Chapter 10, named Vibhuti Yoga describes the Power or Lordship & the Pervasiveness Or Immanence of the SELF. The essence in the world of plurality is the SELF. Here Lord Krishna identifies Himself as the most prominent & Chief Factor in all classes of beings, & as the Supreme Factor without which the different classes of beings, objects & ideas cannot exist. To give a glimpse of His pervasiveness & glory, Krishna gives 54 different examples from among

1. THE HOLY GEETA
COMMENTARY by
swami Chinmayananda
T K G NAMBOODHIRI
THIRUVALLA, KERALA, INDIA
Presentation adapted from
THE HOLY GEETA, Central Chinmaya Mission Trust, July 2013
Mumbai

2. THE Holy GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
CHAPTER 10
VIBHUTI YOGA
THE DIVINE GLORIES

3. THE HOLY GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
INTRODUCTION- Chapter 10 – THE VIBHUTI YOGA
This chapter called the Vibhuti Yoga describes the Power or Lordship &
the Pervasiveness, or Immanence of the Self. The Self is described here
as the Essence in the world of plurality. Krishna describes Himself as
the most prominent & Chief Factor in all classes of beings, as well as
that Supreme Factor without which no being can exist. Here, Arjuna
gets inspired by Krishna’s teachings, & this makes Krishna more
eloquent. Answering Arjuna’s query, the Lord explains how one can
constantly keep in touch with the Eternal Truth in the midst of the
plurality of the world. The chapter concludes with the Lord’s statement
“I exist supporting the entire universe by a portion of Myself”.

4. THE HOLY GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
LISTEN TO MY SUPREME WORDS
The Blessed Lord said:
10.1 Again, O mighty-armed, listen to My Supreme word; which I, wishing your
welfare, will declare to you, who delight in hearing Me.
The trembling man of indecision in the first chapter, Arjuna, has now developed inward
equipoise, after listening to the Lord thus far, & Krishna Himself describes His disciple
now as one ‘who is delighted’ with what he has heard so far. The Lord of the Geeta gets
encouraged to expound His philosophy more exhaustively with a revived appetite.
“Again hear My Supreme word, which I will declare, because I desire your welfare”. It is
evident that the Lord’s discourse is not upon any secular subject, but it is upon the
greater possibilities in man, & on how man can discover them in himself; for, it is said
that Arjuna should listen “To My Supreme Word, which I, wishing your (spiritual)
welfare, will now declare”.

5. THE HOLY GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
NONE KNOWS MY ORIGIN
10.2 Neither the hosts of heaven, nor great RISHIS know My origin; for, in every way, I
am the source of all the DEVAS & the RISHIS.
Neither the hosts of heaven nor the Seers know My origin: There is no teacher who can teach us Self-
knowledge, because none knows the origin of the Self. The Seers mentioned here are no personalities,
but the totality of Cosmic-intellect (Mahat), Its ego-centric personality (Ahamkara) & the five sense-
objects (Tanmatras) constitute the 7 RISHIS. They represent the intellectual & mental life of a man, the
Efficient & Material causes for all creation.
The DEVAS are the ‘sense-organs’ which illumine for us the world-of-objects for our innumerable
experiences. This verse states that the Self, the Pure Consciousness, is the source of all the Devas & the
great Rishis, meaning that the Conscious Principle is the substratum for both the physical & mind-intellect
life in each one of us. Though they are sustaining themselves in Truth, they cannot “Know My origin”.
The Consciousness, being the very SUBJECTIVE-Truth in us, can never become an OBJECT-of-perception
for the sense-organs, or an OBJECT-of-feeling for the mind, or an OBJECT-of-knowing for the intellect.

6. THE HOLY GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
KNOW ME AS UNBORN & BEGINNINGLESS
10.3 He who amongst the mortals, knows Me as unborn & beginningless, as the great
Lord of the worlds, is undeluded & is liberated from all sins.
He who knows Me: It is not just knowing mentally or even intellectually, but is the spiritual & intimate identification with the Self.
The Self is to be realised as “Unborn, Beginningless, The Great Lord of the worlds”. Each of these words are pregnant with lot of
meaning in Hindu Spirituality.
The world-of-matter is the realm of finitude, where each being, or thing, or experience, has a beginning, & an end, a birth & a death.
The Infinite cannot even be born, as It never expresses as Itself in any finite manifestations. The Self is Eternal, & therefore, It is
birthless; everything else is born in the Self, exists in the Self, & end in the Self. But the essence cannot have a beginning, & hence,
the Self is qualified here as “Beginningless”.
The Lord of all worlds: Loka means a ‘field for experiencing’, like, the world-of-the-rich etc. It is not only the physical world, but also
the world of feelings & the world of ideas one experiences in life. These experiences occur because of our awareness of them. This
Essential Factor, pure Awareness or Consciousness, without which I am dead to the world, with which I perceive the world & live in
it, should necessarily be the Presiding Chieftain that rules with His Grace, my Loka.
The entire universe is the sum total of the worlds of experience of each individual, & the ‘ruler’ that governs the entire universe
must necessarily be the Absolute Self Itself. The Self is the Lord of our experiences.
“He who knows Me as Birthless, Beginningless & as the Great Lord of the worlds” ends his delusion. In Hinduism, Sin is a self-
insulting act arising out of the misunderstanding about one’s real nature. Such activities & thoughts chain a person down to a
pursuit of low pleasures only. On rediscovering the nature of the Self, & gaining perfect identification with It, all his past sins vanish.
Such a person of True Realisation becomes himself the Lord of the worlds.

7. THE HOLY GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
QUALITIES OF MAN
10.4 Intellect, wisdom, non-delusion, forgiveness, truth, self-restraint, calmness,
happiness, pain, birth or death, fear & also fearlessness,
10.5 Non-injury, equanimity, contentment, austerity, beneficence, fame, infamy—all
these different kinds of ‘qualities-of-beings’ arise from Me alone.
The Lord as the Material cause as well as the Efficient cause of the world-of-plurality,
imparts these qualities to living beings. They indicate a larger comprehensiveness of
“Creation”, including physical, mental & intellectual lives. Only the positive qualities are
enumerated here. But the opposite qualities are also implied in these verses. These
different types of emotions & thoughts, which provide for each individual different
patterns of life, & whip him forward to act & live in the external world accordingly– all
arise from “Me alone”. These qualities are almost a complete classification of the entire
world-of-beings & their fields of experiences. These two verses may be considered as an
exhaustive commentary upon the Self’s status as the Lord of the worlds.

