Bhagavad-Gita: Chapter 10-12

Chapter 10

Vibhuti-Vistara Yoga: The Infinite Glories of the Ultimate Truth

Chapter ten reveals Lord Krishna supreme position as the source of all sources and the cause of all causes specifying His special manifestations and opulence but only the most prominent ones. Thus chapter ten is entitled: Vibhuti-Vistara Yoga or The Infinite Glories of the Ultimate Truth.

Verse 1

Lord Krishna said: O Arjuna, just hear once again My paramount instructions which for yourbest welfare I will speak unto you, who take delight in them.

Verse 2

Neither the demigods nor the great sages understand My divine transcendental appearance; because I am the original source of the demigods and of the great sages in every respect.

Verse 3

One who knows I as birthless, beginningless, and the supreme controller of all the worlds; he being undeluded among mortals is delivered from all sins.

Verses 4, 5

Spiritual intelligence, knowledge, freedom from false perception, compassion, truthfulness, control of the senses, control of the mind, happieness, unhappiness, birth, death, fear and fearlessness, nonviolence, equanimity, contentment, austerity, charity, fame, infamy; all thesevarieagated diverse qualities of all living entities originate from I alone.

Verse 6

The seven great sages: Marāci, Atri, Aëgiras, Pulastya, Pulaha, Kratu and Vasithha in earlier ages, also the four Manus: Svayambhuva, Svarochita, Raivata and Uttama all manifested from mental impulses originating from Me; populated all existing progeny in the material universes.

Verse 7

One who knows in truth this almighty majestic supremacy of Mine and the science of unitingthe individual consciousness with the Ultimate Consciousness; such a person engaging without deviation, perfects the science of uniting the individual consciouness with the Ultimate Consciousness, undoubtedly in this matter.

Verse 8

I am the original generating cause of all causes,everything emanates from Me; comprehending this the spiritually intelligent endowed with devotional sentiments become devoted unto Me.

Verse 9

Their minds fully dedicated unto Me, their lives fully surrendered unto Me; perpetually enlightening one another and ever relishing My nectarean glories; completely satisfied they enjoy transcendental bliss.

Verse 10

To those devotees so dedicated unto Me, I bestow the spiritual intelligence to unite their individual consciousness with the Ultimate Consciousness; by which they can come unto Me.

Verse 11

Out of compassion for them, I situated within the heart, certainly destroy the darkness born of ignorance with the radiant light of knowledge.

Verses 12, 13

Arjuna said: You are the supreme personality, the supreme Ultimate Truth, the supreme abodethe most sacred; all the exalted sages, Narada Muni, Asita, Devala and the great Vyasadeva proclaim You as the supreme, eternal personality, the self manifest, the original Lord of all gods, unborn and all prevading; now You personally are declaring this to me.

Verse 14

O Krishna all this which You have told I I accept as fact; verily O Krishna neither the demigods nor the demons understand your Divine manifestations.

Verse 15

O Krishna, O greatest of all personalities; O origin of all origins, O Lord of all beings, O Lordof all Gods, O Lord of the universe; only You personally know Yourelf by Yourself.

Verse 16

Verily, You alone are able to describe in detail Your self-same divine opulences by which these opulences you abide pervading all the worlds.

Verse 17

O Krishna, how shall I perfecting the science of uniting the individual consciousness with theUltimate Consciousness know You; always meditating on You in everyway and in which various manifestations are You to be contemplated by me.

Verse 18

O Krishna, please describe again, elaborately the process of devotion to You by perfecting thescience of uniting the individual consciousness with the Ultimate Consciousness; also of Yourmajestic transcendental opulences; since there is no satiation for I hearing this nectar.

Verse 19

Lord Krishna said:O Arjuna,I shall explain to you only the divine personal majestic opulenceswhich are prominenet since there is no end to My extensive glories.

Verse 20

O Arjuna, I am the Ultimate Consciousness situated within the heart of all living entities and I am the beginning, the middle and the end as well of all living entities.

Verse 21

Of the twelve Adityas Iam Visnu, of all luminaries the radiant sun, of the seven Maruts I am Marici and of the constellations I am the moon.

Verse 22

Of the Vedas I am the Sama Veda, of the demigods I am Indra the ruler of the demigods, of the senses I am the mind and of all living entities I am consciousness.

Verse 23

Of the eleven Rudras I am Siva and of Yaksas and Raksasas I am Kuvera the treasurer of the demigods, of the eight Vasus I am Agni the fire god and of mountains Meru.

