10. Divine Glories

1The Lord said, "Further, O Arjuna, listen to My Supreme word. Desiring your good, I shall speak to you who loves Me."

2Neither the host of gods nor the great sages know My power; for I am indeed the source of the gods and the great sages.

3He who knows Me as unborn, without a beginning, and the great Lord of the worlds—he among mortals is undeluded and is released from all sin.

4Intelligence, knowledge, non-delusion, forbearance, truth, restraint, self-control, pleasure, pain, exaltation, and depression, fear, and fearlessness;

5Non-violence, reality, cheerfulness, austerity, beneficence, fame, and infamy—these different qualities of beings arise from Me alone.

6The seven great seers of yore, as well as the four Manus, all possessing My mental disposition, were born from My mind. All these creatures of the world are descended from them.

7He who truly knows this supreme manifestation and splendor of My auspicious attributes, becomes united with the unshakeable Yoga of Bhakti—there is no doubt of this.

8I am the origin of all; from me everything proceeds. Thinking thus, the wise worship me with all devotion (Bhava).

9With their minds focused on Me, their pranas centered in Me, inspiring one another and always speaking of Me, they live in contentment and bliss at all times.

10To those who are ceaselessly united with Me and who worship Me with immense love, I lovingly grant that mental disposition (Buddhi-yoga) which leads them to Me.

11Out of compassion for them alone, I, abiding in their mental activity as its object, dispel the darkness born of ignorance with the brilliant lamp of knowledge.

12Arjuna said, "You are the Supreme Brahman, the Supreme Light, and the Supreme Sanctifier. All the seers proclaim You as the eternal, divine Person, the Primal Lord, the unborn, and all-pervading. So too do the divine sages Narada, Asita, Devala, and Vyasa proclaim. You Yourself also proclaim this."

13Arjuna said, "You are the Supreme Brahman, the Supreme Light, and the Supreme Sanctifier. All the seers proclaim You as the eternal, divine Person, the Primal Lord, the unborn, and all-pervading. So too do the divine sages Narada, Asita, Devala, and Vyasa proclaim. You Yourself also proclaim this."

14I deem as true all that you have said to me, O Krishna. Truly, O Lord, neither the gods nor the demons know your manifestation.

15O Supreme Person, O Creator of beings, O Lord of beings, O God of gods, O Ruler of the universe, You Yourself know Yourself alone.

16You should tell Me without reserve Your divine manifestations where You abide, pervading all these worlds.

17How can I, Your devotee, know You by constantly meditating on You? And in what ways, O Lord, should I meditate on You?

18Speak to me again in full, O Krishna, about Your attributes and glories. For I am not sated by hearing Your ambrosial words.

19The Lord said, "Indeed, I shall tell you, O Arjuna, My auspicious manifestations—those that are most prominent among them. There is no end to their extent."

20I am the Self, O Arjuna, dwelling in the hearts of all beings; I am the beginning, the middle, and the end of all beings.

21Of the Adityas, I am Vishnu; of luminous bodies, I am the radiant sun. Of the Maruts, I am Marici, and among the constellations, I am the moon.

22Of the Vedas, I am the Samaveda; of gods, I am Indra; of sense-organs, I am the mind; and of living beings, I am consciousness.

23Of the Rudras, I am Sankara. Of the Yaksas and Raksasas, I am the Lord of Wealth (Kubera). Of the Vasus, I am Agni; of the mountains, I am Meru.

24Among family priests, O Arjuna, know Me to be the chief Brhaspati; of generals, I am Skanda; of reservoirs of water, I am the ocean.

25Of the great seers, I am Bhrgu; of words, I am the single-lettered word Om; of sacrifices, I am the sacrifice of Japa; of immovable things, I am the Himalayas.

26Of trees I am the Asvattha; of celestial seers, I am Narada; of the Gandharvas, I am Citraratha; of the perfected, I am Kapila.

27Of horses, know Me to be Uccaihsravas, the nectar-born. Of lordly elephants, I am Airavata, and of men, I am the monarch.

28Of weapons, I am the Vajra (thunderbolt); of cows, I am Kamadhuk; I am Kandarpa, the cause of progeny; of serpents, I am Vasuki.

29Of snakes, I am Ananta; of aquatic beings, I am Varuna; of manes, I am Aryama; of subduers, I am Yama.

30Of Daityas, I am Prahlada; of reckoners, I am Death; of beasts, I am the lion; and of birds, I am Garuda, the son of Vinata.

31Of moving things, I am the wind; of those who bear weapons, I am Rama; of fishers, I am Makara; and of rivers, I am the Ganga.

32Of creatures, I am the beginning, the middle, and the end, O Arjuna. Of sciences, I am the science of the Self (of the individual and Universal Self). Of those who argue, I am the fair reasoning.

33Of letters, I am the alphabet 'A'; of compound words, I am the dvandva (copulative); I am myself imperishable time; I am the creator, facing all sides.

34I am also death, which snatches away all. I am the origin of all that will be born. Among women, I am fame, prosperity, speech, memory, intelligence, endurance, and forgiveness.

35Of Saman hymns, I am the Brhatsaman; of meters, I am the Gayatri; of months, I am Margasira (Nov-Dec); and of seasons, I am the season of flowers.

36Of the fraudulent, I am gambling; I am the brilliance of the brilliant; I am victory, I am effort; I am the magnanimity of the magnanimous.

37Of the Vrsnis, I am Vasudeva; of the Pandavas, I am Arjuna; of sages, I am Vyasa; and of seers, I am Usana (Sukra).

38Of those who punish, I am the principle of punishment. Of those who seek victory, I am policy. Of secrets, I am also silence. And of the wise, I am wisdom.

39I am also that which is the seed of all beings, O Arjuna. Nothing that moves or does not move exists without Me.

40There is no limit to My divine manifestations. Here, I have briefly described the extent of such manifestations.

41Whatever being is possessed of power, or splendour, or energy, know that as coming from a fragment of My power.

42But of what use is all this extensive knowledge to you, O Arjuna? I sustain this whole universe with only a fragment of My power.