8. THE HOLY GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
SAPTARSHIS KUMARAS & MANUS
10.6 The seven Great Rishis, the ancient four & also the Manus, possessed of powers like
Me, were born of (My) mind; from them are these creatures in the world (originated &
sustained)
The seven Seers, the four Kumaras, & the fourteen Manus, are all born out of the Lord’s own mind, & they together
constitute the MATERIAL & the EFFICIENT causes of the world.
The Seven Rishis: The seven Seers, found in the Puranas, are nothing but the personified representations of one’s
intellect, ego & the five sense stimuli, which together, constitute the world experienced by each one of us. When
thoughts arise in us in a dynamic stream, projecting themselves, they create our perceptions of & reactions to the
world of senses. Thus they constitute both the Material & the Efficient causes of our own tiny world of joys &
sorrows.
The Four Ancients & the Manus: The four eternal boys Sanatkumara, Sanaka, Sanatana & Sanandana were created by
the Creator from His mind, as the first Creation. The mind, intellect, ego & Chit, comprising the total inner instruments
of man are represented here as the four Boys of Eternal Wisdom.
In this one verse, Krishna has indicated both the macrocosmic & the microcosmic causes of creation. Macrocosmically,
the Total-intellect (Mahat), ego (Ahamkara), & the five rudimentary sense objects (Tanmatras) supply the cause for
the projection of the world & its sustenance. Microcosmically, the ‘creative urge’ in us gets fulfilled through the
intervention & play of our inner equipment constituted of the intellect, mind, ego & Chit.

9. THE HOLY GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
KNOW MY MANIFESTATIONS & GET ESTABLISHED IN YOGA
10.7 He, who in truth knows these manifold manifestations of My being (Macrocosm), &
(this) Yoga-power of Mine (Microcosm), becomes established in the ‘ tremorless-Yoga’;
there is no doubt about it.
“He, who in reality knows these two, My Vibhuti & My Yoga gets established in the realisation of the Supreme”.
Vibhuti is the Manifold manifestation of beings, & Yoga is Power.
Macrocosmic projection of a created universe, through the intervention of the seven Seers, is the Absolute’s own
Vibhuti, while the microcosmic experience of a limited world, through the intervention of the mind-born ‘Four
Ancient Kumaras’ is the Divine Yoga of the Self in each one of us. Since, the Self, presiding over the destinies of the
individual is Itself the Absolute that forms the substratum for the entire universe, he who realises both the Vibhuti &
the Yoga as divine expressions of the Eternal, realises the Infinite. This knowledge is to be realised in a subjective
experience, & intuitively lived as “I am the Self”.
“When I play through the Seven-Seers I paint the Universe, & when I play through the Four-Ancients I live the tearful
life of an individual”. Identifying Itself with the Cosmic-mind It becomes the CREATOR (Ishwara) Creating the Universe.
Identifying with the individual mind It becomes the limited ego (Jiva). To know this & to live up to- this is the
tremorless-Yoga- a permanent & steady establishment in the experience of the Self.

10. THE HOLY GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
I AM THE SOURCE OF ALL
10.8 I am the source of All; from Me everything evolves; understanding thus, the ‘wise’
endowed with ‘loving consciousness’ worship Me.
When life surges through the Cosmic-mind, It (Ishwara) comes to project out the entire Universe-of-
plurality; & when the same Infinite expresses through an individual-mind, it (Jiva) projects out the
individual-world. In both these manifestations- the God-principle (Ishwara) & the individual ego (Jiva)- the
Essence is one & the same, as the same electricity gives light through the bulb & heat through the heater.
In the Pure Self, in its Essential Nature, there is neither the God nor the Jiva. He who realises this, In
Reality, will become established in the Supreme Awareness through the tremorless-Yoga.
One, whose intellect is soaked with discriminative awareness-of the subtle difference between the cosmic
& the individual- is alone capable of turning his mind away from the created world of objects, & towards
the same subjective Reality, both in the Creator & in himself. This attitude is indicated here as ‘loving
consciousness’. Love is fulfilled when the devotee is capable of experiencing in himself that he is none
other than the Infinite Self, which is both Ishwara & Jiva. By practising thus, the devotee attains the
Supreme.

11. THE HOLY GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
MY DEVOTEES
10.9 With their minds wholly resting in Me, with their senses absorbed in Me,
enlightening one another, & ever speaking of Me, they are satisfied & delighted.
With a mind wholly turned to Me: Once the intellect is soaked with the realisation that the Essence behind the
Ishwara & the individual ego, Jiva is one & the same, the Truth-seeker can remain constantly aware of the
Conscious Principle behind all his thoughts & emotions. This constant ‘awareness of the Self’ is indicated here.
With their senses absorbed in Me: Here the Lord is talking about the conditioning of the five sense-organs
through which a person interacts with the world of objects outside. He advises a path of discrimination
through which one can regulate & train one’s thoughts so that on contact with any object, the Eternal
Consciousness behind it is reminded.
Discussing with one another: Seekers of Truth when coming together discuss the Eternal with one another, so
that they crystallise their knowledge. This type of common discussion is encouraged in Brahma-Vidya.
They are satisfied & delighted: Through these means, a true seeker remains constantly in remembrance of the
Conscious Principle in him. He maintains this channel of thinking steadily through mutual discussions. Such
seekers ultimately experience a scintillating joy. They come to experience & live a sense of Contentment &
Delight, conducive to spiritual progress.

