रसोऽहमप्सु कौन्तेय प्रभास्मि शशिसूर्ययो: |
प्रणव: सर्ववेदेषु शब्द: खे पौरुषं नृषु || 8||
raso ’ham apsu kaunteya prabhāsmi śhaśhi-sūryayoḥ
praṇavaḥ sarva-vedeṣhu śhabdaḥ khe pauruṣhaṁ nṛiṣhu
rasaḥ—taste; aham—I; apsu—in water; kaunteya—Arjun, the son of Kunti; prabhā—the radiance; asmi—I am; śhaśhi-sūryayoḥ—of the moon and the sun; praṇavaḥ—the sacred syllable Om; sarva—in all; vedeṣhu—Vedas; śhabdaḥ—sound; khe—in ether; pauruṣham—ability; nṛiṣhu—in humans
Translation:
I am the savour of waters, Ο son of Kunti, the radiance of the sun and moon; I am the syllable Om in all the Vedas, the sound in ether, the manliness in man.
Commentary:
In the previous verse, it is declared that the Lord is present in the whole universe, like the string in the garland of gems. To show this truth, the Lord takes certain objects and explains how He is present in them. He is in the form of taste in water, light in the sun and the moon, Pranava (OM) in the Vedas, and virility in men. Thus His presence is to be realised in all things. Taste and water, light and the sun, are inseparable. There is light where there is sun. We cannot conceive the sun without his light. Since it is difficult to conceive the universal presence of the Lord in the beginning, He illustrates the idea with reference to certain objects.
He is the syllable OM in all the Vedas. The essence of the Vedas is to be found in OM. No man can possibly study all the Vedas completely. Human life is too short for that purpose. So, if the syllable OM is understood and contemplated, man obtains the very essence of all the Vedas and fulfills his life. So repeating the syllable OM, contemplating the meaning of that sacred sound, thinking of the Lord as Pranava, man attains the highest.
The Lord is virility in men. Virility, strength, courage, and determination are all divine qualities. Timidity, weakness, and dullness are all unmanly qualities. We see the Lord Himself when we come across bold and courageous men, who readily sacrifice their life for a righteous cause. We see the Lord in the great sages and Rishis, who have overcome insuperable obstacles with courage and determination. The supreme manifestation of the Lord is magnificently described in the Ninth Discourse. The seeker should cultivate courage, enthusiasm, strength and resolution in his spiritual life.
Question: How does the Lord explain His presence in the Universe?
Answer: He is taste in water, light in the sun and moon, OM in the Vedas, sound in Ether, and virility in men.
Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 7 🔻 (30 Verses)