Verse 24

Understand Me, O Arjuna to be Brėhaspati the chief priest of the demigods, of commanders I am Kartikeya and of reservoirs of water I am the ocean.

Verse 25

Of the great sages I am Bhėgu, of speech I am the transcendental monosyllable Om, of all types of sacrifice, I am the sacrifice of chanting the holy names of GOD and of immovable things the Himalayan mountains.

Verse 26

Of all trees Iam the sacred banyan tree of divine sages I am Narada Muni, of the Gandharvas I am Citraratha and of perfected beings I am Kapiladeva.

Verse 27

Of horses know I as Uccaihsrava generated from nectar churned in the milk ocean; of lordlyelephants, Airavata and of human beings I am the king.

Verse 28

Of all weapons I am the thuderbolt, of cows I am the wish fulfilling surabhi cow; I am Cupid,the motivation of procreation for begetting progeny and of poisonous single headed serpents,I am Vasuki. Verse 29

Of the many headed non-poisonous serpents I am the divine serpent Ananta, of all aquatics I am Varuna the demigod ruling the inhabitants of water, of diefied anscestors I am Aryama and of administrators of justice I am Yamaraja the judge of all beings at the time of death.

Verse 30

Of the Daityas I am Prahlada, of measurements I am time, of all the animals the lion and of birds I am Garuda.

Verse 31

Of the swift moving I am the wind, of all the weilders of weapons I am Rama, of fishes the shark and of flowing rivers the river Ganga.

Verse 32

O Arjuna, I alone am the creator, maintainer and destroyer of all creation; of knowledge I am spiritual knowledge and of arguements I am the logical conclusion.

Verse 33

Of letters I am the first letter A, and of compound words the dual word, I am eternal ever flowing time and the four-faced Brahma.

Verse 34

I am all-devouring death and of the six manifestations of all living entities I am the first as birth; of feminine attributes I am fame, beauty, perfect speech, memory, intellect, patience and compassion.

Verse 35

Of the Sama-Veda hymns, I am the Bėhat-sama, also of mantras composed in poetic meter I am the Gayatri; of the months I am the harvest month in fall and of seasons the spring.

Verse 36

Of deceivers I am gambling, I am the glory of the glorious; I am victory, enterprise and the nobility of the noble.

Verse 37

Of the descendants of Vrėsni I am Vasudeva, of the Pandavas I am Arjuna, of the sages I am Vyasadeva and among great scholars of scriptures Usana.

Verse 38

Of chastisers I am the rod of punishment, of those desiring success I am strategy, of all secretsI am silence and the certain wisdom of the wise.

Verse 39

O Arjuna, and whatever is the root cause of all living entities, I am that also; there is nothing which is moving or stationary in all of creation, that exists without Me.

Verse 40

O Arjuna there is no limit to My transcendental majestic opulences; but all these accounts of such majestic opulences are mentioned by I only in brief.

Verse 41

Certainly wherever and whatever is majestic, beautiful or magnificent; you must certainly know that all these manifestations arise from but a fraction of My glory.

Verse 42

What necessity is there for you, O Arjuna of such detailed knowledge and so many examples?I support this entire universal manifestation situated in but a fraction of Myself.

Thus ends the Bhagavad-Gita Trust translation of Bhagavad-Gita, chapter ten, entitled: Vibhuti-Vistara Yoga: The Infinite Glories of the Ultimate Truth.

Chapter 11

Visvarupa-Darsana Yoga: The Vision of the Universal Form

In chapter eleven Lord Krishna is beseeched by Prince Arjuna to reveal His universal form, Since it can never be imitated, it establishes for all times Lord Krishna's supreme position. Thus chapter eleven is entitled Visvarupa-Darsana Yoga or The Vision of the Universal Form.

Verse 1

Arjuna said: By these supremely confidential instructions regarding the wisdom of the self,which being merciful unto me, was spoken by You; this illusion of Mine has been dispelled.

Verse 2

O Krishna, verily it has been heard by I in detail the creation and dissolution of all living entities also of Your imperishable glories as well.

Verse 3

O Krishna, as You have described Your Ultimate Self, this is so. O greatest of all personalities, I wish to see Your omnipotent majestic form.

Verse 4

O Lord, if you consider that I am able to see that form, then please show Your imperishable Ultimate Self to me; O Krishna.

Verse 5

Lord Krishna said: O Arjuna, behold My divine, transcendental forms with hundreds and thousands of varieagated types and varieagated colors and forms.

Verse 6

Behold the twelve Adityas, the eight Vasu's, the eleven forms of Siva, the twin Asvins as well as the forty-nine Maruts. Behold O Arjuna, innumerable wonders never seen before.