12. THE HOLY GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
BUDDHI YOGA
10.10 To the ever-steadfast, worshipping Me with love, I give the BUDDHI-YOGA, by
which they come to Me.
The Bliss-Absolute-Self has enough captivating charm to engage the human attention entirely, so
that a true devotee gets detached from his identifications with the world-of-objects, & gets attached
to the Truth. He becomes immersed in “Serving Me with affection, invoking Me with affectionate
devotion”. When he becomes steadfast in his devotion, he comes to invoke the divinity dormant
within him.
I give them Buddhi-yoga by which they can come to Me: To individuals, thus steadily contemplating
upon the Self, with love & devotion, The Lord gives Buddhi-Yoga. Buddhi-Yoga has been defined
earlier, as “the right knowledge gained through meditation upon the Infinite Nature of the Self”. A
devotee striving diligently, as above, will be blessed with an intellectual contact with, or
comprehension of Reality. It’s not intellectual comprehension of the Infinite (which is impossible),
but an intuitive awareness of Reality. Through the above process of mental quietude, such a devotee
comes to the state of Transcendental Experience (Samadhi) which is the fulfilment of Buddhi Yoga.

13. THE HOLY GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
WHAT DOES BUDDHI-YOGA DO?
10.11 Out of mere compassion for them, I, dwelling within their hearts, destroy the
darkness born of ignorance by the luminous Lamp-of-Knowledge.
A thing existing in the outside may sometimes be veiled from our perception because we need certain favourable
conditions for perception, e.g., light needed to see an object, proper frequency needed to hear a sound, etc. Similarly,
the Self that already exists in us, remains hidden from our perception, until a favourable condition is created for its
cognition. The veil that screen us from our Self is indicated here as: “The darkness born of ignorance”. When the
seekers, established themselves in the ‘constant awareness of the Supreme’, master the Buddhi-Yoga, they become fit
for the final experience of their real identity with the Self.
As mentioned in the last verse, the Savikalpa Samadhi of Buddhi Yoga is transformed, as though by the intervention of
Divine Grace, into the consummate Nirvikalpa experience of the Infinite. Only up to the Savikalpa is the realm of
conscious self-effort, & even Buddhi-Yoga comes ‘from above’, as a spontaneous ‘partial revelation’, when the density
of the mist between the ego & the Self is thinned. The final phase, when the mist is completely removed, is Self-
revelation which comes in Its own light. The self-effulgent Truth, when the enveloping ignorance is removed, is
revealed in Its own luminosity.
This kindly act of revealing the Self is undertaken ‘in a spirit of compassion’, towards Itself. This compassion comes
only after paying its price. When a seeker, through the meditation process, comes to deserve Buddhi Yoga, & practises
it diligently, he succeeds in removing from himself all the veils of ignorance. The self-effulgent Self then
spontaneously reveals Itself, in Its own light. This is the final stage of Self development & Self-Realisation.

14. THE HOLY GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
ARJUNA’S PRAISE OF THE LORD
Arjuna said:
10.12 You are the supreme Brahman, the supreme Abode, the supreme Purifier, Eternal,
Divine Purusha, the God of all gods, Unborn, Omnipresent.
10.13 All the Rishis have thus declared You, as also Devarishi Narada, so also Asita,
Devala & Vyasa; and now the same You Yourself say to me.
Arjuna confesses that he had already been taught, through the Vedic passages, what the great seers of
old had indicated about the Infinite & Eternal Brahman. Now he heard in his own presence, the same
phrases used by Krishna, in the first person singular, he feels lost, not knowing how to comprehend that
Krishna, his charioteer, is the Source of the Whole Universe! A practical man-of-the-world, Arjuna needed
more data & Krishna supplies enough of it in this chapter, which sharpens his curiosity & he demands a
practical demonstration, which will be provided in the next chapter.
Arjuna looks at Krishna with his physical eyes & he sees only Krishna’s physical structure, & not His Real
Nature as the Pure Self. Arjuna could not comprehend Krishna-the-Spirit, in his preoccupation with
Krishna-the –friend. ‘Sri Krishna Paramatman’ is the teacher in the Geeta & not the son of Vasudeva, or
the lover of the Gopis.

15. THE HOLY GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
I BELIEVE YOU
Arjuna continues:
10.14 I believe all this that You say to me as true, O Keshava; verily, O Blessed Lord,
neither the Devas nor the Danavas know Your manifestation (identity).
Here, Arjuna exposes himself & expresses his unfaltering faith in his teacher. Even though he accepts
as truth all that Krishna says, he cannot comprehend the significance of the Lord’s declarations. His
thirst to know is echoed in the second line of the verse, when he admits that ‘Neither the Devas nor
the Danavas know your personality’. ‘ Devas’ are highly sensitive denizens of heaven who have
subtler perceptions, stronger emotions & mightier intellectual comprehensions than the mortals.
‘Danavas’ who frequently challenge the heaven & lead generally an undivine life. They stand for the
hosts of negative urges in us. Arjuna says that the Identity of the Self can be fixed up neither by the
subtlest & noblest of our perceptions, nor can we apprehend It through our baser tendencies.
Neither the good in us can embrace the Truth, nor can the bad in us can challenge It. Neither as a
friend nor as a foe can we come to apprehend the individuality, the total personality of the Self.

16. THE HOLY GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
PURUSHOTTAMA
Arjuna says:
10.15 Verily, You Yourself know Yourself by Yourself, O Purushottama, O Source of
beings, O Lord of beings, O God of gods, O Ruler of the world.
This verse indicates how Krishna is capable of explaining the Supreme, which is not known by anybody
else. The Self is not known as an ‘object’ through our sense-organs, nor can It be apprehended as the
‘subject’ by the best or the worst in us. The Self being Awareness, It in Itself is Knowledge- and to ‘know’
Knowledge, no other knowledge is needed. So Arjuna says: “You Yourself know Yourself by Yourself”.
Purushottama: The Spark-of-Life in each person is called a ‘Purusha’. Here Krishna is addressed as
Purushottama, meaning the Self of all selves, the One-without-a-second., the Supreme Self.
Krishna is now being glorified by Arjuna as the Pure Brahman, when he addresses Him as “the Source of
beings, the Lord of beings, the Deva of Devas & the Ruler of the worlds”. The Consciousness controls &
rules us, because, without Consciousness, we know nothing, can do nothing. Only when the Pure
Consciousness illumine our senses, mind & intellect can we perceive or do anything.

