Verse 1

श्रीभगवानुवाच |

The Blessed Lord said O mighty-armed one, listen over again ot My supreme utterance, which I, wishing your welfare, shall speak to you who take delight (in it).

Verse 2

न मे विदुः सुरगणाः प्रभवं न महर्षयः |

Neither the gods nor the great sages know My majesty. For, in all respects, I am the source of the gods and the great sages.

Verse 3

यो मामजमनादिं च वेत्ति लोकमहेश्वरम् |

He who knows Me-the birthless, the beginningless, and the great Lord of the worlds, he, the undeluded one among mortals, becomes freed from all sins.

Verse 4

बुद्धिर्ज्ञानमसम्मोहः क्षमा सत्यं दमः शमः |

Intelligence, wisdom, non-delusion, forgiveness, truth, control of the external organs, control of the internal organs, happiness, sorrow, birth, death and fear as also fearlessness;

Verse 5

अहिंसा समता तुष्टिस्तपो दानं यशोऽयशः |

Non-injury, eanimity, satisfaction, austerity, charity, fame, infamy-(these) different dispositions of beings spring from Me alone.

Verse 6

महर्षयः सप्त पूर्वे चत्वारो मनवस्तथा |

The seven great sages as also the four Manus of anceint days, of whom are these creatures in the world, had their thoughts fixed on Me, and they were born from My mind.

Verse 7

एतां विभूतिं योगं च मम यो वेत्ति तत्त्वतः |

One who knows truly this majesty and yoga of Mine, he becomes imbued with unwavering Yoga. There is no doubt about this.

Verse 8

अहं सर्वस्य प्रभवो मत्तः सर्वं प्रवर्तते |

I am the origin of all; everything moves on owing to Me. Realizing thus, the wise ones, filled with fervour, adore Me.

Verse 9

मच्चित्ता मद्गतप्राणा बोधयन्तः परस्परम् |

With minds fixed on Me, with lives dedicated to Me, enlightening each other, and always speaking of Me, they derive satisfaction and rejoice.

Verse 10

तेषां सततयुक्तानां भजतां प्रीतिपूर्वकम् |

To them who are ever devoted and worship Me with love, I grant that possession of wisdom by which they reach Me.

Verse 11

तेषामेवानुकम्पार्थमहमज्ञानजं तमः |

Out of compassion for them alone, I, residing in their hearts, destroy the darkness born of ignorance with the luminous lamp of Knowledge.

Verse 12

अर्जुन उवाच |

-10.13 Arjuna said You are the supreme Brahman, the supreme Light, the supreme Sanctifier. All the sages as also the divine sage Narada, Asita, Devala and Vyasa [Although Narada and the other sages are already mentioned by the words 'all the sages', still they are named separately because of their eminence. Asita is the father of Devala.] call You the eternal divine Person, the Primal God, the Birthless, the Omnipresent; and You Yourself verily tell me (so).

Verse 13

आहुस्त्वामृषयः सर्वे देवर्षिर्नारदस्तथा |

-10.13 Arjuna said You are the supreme Brahman, the supreme Light, the supreme Sanctifier. All the sages as also the divine sage Narada, Asita, Devala and Vyasa [Although Narada and the other sages are already mentioned by the words 'all the sages', still they are named separately because of their eminence. Asita is the father of Devala.] call You the eternal divine Person, the Primal God, the Birthless, the Omnipresent; and You Yourself verily tell me (so).

Verse 14

सर्वमेतदृतं मन्ये यन्मां वदसि केशव |

O Kesava, I accept to be true all this which You tell me. Certainly, O Lord, neither the gods nor the demons comprehend Your glory.

Verse 15

स्वयमेवात्मनात्मानं वेत्थ त्वं पुरुषोत्तम |

Swami Gambirananda did not comment on this sloka

Verse 16

वक्तुमर्हस्यशेषेण दिव्या ह्यात्मविभूतयः |

Be pleased to speak in full of Your own manifestations which are indeed divine, through which manifestations You exist pervading these worlds.