Verse 7

O Arjuna, behold at once the whole universe of moving and stationary beings situated in onlyone part in this body of Mine and whatever else you wish to see.

Verse 8

But with these present eyes of yours you will not be able to see I so I grant you divine sight;behold the omnipotent majesty of My Ultimate transcendental power.

Verse 9

Sanjaya said: O king, having spoken thus, Lord Krishna the sovereign master of all perfectingthe science of uniting the individual consciousness with the Ultimate Consciousness revealedto Arjuna the supreme omnipotent majestic universal form.

Verses 10, 11

Revealing innumerable wonders, innumerable mouths and eyes, decorated with innumerabledazzling ornaments, armed with innumerable gleaming weapons, magnificently attired and resplendently garlanded, annointed with equisite, celestial fragrances, completely amazing and phenomenal, unlimited, brilliant and all pervading.

Verse 12

If the effulgence of a thousand suns simultaneously were to blaze forth in the firmament; then that might be comparable with the effulgence of the Ultimate Personalities universal form.

Verse 13

Then and there Arjuna son of Pandu could see the complete universe, variously divided, situated in one place within the universal form of Lord Krishna the Lord of all lords.

Verse 14

Thereafter being overwhelmed with amazement, with his bodily hairs standing on end due togreat ecstasy; Arjuna with his body offerred obeisances unto Lord Krishna and began to speak with folded hands.

Verse 15

Arjuna said: O Lord, I behold within Your body all the demigods also all diverse species of living entities, all the divine sages and serpents, Siva and Brahma seated on a lotus flower.

Verse 16

O Sovereign Lord of the universe, O universal form, I behold Your unlimited form with innumerable arms, stomachs, faces, and eyes; again I behold no beginning, no middle and no end to You.

Verse 17

I behold You in all directions adorned with crowns, macesand cakras; illuminating all sides, effulgently glorious like the blazing fire of radiant suns thus difficult to look at and indeterminable.

Verse 18

You are the Supreme Ultimate Truth knowable by the Vedic scriptures. You are the only support of this universe. You are the imperishable preserver of eternal righteousness. You are the everlasting, Supreme Ultimate Personality. This is my conviction.

Verse 19

I see You without beginning, middle or end; of infinite energy, with unlimited arms, with eyes like the sun and the moon with blazing fire in Your mouths, heating this universe by Your glorious radiance.

Verse 20

Verily the space between the heavens and the Earth and all directions are pervaded by You alone; O greatest of all, by seeing this wonderful and terrible form of Yours, the three planetary heiarchies tremble with fear.

Verse 21

Verily all these groups of demigods are entering into You, some of them out of fear are offering prayers with folded hands saying all glory; the great sages and perfected beings are offering worship by singing hymns from Vedic scriptures.

Verse 22

The eleven expansions of Siva and the twelve Adityas, the eight Vasus also the Sadhyas, the Visvadevas, the twin Asvins, the seven Maruts and the diefied anscestors also hosts of Gandharvas,Yaksas, Asuras and perfected beings all verily look upon You in wonder.

Verse 23

O mighty armed one, seeing Your magnificent form of manifold faces and eyes, manifold arms, legs and feet, manifold stomachs and manifold terrifying teeth; all the planets tremble in fear and so do I.

Verse 24

O Krishna seeing You touching the firmament, electrifying in innumerable colors with wide open mouths and huge fiery eyes; verily I am trembling within myself unable to maintain my fortitude or equilibrium.

Verse 25

Just by seeing Your visage with its terrible teeth blazing like the fire of universal annihilation I know not the cardinal points nor can I obtain contentment. O Krishna, Lord of all gods, O refuge of all the worlds be merciful unto me.

Verses 26, 27

All the sons of DhėtarĮÉ˙ra verily along with their allied armies of warrior kings, also Bhishma, Dronacarya, the charioteers son Karna, as well as the principle warriors from our side are rushing forward unto You entering into Your terrifying mouths with their dreadful teeth; some can be seen with smashed heads sticking between the teeth.

Verse 28

Just as many currents of water from rivers flowing rapidly verily enter the ocean; similarly all these kings of the world are entering your fiery mouths from all directions.

Verse29

As moths with great speed enter into a blazing fire to perish; similarly all these armies with great speed are entering into Your mouths only to perish.

Verse 30

O Krishna, O pervader of the universe, You are lapping up and devouring all these people from all directions; with your fiery mouths covered by Your radiant effulgences fearsome rays all the universes are scorched.