17. THE HOLY GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
What are the Lord’s Divine Glories?
Arjuna continues:
10.16 You should indeed, without reserve, tell me Your Divine glories by which You exist
pervading all these worlds.
10.17 How shall I, ever-meditating, know you, O Yogin? In what aspects or things, O
Blessed Lord, are You to be thought of by me?
As the Cosmic-man (Ishwara), the Lord is both Transcendental (Vibhuti), & Immanent (Yoga), in all names
& forms that constitute Samsara. This can be felt by a heart of faith but cannot be comprehended by the
intellect. Naturally, Arjuna is asking for an exhaustive description upon “Your Cosmic-Glory, Vibhuti, by
which, filling all these worlds, You exist”.
How am I to meditate upon Thee?: Arjuna has completely accepted the Geeta as Religion of Right-Action,
as he addresses Krishna as ‘O, Yogin’. He makes it very clear why he has requested Krishna to explain
‘without reserve’, His Cosmic-stature. Arjuna asks: “In what forms are You to be thought of by me?”. In
order to remember constantly the Divine Presence everywhere, one must know where to see It, among
the individual objects of the world & in the community of beings.

18. THE HOLY GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
YOGA-POWER & IMMANENT GLORY OF THE LORD
Arjuna concludes his request to the Lord:
10.18 Tell me again, in detail, O Janardana, of your Yoga-Power & Immanent glory; for I
do not feel satisfied by hearing your (life-giving & so) nectar-like speech.
Anxiety to listen (Jijnasa) has been recognised as one of the noblest qualities,
unavoidable for a fit student in Vedanta. Arjuna had this noble trait to a large extent, for
he confesses, “I am never satisfied with listening to the nectarine words of your
discourses”. Satsanga has a chastening effect upon all intelligent & interested listeners.
Arjuna’s fascination for hearing more & more spiritual discourses is indicated here.
Tell me again in detail: Arjuna ends his request imploring Krishna to describe the
Immanent Glory & Yoga-power of the Supreme Self in great detail.

19. THE HOLY GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
LORD’S DIVINE GLORIES
The Blessed Lord said:
10.19 Alas! Now I will declare to you My Divine glories, immanent, in their prominence;
O best of the Kurus, there is no end to the details of My extent.
The elaborate & exhaustive reply of Krishna, which forms the rest of this chapter, explains the exact
identity of the Self in individual beings & things, & in the combinations of beings & things. In describing
His Immanence (Yoga) & Transcendence (Vibhuti), Krishna carefully indicates two factors,1) His Supreme
importance in individual things, & 2) His essentiality for a synchronised existence of organised community
life.
The word ‘alas’ in the beginning of the verse indicates Krishna’s loving sympathy for Arjuna’s seeming
incapacity to realise in himself THAT which is ever the nearest to him. Out of His infinite kindness, the All-
merciful One undertakes the impossible task of describing the infinite variety of the Self’s manifestations,
either through the Total-mind (Ishwara) or through the individual-mind (Jiva). He proceeds to explain to
Arjuna the ‘unbound extent of Self’s glories’ through selected, most important glories of the Lord. Krishna
promises that He will indicate through very carefully chosen examples, the vital spots & instances at
which the Divinity manifests itself the clearest.

20. THE HOLY GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
I AM THE SELF
10.20 I am the Self, O Gudakesha, seated in the hearts of all beings; I am the beginning,
the Middle & also the End of all beings.
“I am the Self that exists in the heart of all beings”: This is the general statement with
which Krishna starts His discourse. This will be elaborated many times, & will return to it
at many places. Krishna declares Himself to be the Self in all, is the essence in the world
of multiplicity.
In the second line of the verse, the same idea is expressed in other words, “ I am the
beginning, the middle, & also the end of all beings”. The world of things & beings is
essentially a projection of the mind; the world outside is only the Infinite,
misinterpreted by the finite mind. So, subjectively, this idea refers to the world of
thoughts also. Every thought rises from the Consciousness, & when it dies away, it
merges back to leave behind nothing but Consciousness. There can be no thought where
there is no Consciousness.

21. THE HOLY GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
I AM VISHNU, THE SUN & THE MOON
10.21 Among the (12) Adityas I am Vishnu; among luminaries, the radiant Sun; I am
Marichi among the Maruts; among asterisms, the Moon am I.
Of Adityas I am Vishnu: In the Vedic tradition, Adityas, numbering 5 or 6 are the children of Aditi. Later on, twelve
Adityas , each representing a month, became the belief. Vishnu- Purana describes Vishnu as the most important
among the twelve.
Of the Luminaries I am the radiant Sun: Sun is known as the source of all energy in our solar system, & so the most
luminous.
Of the winds I am Marichi: Maruts are the sons of Rudra & the Rig Veda mentions Marichi as the chief among them.
In Vedic lore, the Maruts represent the presiding deity of the storms, wind & breeze- all air-in-motion.
Of the Asterisms I am the Moon: The Sanskrit term ‘Nakshatras’, as used in Indian Astronomy, indicates the asterisms
strewn on the moon’s path. It indicates the route of the Moon in the solar system. This line may be interpreted as the
Lord’s glory, since among the asterisms the Moon is the controller, the regulator, & the most wondrous of all of them.
Nakshatra may also be taken to mean the multitude of stars seen in the night-sky, or as the total ‘light of the night
sky’, in all of which Moon is the brightest for humans on the Earth. The Self is as incomparably glorious, soothing &
pleasant as the moon is in the entire world-of-lights that illumine the night.
In the coming series of 22 verses, Lord Krishna is supplying the seekers with 75 items of thought, to meditate upon &
intensify their integration & sharpen their single-pointedness.