Verse 17

कथं विद्यामहं योगिंस्त्वां सदा परिचिन्तयन् |

O Yogi, [Here yoga stands for the results of yoga, viz omniscience, omnipotence, etc.; one possessed of these is a yogi. (See Comm. on 10.7)] how shall I know You by remaining ever-engaged in meditation? And through what objects, O Lord, are You to be meditated on by me?

Verse 18

विस्तरेणात्मनो योगं विभूतिं च जनार्दन |

O Janardana, narrate to me again [In addition to what has been said in the seventh and ninth chapters.] Your onw yoga and (divine) manifestations elaborately. For, while hearing (Your) nectar-like (words), there is no satiety in me.

Verse 19

श्रीभगवानुवाच |

The Blessed Lord said O best of the Kurus, now, according to their importance, I shall described to you My onw glories, which are indeed divine. There is no end to my manifestations.

Verse 20

अहमात्मा गुडाकेश सर्वभूताशयस्थितः |

O Gudakesa, I am the Self residing in the hearts of all beings, and I am the beginning and the middle as also the end of (all) beings.

Verse 21

आदित्यानामहं विष्णुर्ज्योतिषां रविरंशुमान् |

Among the Adityas [viz Dhata, Mitra, aryama, Rudra, Varuna, Surya, Bhaga, Vivasvan, Pusa, Savita, Tvasta and Visnu.-Tr.] I am Visnu; among the luminaries, the radiant sun; among the (forty-nine) Maruts [The seven groups of Maruts are Avaha, Pravaha, Vivaha, Paravaha, Udvaha, Samvaha and parivaha.-Tr.] I am Marici; among the stars I am the moon.

Verse 22

वेदानां सामवेदोऽस्मि देवानामस्मि वासवः |

Among the Vedas I am Sama-veda; among the gods I am Indra. Among the organs I am the mind, and I am the intelligence in creatures.

Verse 23

रुद्राणां शङ्करश्चास्मि वित्तेशो यक्षरक्षसाम् |

Among the Rudras [Aja, Ekapada, Ahirbudhnya, Pinaki, Aparajita, Tryam-baka, Mahesvara, Vrsakapi, Sambhu, Harana and Isvara. Different Puranas give different lists of eleven names.-Tr,] I am Sankara, and among the Yaksas and goblins I am Kubera [God of wealth. Yaksas are a class of demigods who attend on him and guard his wealth.]. Among the Vasus [According to the V.P. they are: Apa, dhruva, Soma, Dharma, Anila, Anala (Fire), Pratyusa and Prabhasa. The Mbh. and the Bh. given a different list.-Tr.] I am Fire, and among the mountains I am Meru.

Verse 24

पुरोधसां च मुख्यं मां विद्धि पार्थ बृहस्पतिम् |

O son of Prtha, know me to be Brhaspati, the foremost among the priests of kings. Among comanders of armies I am Skanda; among large expanses of water I am the sea.

Verse 25

महर्षीणां भृगुरहं गिरामस्म्येकमक्षरम् |

Among the great sages I am Bhrgu; of words I am the single syllable (Om) [Om is the best because it is the name as well as the symbol of Brahman.]. Among rituals I am the ritual of Japa [Japa, muttering prayers-repeating passages from the Vedas, silently repeating names of deities, etc. Rituals often involve killing of animals. But Japa is free from such injury, and hence the best.] of the immovables, the Himalaya.

Verse 26

अश्वत्थः सर्ववृक्षाणां देवर्षीणां च नारदः |

Among all trees (I am) the Asvatha (peepul), and Narada among the divine sages. Among the dandharvas [A class of demigods regarded as the musicians of gods.] (I am) Citraratha; among the perfected ones, the sage Kapila.

Verse 27

उच्चैःश्रवसमश्वानां विद्धि माममृतोद्भवम् |

Among horses, know Me to be Uccaihsravas, born of nectar; Airavata among the lordly elephants; and among men, the Kind of men. [Uccaihsravas and Airavata are respectively the divine horse and elephant of Indra.]

