pure devotion is therefore the result of real understanding of the creative power of the Lord and His wonderful manifestation. Without understanding how the Lord is present in the universe, it is difficult to cultivate true faith, and without faith pure devotion is not possible. When man knows that the Lord is the final cause of everything, and that there is nothing else but He in all things, he spontaneously offers worship to Him. Such an act of devotion and surrender will be deep-felt, sincere and true. The devotee’s surrender is deep, firm, unalterable and unconditional, for the very reason that he knows the real presence of the Lord in everything and all that takes place in the universe.
This thought (‘bhava’) of the devotee is like the shell in the cannon. Mere powder without the shell can only produce smoke and fire, but the target cannot be shattered. Similarly, unless the devotee combines the thought (‘bhava’) with the japa or meditation or worship, he cannot reach the goal. This point should be carefully noted. Though many people practice Japa and Dhyana, some are not able to make any progress towards the goal, because they are lacking in ‘bhava’. To experience ‘bhava’, pure devotion is essential; for pure devotion there should be true understanding of the Lord and His wonderful manifestation. All these ideas are revealed in this verse.
Question: Who is the source of all this Universe, and how does the latter work?
Answer: Paramatma is the source, and by His power, it works.
Question: How should a man worship the Lord?
Answer: With faith and devotion.
Question: How can one acquire these qualities?
Answer: By understanding the true nature of the Lord, and His miraculous power and yoga, man acquires true faith and devotion.
Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 10 🔻 (42 Verses)