22. THE HOLY GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
I AM SAMA VEDA, VASAVA, MIND & INTELLIGENCE
10.22 Among the Vedas, I am the Sama-Veda; I am Vasava among the gods; among the
senses I am the mind; & I am the intelligence among living beings.
“Of all the Vedas I am Sama-Veda”: Sama-Veda, is the essence of Rig-Veda, the most important of all 4
Vedas. Sama Veda is a musical composition, where its mantras are sung in particular tunes during rituals.
So Krishna identifies Himself with the music of Sama-Veda.
“Of the Devas I am Vasava”: Vasava is the king of Devas, Indra. According to the Hindu concept, the
highest standard of living imaginable is found in heaven, where people with meritorious work go after
death. Here also, the most powerful, the most splendid & luxurious life is of Indra. The Self is as Indra
among the gods, ruling over the others.
“Of the sense-organs I am the mind”: Indra in Sanskrit can also mean the King of the sense-organs, which
is the mind. Devas are the sense-organs. The mind is the patron & controller without which the sense-
organs cannot function.
“Among living beings I am the intelligence”: Of all things created in the world, the most magnificent &
wondrous item is the mysterious power called ‘intelligence’, which is not yet fully understood even by
scientists.

23. THE HOLY GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
I AM SANKARA, KUBERA, AGNI & MERU
10.23 And among the Rudras I am Sankara; among the Yakshas & Rakshasas I am the
Lord of Wealth (Kubera); among the Vasus I am Pavaka (Agni) & among the mountains I
am the Meru.
“Of Rudras I am Sankara”: Hindus consider Rudra, the deity of destruction, to be an important aspect of life, because
destruction is a necessary precedent to every subsequent construction. Understanding this, our Rishis respected &
adored the blessed deity of creative destruction-Sankara.
“I am the treasurer of wealth (Kubera) among Yakshas & Rakshasas”: The Divine Cashier Kubera, an ugly creature, is
helped by Yakshas & Rakshasas, an equally ugly, materialistic, heartless brood, in protecting his treasure. The hatred
towards capitalistic materialism of our Rishis is reflected in the way Kubera & his supporters are caricatured in our
Puranas.
“Of the Vasus I am Pavaka”: There are eight Vedic Vasus presiding over the seasons. The mouths of these Vasus are
depicted as fire. Hence it means that the Self is the very source from which we gain all our experiences of all seasons.
The six seasons of the world coupled with the two our mind supplies, viz., joy & sorrow constitute the 8 seasons
mentioned in the Vedas. All these are experienced by us through the grace of our own Consciousness within.
“Of all the peaks I am Meru”: Meru is the mythological mountain, believed to be the centre of the Universe. On top of
it lives the Divine, & below it, lie scattered the Seven Islands that constitute the world. From its top the river Ganges
flows in all directions.

24. THE HOLY GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
I AM BRIHASPATI, SKANDA & THE OCEAN
10.24 And among the household priests, O Partha, know Me to be the chief, Brihaspati;
among generals, I am Skanda; among lakes, I am the ocean.
“Of the household priests know Me to be the chief, Brihaspati”; The lord of the planet Jupiter,
Brihaspati is mentioned in the Rig Veda as the spiritual teacher of gods in heaven.
“I am Skanda among generals”: The Lord is identifying Himself with Skanda, the son of Shiva, the
wielder of the spear, among generals of armies. Skanda is the General of the army of gods.
“Of water I am the Ocean”: In all these examples, the Lord is indicating Himself to be not only
transcendent, but also immanent, as in this last example. The waters of Ganga, Yamuna etc. seem to
be independent of each other, & have nothing to do with the ocean that embraces the world. Yet, it
is a fact that but for the waters of the ocean, all these rivers & lakes would have long ago dried up.
Similarly, in the sentient & insentient beings & things of the world, though they look independent of
the Infinite Ocean of Truth, the Lord indicates here that, but for It, the phenomenal world would not
have existed.

25. THE HOLY GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
I AM BHRIGU, OM, JAPA-YAJNA & HIMALAYAS
10.25 Among the great Rishis I am Bhrigu; among words I am the one-syllable ‘OM’,
among sacrifices I am Japa -Yajna; among immovable things I am the Himalayas.
“Of the great Rishis I am Bhrigu”: Bhrigu is the chief of the Saptarishis, the great 7 Rishis.
“Of words, I am the One-Syllable OM”: Words are symbols of sounds to express one’s thoughts. The
Rishis conceived a word-symbol, OM to indicate the Eternal & Infinite, which is the greatest mantra
in all the Vedas.
“Of sacrifices I am the Japa”: Japa is a constant stream of the same divine thoughts in one’s mind. In
one form or the other, ‘thought-repetition’ of same species is the attempt in all Sadhanas. It is the
core of all the ‘paths’ to spiritual enlightenment. But it transcends them all as an independent ‘path’
in itself. Here the Lord identifies Himself with Japa.
“Of things motionless, I am the Himalayas”: The motionless is conceived as the inert, insentient
matter. Of all mountains, the Lord identifies with the Himalayas, on the caves & peaks of which, the
Sages of India did their spiritual Sadhana, & innumerable seekers are still doing it.

26. THE HOLY GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
I AM ASWATTHA, NARADA, CHITRARATHA & KAPILA
10.26 Among all trees I am Aswattha tree; among Divine-Rishis, Narada;
among Gandharvas, Chitraratha; among Perfected ones, the Muni Kapila.
“Of all the trees, I am Aswattha tree”: Both in its magnitude & life-span, the Aswattha tree (Pipal) can be
considered as the ‘all-pervading’ & the ‘Immortal’ inasmuch as it lives generally for centuries. Hindus worship
it. Almost every temple & village has at least one Pipal tree, which is claimed to supply oxygen enough for the
whole village!
“Of the Devarishis I am Narada”: Narada is described as a great devotee of Hari, a great Seer among gods, but
travels all over the universe singing the name of Narayana. Here Lord Krishna, who respected Narada greatly,
identifies Himself with the Sage.
“Of the Gandharvas I am Chitraratha”: Gandharvas are subtle entities who constitute the celestial choir, who
entertain the gods with their art & music. Chitraratha is the most brilliant among them.
“Of the Siddhas, I am the Muni Kapila”: Siddha in Sanskrit means those who have achieved their goals, & so
they are the Perfected Ones. Among men-of-Realization, Krishna identifies with Muni Kapila. Muni means a
thinker. Kapila, the author of Sankhya philosophy is singled out here for this great status as the best among all
thinkers, because Geeta mainly follows Sankhya philosophy, to conceive the One Truth, Absolute & Eternal.
Kapila is also considered as an Incarnation of Lord Vishnu.