Verse 31

Please reveal who You are of such fearsome form. I offer obeisances unto You. O Lord of all be merciful to me. I wish to clearly know You, the Primeval Being because I cannot fathom Yourintention.

Verse 32

Lord Krishna said: I am terrible time the destroyer of all beings in all worlds, engaged to destroy all beings in this world; of those heroic soldiers presently situated in the opposing army, even without you none will be spared.

Verse 33

Therefore arise for battle, O Arjuna. You will gain fame by conquering the enemy and enjoy aflourishing kingdom. All these warriors have been slain already by I due to previous design and you are merely the instrument.

Verse 34

Slay Dronacarya and Bhishma and Jayadratha and Karna also; all the other warriors bent on fighting are already slain by Me, do not be distressed, just fight and you will surely conquer your enemies in battle.

Verse 35

Sanjaya said: Hearing this instruction from Lord Krishna,Arjuna trembling with folded handsofferred humble respects with a very fearful heart and again offering obeisances spoke unto Lord Krishna in a faltering voice.

Verse 36

Arjuna said: It is justly so O Krishna, the entire universe is exalted by singing Your glories becoming attracted and the perfecteds beings are offerring praises; but all the demons out of fear are fleeing in the four directions.

Verse 37

Why should they not offer respects unto You, O greatest of all; the original creator of Brahma?O infinite one! O Lord of all gods! O refuge of the universe and the most worshipable, You are indestructible, the manifest and unmanifest; yet transcendental to them both.

Verse 38

You are the original Lord, the eternal Personality, You are the supreme refuge of the universe, the knower and the knowable and the supreme abode; by Your infinite form all the universe is pervaded.

Verse 39

You are the wind, death, fire, water, the moon, Brahma and Visnu. I offer respectful obeisances thousands and thousands of times unto You, and again offer respectful obeisances unto You and yet again offer my respectful obeisances again and again.

Verse 40

O embodiment of all, my obeisances unto You from the front and from the back. I offer obeisances unto You from all sides as well; O thou of unlimited potency and infinite power, You completely pervade the entire universe, therefore You are everything.

Verses 41,42

Whatever has been spoken presumptuously by I thinking of You as a friend due to delusion or due to affection thus: O Krishna, O Yadava, O dear friend without knowing Your glories and universal form; O infallible one whatever disrespect may have occurred in jest at times ofsporting, resting, sitting and eating; alone or also among companions, all these things I am beseeching You to please forgive.

Verse 43

O unparalleled glorious one, of the universes of moving and stationary beings. You are the father, the object of worship, the preceptor and even more venerable; certainly there is nothing equal to You in the three planetary heiarchies so how can there be anything superior.

Verse 44

Therefore prostrating my body flat on the ground in offering obeisances, I am propitiating You, the worshipable Supreme Lord. O Lord be merciful and tolerant as a father is with a son, or a friend is with a friend or as a lover is with a beloved.

Verse 45

O Lord, by seeing this never before seen universal form I am gladdened yet my mind is agitated out of fear; O Lord of all gods, O refuge of the universes; please be merciful to show I Your former form.

Verse 46

O thousand armed one, I wish to see You as before; crowned with mace and discus in hand. O universal form do assume that former four armed form.

Verse 47

Lord Krishna said: O Arjuna, being pleased I have shown you by My divine potency of uniting your individual consciousness with My Ultimate Consciousness; this supreme universal form of Mine, gloriously effulgent, infinite, primeval which no one has ever seen before except you.

Verse 48

O Arjuna, neither by study of Vedic scriptures or performance of sacrifice, nor charity, nor pious activities, nor severe austerities can I be seen thus in this form in the material worlds except by you.

Verse 49

Be no longer afflicted with fear and bewilderment by seeing My universal form of such horrible features; free from fear and of cheerful mind, you verily will perceive again this former form of Mine.

Verse 50

Sanjaya said: Lord Krishna speaking in this way to him, exhibited His four armed form and then again appearing in the beautiful two armed form as the Ultimate Personality pacified Arjunas fears.

Verse 51

Arjuna said: O Krishna, seeing this beautiful two armed form of Yours, now my consciousness is placated and has regained its composure.

Verse 52

Lord Krishna said: This transcendental two armed form of Mine which you did see is very rarely ever seen; even the demigods eternally aspire for a glimpse of this form.

Verse 53

I cannot be seen in this eternal form by study of the Vedas, nor by severe penance, nor by charity, nor by grand rituals and ceremonies is it possible to se I as you are.