Verse 28

आयुधानामहं वज्रं धेनूनामस्मि कामधुक् |

Among weapons I am the thunderbolt; among cows I am kamadhenu. I am Kandarpa, the Progenitor, and among serpents I am Vasuki.

Verse 29

अनन्तश्चास्मि नागानां वरुणो यादसामहम् |

Among snakes I am Ananta, and Varuna among gods of the waters. Among the manes I am Aryama, and among the maintainers of law and order I am Yama (King of death).

Verse 30

प्रह्लादश्चास्मि दैत्यानां कालः कलयतामहम् |

Among demons I am Prahlada, and I am Time among reckoners of time. And among animals I am the loin, and among birds I am Garuda.

Verse 31

पवनः पवतामस्मि रामः शस्त्रभृतामहम् |

Of the purifiers I am air; among the wielders of weapons I am Rama. Among fishes, too, I am the shark; I am Ganga among rivers.

Verse 32

सर्गाणामादिरन्तश्च मध्यं चैवाहमर्जुन |

O Arjuna, of creations I am the beginning and the end as also the middle, I am the knowledge of the Self among knowledge; of those who date I am vada.

Verse 33

अक्षराणामकारोऽस्मि द्वन्द्वः सामासिकस्य च |

Of the letters I am the letter a, and of the group of compund words I am (the compound called) Dvandva. [Dvandva: A compound of two or more words which, if not compounded, would stand in the same case and be connected by the conjunction 'and'.-Tr.] I Mayself am the infinite time; I am the Dispenser with faces everywhere.

Verse 34

मृत्युः सर्वहरश्चाहमुद्भवश्च भविष्यताम् |

And I am Death, the destroyer of all; and the prosperity of those destined to be prosperous. Of the feminine [Narinam may mean 'of the feminine alities'. According to Sridhara Swami and S., the words fame etc. signify the goddesses of the respective alities. According to M.S. these seven goddesses are the wives of the god Dharma.-Tr.] (I am) fame, beauty, speech, memory, intelligence, fortitude and forbearance.

Verse 35

बृहत्साम तथा साम्नां गायत्री छन्दसामहम् |

I am also the Brhat-sama of the Sama (-mantras); of the metres, Gayatri. Of the months I am Marga-sirsa, and of the seasons, spring.

Verse 36

द्यूतं छलयतामस्मि तेजस्तेजस्विनामहम् |

Of the fraudulent I am the gambling; I am the irresistible ?nd of the mighty. I am excellene, I am effort, I am the sattva ality of those possessed of sattva.

Verse 37

वृष्णीनां वासुदेवोऽस्मि पाण्डवानां धनञ्जयः |

Of the vrsnis [The clan to which Sri krsna belonged, known otherwise as the Yadavas.] I am Vasudeva; of the Pandavas, Dhananjaya (Arjuna). And of the wise, I am Vyasa; of the omniscient, the omniscient Usanas.

Verse 38

दण्डो दमयतामस्मि नीतिरस्मि जिगीषताम् |

Of the punishers I am the rod; I am the righteous policy of those who desire to coner. And of things secret, I am verily silence; I am knowledge of the men of knowledge৷৷

Verse 39

यच्चापि सर्वभूतानां बीजं तदहमर्जुन |

Moreover, O Arjuna, whatsoever is the seed of all beings, that I am. There is no thing moving or non-moving which can exist without Me.

Verse 40

नान्तोऽस्ति मम दिव्यानां विभूतीनां परन्तप |

O destroyer of enemies, there is no limit to My divine manifestations. This description of (My) manifestations, however, has been stated by Me by way illustration.

Verse 41

यद्यद्विभूतिमत्सत्त्वं श्रीमदूर्जितमेव वा |

Whatever object [All living beings] is verily endowed with majesty, possessed of prosperity, or is energetic, you know for certain each of them as having a part of My power as its source.

Verse 42

अथवा बहुनैतेन किं ज्ञातेन तवार्जुन |

Or, on the other hand, what is the need of your knowing this extensively, O Arjuna? I remain sustaning this whole creation in a special way with a part (of Myself).