27. THE HOLY GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
I AM UCHAISHRAVAS, AIRAVATA, KAMADHUK, VASUKI
10.27 Know Me among horses as ‘Uchaishravas’, born of Amrita; among lordly elephants, the ‘Airavata’ &
among men, the King.
10.28 Among weapons, I am the ‘thunderbolt’; among cows I am ‘Kamadhuk’; I am ‘Kandarpa ’, the cause
of offspring; among serpents I am ‘Vasuki’.
Two of the products that came out of the ‘Milky-Ocean’ during its churning by gods & demons were the mighty
winged-horse Uchaishravas, & the white elephant Airavata. Both were presented to the King of gods, Indra. Here the
Lord identifies Himself with both.
‘Of weapons I am Vajra’: The great weapon Vajra, made of the rib-bones of Sage Dadheechi, is an invincible tool of
Indra.
‘Of cows I am Kamadhuk’: The divine cow named Kamadhuk is another product from the Milky-Ocean, & can fulfil all
our desires.
‘Of all the causes of offspring, I am Kandarpa’: Cupid, the God of Love of the Indian concept roams around with his
bow-of-smile with five flower-tipped arrows, with which he arouses the passions of love & lust in beings. Indian Sages
understood that procreation is not the mere act of insemination or cross-pollination, but a fulfilment of all passionate
urges. Cupid or Kandarpa represents the total satisfaction of beings.
‘Of Snakes, I am Vasuki’: Vasuki, the mythological serpent, lives on the ring-finger of Shiva as an ornament. It served
as a rope in churning the Milky-Ocean. Serpents are single-hooded snakes, while ‘ Nagas’ are multi-hooded ones.

28. THE HOLY GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
I AM ANANTA, VARUNA, ARYAMA & YAMA
10.29 I am ‘Ananta’ among Nagas; I am ‘Varuna ’ among water-deities; I am ‘Aryama ’
among the ancestors; & I am ‘Yama’ among controllers.
“Of the Nagas I am Ananta”: Nagas are many- hooded serpents. Of them, the thousand-hooded Sesha Naga is the ‘bed’ on which
Lord Vishnu reclines in his Yoga- Nidra, on the Milky-Ocean. He is the mightiest & the most divine Naga.
“Of the water-deities I am Varuna: Varuna is the Vedic god governing waters; He is conceived as a being, half-fish & half-man, Ruling
over the Oceans.
“Of the Pitris, I am Aryama”: Hindus believe that at death, the subtle body consisting of the mind-intellect equipment, leaves the
body & live in a world of ‘departed souls’ or ‘ancestors’, called the world-of-the manes (Pitriloka). Aryama is the ruler of this world.
“I am Yama among Controllers”: Yama is the mythical Lord-of-Death. The Principle of Death is the governing factor that controls &
regulates life. The childhood must die before youth can express itself. One has to leave the school to enter the college. Every
development is preceded by prior destruction. When life is viewed in its totality, the Principle of Death is as important as the very
Principle of Creation. Of all the controllers, keeping life balanced, Death alone is the most important.

29. THE HOLY GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
I AM PRAHLADA, TIME, LION & GARUDA
10.30 I am ‘Prahlada’ among Daityas, ‘Time’ among reckoners, the ‘Lord-of-beasts’
(Lion) among animals, & ‘Vainateya ’ (Garuda) among birds.
“I am Prahlada among the Daityas”: The story of Prahlada, the devotee of Lord Vishnu is well-known
among Hindus. Born as a Daitya, he resolutely held on to his devotion to Hari in the face of
tremendous opposition from his father, the King Hiranyakasipu & all around him, & proved that the
Lord is the protector of His devotees.
“Among reckoners I am Time”: Time, which is beginningless & endless, is the ultimate measure of all
things in the relative field. Hindu logicians, who challenge the very existence of God, consider Time
to be the Eternal Factor. Either way, the Lord identifies Himself with Time as the ultimate reckoner.
“Among beasts I am the Lord of the beasts, Lion, & among birds, I am the son of Vinata, Garuda”:
The majesty & grandeur, the dignity & strength of the Lion make it the King of beasts. Its might, flight
to high altitudes, & powers of perception make Garuda the King of birds.

30. THE HOLY GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
I AM THE WIND, RAMA, SHARK & GANGES
10.31 Among purifiers, I am the ‘wind’; among warriors, I am ‘Rama’; among fishes, I
am the ‘shark’; among rivers, I am the ‘Ganges’.
“ Of cleansing agents, I am the ‘wind’”: No antiseptic or sanitary equipment is as efficient to clean a place as the Sun
& the wind. The wind alone is indicated here, because wind can arise only when the Sun is present to heat up the air.
“Of warriors with weapons, I am ‘Rama’”: Sri Ramachandra of Ramayana, depicted by Sage Valmiki, as the ‘perfect
man’ in all facets of life. His were the noblest hands that ever wielded a bow & arrows, & annihilated unrighteous
creatures of all types.
“Of the fishes, I am the ‘shark’”: The shark is the most ferocious & danger fish in the ocean. So Bhagavan declares
Himself to be the ‘shark’ among fishes.
“Of the rivers, I am Jahnavi (Ganges)”: The name Jahnavi came to Ganges because it is said in Puranas that when
Ganges was coming down the Himalayas, the Sage Jahnu’s Ashram was on its wake, & he feared it will be destroyed.
So he drank up the whole river! The King Bhagiratha prayed to him to release the Ganges, & the Ganges came out of
his ears! Sages & Rishis assign great Knowledge & Spirituality to the ‘river of the gods’, Ganges. ‘Drinking at the
fountain of Knowledge’ is a common phrase used by them. Also the Vedas are called “Shrutis” (heard) because they
are learned by hearing the words of the Guru. This story of Ganges insinuate these phrases of Spirituality.