Verse 54

But by devotional service O Arjuna unmixed with fruitive desires and speculative knowledge, O scorcher of the enemy; it is possible I can be known and seen in such an eternal form and factually enter My pastimes.

Verse 55

O Arjuna, one who engages in actions for Me, considering I the Supreme goal, engaging indevotional service for Me, freed from the contamination of fruitive activities and mental speculation, devoid of enmity towards any living entity; such a person attains Me.

Thus ends the Bhagavad-Gita Trust translation of Bhagavad-Gita, chapter eleven, entitiled: Vivvarupa-Darsana Yoga: The Vision of the Universal Form.

Chapter 12

Bhakti Yoga: The Path of Devotion

In chapter twelve Lord Krishna extols the glory of devotion to God. Also He explains the different forms of spiritual discipline and discusses the qualities of the devotees who by performing their activities in devotion become very dear to the Lord. This chapter twelve is entitled: Bhakti Yoga or The Path of Devotion.

Verse 1

Arjuna said: Those devotees who thus are always engaged in exclusive worship of You and then again those who betake the impersonal absolute devoid of perceptible form and attributes; between them who is most perfect in knowledge of the science of uniting the individual consciousness with the Ultimate Consciousness.

Verse 2

Lord Krishna said: of those who are endowed with firm faith of a special kind beyond material conceptions; fixing their minds on Me, always engaged exclusively worshipping Me.They are considered by I the most superior of all.

Verses 3, 4

But those who worship the indescribable, all-pervading, inconceivable, immutable, constant, eternal, impersonal absolute devoid of perceptible form and attributes; completely controllingall the senses with spiritual intelligence equally disposed to everything and dedicated to the welfare of all living entities; they certainly also achieve Me.

Verse 5

Those whose minds are attached to the unmanifest aspect have much greater tribulations because devoid of any perceptible form and attributes success is achieved with great difficulty due to the beings identifying with the body.

Verses 6, 7

But those who surrendering all activities unto Me, being attached to Me, meditating on I with exclusive worship by the science of uniting the individual consciousness with the UltimateCosciousness in devotion; O Arjuna, of these persons whose minds are absorbed in thoughts of Me, I become their deliverer without delay from the ocean of death in the material existence

Verse 8

Concentrate the mind upon Me, apply spiritual intelligence for Me; verily you will reside with I after this existence without doubt.

Verse 9

O Arjuna, if therefore you are unable to completely establish the mind steadfastly in Me; thentry to obtain I by practicing the science of uniting the individual consciousness with theUltimate Consciousness by remembering Me.

Verse 10

And if in the practice of remembering Me, you are also unfit then be dedicated in the performance of duties for I and in performing activities for My satisfaction you will achieve perfection.

Verse 11

And if also this you are unable to perform then taking shelter of I by the science of uniting the individual consciousness with the Ultimate Consciousness, controlling the mind perform all activities renouncing the results.

Verse 12

Knowledge is superior to practice, meditation is considered better than knowledge; renouncing the results of actions than meditation, for by such renunciation comes tranquility.

Verses 13, 14

That devotee of Mine who is non-envious possessing benevolence towards all living entities,compassionate with no sense of proprietorship; free from false ego, equal in distress and happiness, forgiving, the always content one perfecting the science of uniting the individual consciousness with the Ultimate Consciousness, self-controlled, with unflinching determination, dedicating mind and spiritual intelligence upon I is very dear to Me.

Verse 15

One from whom any person is never disturbed and one who is never disturbed from any person and who is freed from the mundane pleasures, anger, fear and anxiety such a one is very dear to Me.

Verse 16

That devotee of Mine who is desireless, pure, expert, free from worry, free from agitation, unconcerned with any mundane endeavor; such a one is very dear to Me.

Verse 17

One who rejoices not, dislikes not, grieves not, and desires not, impartial to both what is auspicious and inauspicious, engaged in devotional service such a one is very dear to Me.

Verses 18,19

That person who is equal to an enemy as well as a friend, also in honor or dishonor, impartial in cold, heat, happiness and distress, exempt from attachment, equipoised in praise or repute, contemplatative before speaking,satisfied with whatever comes on its own accord, unattached to domestic life, fixed in determination and engaged in devotional service; such a one is very dear to Me.

Verse 20

Endowed with resolute faith in devotion to Me, those who worship this nectarian path of righteousness as described; these devotees are very, very dear to Me.

Thus ends the Bhagavad-Gita Trust translation of Bhagavad-Gita, chapter twelve, entitled: Bhakti Yoga: The Path of Devotion.