31. THE HOLY GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
I AM ALL OF CREATIONS, THE SCIENCE OF THE SELF & LOGIC
10.32 Among creations, I am the beginning, the middle & also the end; O Arjuna; among
sciences, I am the Science of the Self & I am the logic in all arguments.
“Of creations, I am the beginning, the middle & the end too”: Here is a Universal statement by
which the Lord indicates how He is the Essence in all Creation. The names & forms have arisen from
Him, are supported by Him, & they can only merge back into Him when they are destroyed.
“Among sciences, I am the Science of the Self”: Science of the Self, the Knowledge-Principle without
which no other ‘Knowledge of things’ is possible, should necessarily be the science of all sciences.
The ‘Science of Spirituality’ is indicated here as the science of all sciences.
“Of arguments, I am VADA (Logic)”: Vada is one of the three known methods of arguments (Jalpa,
Vitanda & Vada) by which the one arguing is trying to read the letter & the verse as directly as
possible, with the object of coming directly to truth, without any hair-splitting arguments. The first
two are strategies to weaken the enemies, but Vada does the actual conquest.

32. THE HOLY GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
I AM THE LETTER ‘A’, TIME & THE ALL-FACED SUSTAINER
10.33 Among letters, I am the letter ‘A’; among all compounds I am the dual; I am verily
the inexhaustible, or the everlasting Time; I am the All-faced Sustainer.
“Of the alphabet I am the letter ‘A’ ”: The letter ‘A’ has the first place in the alphabet of all languages. In Sanskrit, the
‘A’ sound is added to every letter to lengthen & sweeten it. Upanishads declare that the ‘A’ sound is the essence in all
speech.
“Of all compound words I am the Pair”: In Sanskrit, one of the compounds is the ‘pair’ (dwandwa) in which the
essential components co-ordinate with each other, & this method is very important among all other types of
compound formation.
“ I alone am the Infinite Time”: Previously the Lord identified Himself with finite time as the Reckoner. Here, the
Infinite & the Absolute Time is indicated. Thus, He asserts that the Self is the substratum for both the Absolute
Concept of pure-Time, & the finite experience of each fraction of time.
“I am the Sustainer facing all directions”: According to Sankara, this word means that the Self is the Sustainer of
mental impressions, & therefore, of the behaviour of individuals. Facing all directions implies that the Self, as
Consciousness provides the grace for all perceptions, whether physical, mental or intellectual

33. THE HOLY GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
I AM DEATH, PROSPERITY & ALL FEMININE-GENDER QUALITIES
10.34 I am all-devouring Death; & the prosperity of those who are to be prosperous; among the
feminine qualities, I am fame, prosperity, speech, memory, intelligence, firmness & forgiveness.
“I am the all-consuming Death”: Death is the leveller of the king as well as the beggar. The
separateness from others remains only during the lifetime. After death, all come to dust, levelled
into a uniformity that recognises no distinction.
“I am the source of all that is to be”: The Supreme is not only the destroyer of all, but also the source
of all new creations that are to come in the future. Destruction & new construction go hand in hand.
The destruction is only a transformation, or modification, of the existing form of an object, into
something different. The Infinite plays Itself, ceaselessly, & repeated succession, the game of both
destruction & construction.
“All qualities like Fame, Fortune, Speech, Memory, Intelligence, Steadfastness & Patience, whose
names are feminine in gender-I am”: Whoever be the person, & whatever be his past, if he
expresses these qualities, we can perceive a clearer vision of Life’s Glory through him. The Lord
declares that among these feminine qualities, “ I am any one of these, or all of them put together”.

34. THE HOLY GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
I AM BRIHAT-SAMAN, GAYATRI, MARGA-SHIRSHA & VASANT
10.35 Among hymns, I am ‘Brihat-Saman ’; among metres ‘ Gayatri ’; among months ‘
Marga-Shirsha ’ (December-January); among seasons I am the ‘ Kusumakara ’( flowery-
spring).
“Of the Samans, I am Brihat-Saman”: The songs of the Sama-Veda are called Samans, of different
metres, sung in different tunes. Of all the metres & tunes, the Brihat is the most complicated to sing.
“ Of all metres, I am Gayatri”: Gayatri is considered the most divine & extremely powerful among all
metres. It consists of three lines, each with eight syllables. The Gayatri mantra, a very powerful &
popular mantra to worship Sun is in this metre.
“Of the months I am Marga-Shirsha”: This is an auspicious month in the Indian calendar, coming
during December-January, when people are relieved of torrential rains & not yet heated by the hot
summer.
“ Of seasons I am the flower-bearing Spring”: Spring with its colourful flowers & song-filled
celebrations, is the most joyous season for Indians. Flowers fill the gardens & crops cover the fields.
People engage in song & dance & religious celebrations.

35. THE HOLY GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
I AM GAMBLING, SPLENDOUR, VICTORY, INDUSTRY & GOODNESS
10.36 I am the gambling of the fraudulent; splendour of the splendid; I am victory; I am
industry of the determined; I am the goodness in the good.
“Of all the deceptive games, I am the Dice-Play”: Geeta tries to reorient the Hindus about Hinduism, by explaining the
spirit of our scriptures to the common man in his own language. Arjuna had suffered severely in his life because of his
elder brother’s irresistible weakness to the game of dice. So the Lord is identifying with this game among all deceptive
games.
“I am the splendour in the splendid”: The splendour in a splendid object is not its quality per se, but it is merely an
Experience to the observer. To facilitate that ‘experience’, the mind requires the light of the Self, which illumines the
properties of the object as well as its splendour.
“I am Victory; Effort, & Goodness”: It is the ‘experience’ lived in the presence of these qualities, that gives us an
occasion to live the Self. These qualities connote a certain mental condition, & sustained for a long period, they make
the mind calm & still. So the Lord here identifies Himself as these qualities.
All the 54 items of analogy, given in this chapter to indicate the “One in the many” are meant to be aides in
contemplation by the seekers. These analogies must be understood in their true spirit by the sincere seeker in his
Subjective experience.

36. THE HOLY GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
I AM VASUDEVA, DHANANJAYA, VYASA & USHANA
10.37 Among the Vrishnis I am ‘Vasudeva’, among the Pandavas I am ‘Dhananjaya’,
among the Munis I am ‘Vyasa’ & among the poets I am ‘Ushana ’, the great Seer.
“Of the Vrishnis I am Vasudeva”: Among the Yadavas, the ancestor Yadu had a son Vrishni. All the
descendants of Vrishni form the tribe called the ‘Vrishnis’. Krishna, the son of Vasudeva, belongs to
this tribe.
“Of the Pandavas, I am Dhananjaya”: Dhananjaya or Arjuna was the most illustrious of the five sons
of Kunti. So the Lord identifies with Arjuna.
“Of all the Saints, I am Vyasa”: Vyasa, the author of Geeta, the classifier of the Vedas, the author of
18 Puranas, introduced a new style of writing of the scriptures. His real name was Krishna
Dwaipayana, & among all the great Sages, he stands out for his literary & spiritual contributions.
“Of the Seers I am Ushana”: Ushana is identified as the Sage Shukra, who is called Kavi in the Rig
Veda. In the Upanishads, Kavi means a seer of the Vedas, a man of inspiration, declaring his
experiences without egocentric awareness. Later on it got identified with writers of poetry, who
themselves are gifted with higher perception than the ordinary people.

37. THE HOLY GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
I AM THE SCEPTRE, STATESMANSHIP, SILENCE & KNOWLEDGE
10.38 Among punishers I am the ‘Sceptre’; among the victorious, I am ‘Statesmanship’;
among secrets, I am ‘Silence’ & I am the ‘Knowledge’ among the knowers.
“Of the chastisers, I am the Sceptre”: In a government, the Governor is the punisher of the unsocial
members of society who disobey the rules. He wields the sceptre, which is the symbol of his power
to punish. So the Lord identifies Himself with the Sceptre.
“Of conquerors, I am State-Craft”: The conquest of a country can be complete only when the
conqueror, through intelligent administrative policies, gets the allegiance of its people. So the Lord
says that He is this ‘State-craft’.
“Of things secret, I am Silence”: Secrecy is maintained by silence, nay, the very essence of a secret
lies in silence. Hence of all secret things, the Lord is the deep & unbroken silence.
“ I am the Knowledge of the knower”: The wisdom of the wise is not his body, but the Self. The
knowledge in the knower or the wisdom of the wise is the expression of the Glory Divine.

38. THE HOLY GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
I AM THE SEED OF ALL & NONE CAN EXIST WITHOUT ME
10.39 And whatsoever is the seed of all beings, that also am I, O Arjuna;
there is no being, whether moving, or unmoving, that can exist without Me.
“I am that which is the seed of all”: The Self is the ‘source of all creation’ in this world of forms,
thoughts & ideas. This truth is repeated again & again throughout Geeta, as it is the essence of
Knowledge-spiritual. The analogy of the Seed for the Ultimate is an inexhaustible subject of
contemplation for the seeker. Under favourable conditions, the dormant life-content in the seed
manifests itself & grows into a tree of inconceivable height. Those who look at the tree never realise
its origin in the seed. Similarly, all the multitude of forms seen in the world have the same origin, the
Self. Also, the seed-condition of the universe during Pralaya is equivalent to the dormant condition
of the tree in the seed. The Lord thus identifies Himself with the Total-causal-bodies of the world as
the One-great-seed from which the tree-of-Samsara has emerged.
“None can exist without Me, neither the moving, nor the unmoving”: Normally, when a seed
germinates & a sprout is formed, it grows by eating away the contents of the seed, which is thus
destroyed. But the Self, from which the whole universe has emerged, is indestructible. Not only is
the Lord the seed of the universe, but even after its manifestation, it is sustained by the Self only.

39. THE HOLY GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
NO END TO MY GLORIES
10.40 There is no end to My Divine Glories, O Parantapa; but this is a brief statement by
Me of My Divine Glories.
“There is no end to My Glories”: The transcendental glories of the Eternal are endless;
but out of sheer love for His disciple, Krishna undertook this difficult task. Here, the Lord
has given to Arjuna & to the world, the above 54 instances, wherein the play of the
Infinite, as recognised through the veil of matter, has been shown. But Krishna laments
in the end: “there is no end to My glories.” But the Lord is teaching Arjuna, with some
specific examples, the ‘Art of seeing the Unseen through the Seen’.
“But, by brief examples only have I declared My Divine Glory”: Unable to exhaust
Himself, the Lord chooses a few effective examples to educate the mind of His listeners.
Those who meditate upon these examples will learn to recognise the Infinite in all its
unending resplendence.

40. THE HOLY GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
SUMMARY OF LORD’S GLORIES
10.41 Whatever it is that is glorious or powerful in any being, know that to be a
manifestation of a part of My Splendour.
Krishna had tried to give a brief idea of the Glories of the Lord in the previous verses.
We have been given an idea that the Divine, the Imperishable can be detected in the
realm of the undivine & the perishable. From the above examples it becomes clear that
the Lord is present in all names & forms, revealing Himself as the glorious, or the great
aspect in all things & beings.
Whatever is great or glorious, or mighty is nothing but the expression of a ray of the
Lord’s own Infinite Splendour. This is a wonderful summary of the 54 items mentioned
before. In each case, the Lord is indicated either as the Great one in the whole species,
or as the noblest & the most glorious thing, or happening. This summary is for us to
recognise the IMMANENT glory of the Lord in things of the world. It also enables the
students to seek & perceive the play of the Infinite among the finite & the changing
phenomena of names & forms.

41. THE HOLY GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
I SUPPORT THIS WHOLE WORLD
10.42 The Lord concludes this chapter by saying: But, of what avail to thee is the
knowledge of all these details, O Arjuna? I exist, supporting this whole world by one part
of Myself.
Lord Krishna brilliantly summarises this chapter in this closing verse.
“What will it avail thee to know all these diversities?”: It is useless to explain the presence of the
Infinite in every finite form. It is impossible for a mathematics teacher to exhaust all the examples,
but the student is taught to solve the problem through a limited number of typical examples.
“I, with one part of Myself, support this whole universe”: ‘Jagat’ means the sum total of the world
perceived by man, plus the world of his emotions & sentiments, plus the world of his ideas &
ideologies. In the last line, the Lord tells that the total world of objects is supported, tended &
nourished by a portion of the Subject, the Self. Vast portions of the Truth are beyond the influence of
the ‘Jagat’.
End of chapter 10