TEXT 40
नान्तोऽस्ति मम दिव्यानां विभूतीनां परन्तप ।
एष तूद्दे शतः प्रोक्तो विभूतेर्विस्तरो मया ।। 40 ।।
nānto ’sti mama divyānāṁ
vibhūtīnāṁ paran-tapa
eṣa tūddeśataḥ prokto
vibhūter vistaro mayā
na – nor; antaḥ – a limit; asti – there is; mama – My; divyānām – of the divine; vibhūtīnām – opulences; param-tapa – O conqueror of the enemies; eṣaḥ – all this; tu – but; uddeśataḥ – as examples; proktaḥ – spoken; vibhūteḥ – of opulences; vistaraḥ – the expanse; mayā – by Me.
O mighty conqueror of enemies, there is no end to My divine manifestations. What I have spoken to you is but a mere indication of My infinite opulences.
As stated in the Vedic literature, although the opulences and energies of the Supreme are understood in various ways, there is no limit to such opulences; therefore not all the opulences and energies can be explained. Simply a few examples are being described to Arjuna to pacify his inquisitiveness.
TEXT 41
यद्यद्विभूतिमत्सत्त्वं श्रीमदूर्जितमेव वा ।
तत्तदेवावगच्छ त्वं मम तेजोंऽशसंभवम् ।। 41 ।।
yad yad vibhūtimat sattvaṁ
śrīmad ūrjitam eva vā
tat tad evāvagaccha tvaṁ
mama tejo-’ṁśa-sambhavam
yat yat – whatever; vibhūti – opulences; mat – having; sattvam – existence; śrī-mat – beautiful; ūrjitam – glorious; eva – certainly; vā – or; tat tat – all those; eva – certainly; avagaccha – must know; tvam – you; mama – My; tejaḥ – of the splendor; aṁśa – a part; sambhavam – born of.
Know that all opulent, beautiful and glorious creations spring from but a spark of My splendor.
Any glorious or beautiful existence should be understood to be but a fragmental manifestation of Kṛṣṇa’s opulence, whether it be in the spiritual or material world. Anything extraordinarily opulent should be considered to represent Kṛṣṇa’s opulence.
TEXT 42
अथवा बहुनैतेन किं ज्ञातेन तवार्जुन ।
विष्टभ्याहमिदं कृत्स्नमेकांशेन स्थितो जगत् ।। 42 ।।
atha vā bahunaitena
kiṁ jñātena tavārjuna
viṣṭabhyāham idaṁ kṛtsnam
ekāṁśena sthito jagat
atha vā – or; bahunā – many; etena – by this kind; kim – what; jñātena – by knowing; tava – your; arjuna – O Arjuna; viṣṭabhya – pervading; aham – I; idam – this; kṛtsnam – entire; eka – by one; aṁśena – part; sthitaḥ – am situated; jagat – universe.
But what need is there, Arjuna, for all this detailed knowledge? With a single fragment of Myself I pervade and support this entire universe.
The Supreme Lord is represented throughout the entire material universes by His entering into all things as the Supersoul. The Lord here tells Arjuna that there is no point in understanding how things exist in their separate opulence and grandeur. He should know that all things are existing due to Kṛṣṇa’s entering them as Supersoul. From Brahmā, the most gigantic entity, on down to the smallest ant, all are existing because the Lord has entered each and all and is sustaining them.
There is a Mission that regularly propounds that worship of any demigod will lead one to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, or the supreme goal. But worship of demigods is thoroughly discouraged herein because even the greatest demigods like Brahmā and Śiva represent only part of the opulence of the Supreme Lord. He is the origin of everyone born, and no one is greater than Him.
He is asamaurdhva, which means that no one is superior to Him and that no one is equal to Him. In the Padma Purāṇa it is said that one who considers the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa in the same category with demigods – be they even Brahmā or Śiva – becomes at once an atheist. If, however, one thoroughly studies the different descriptions of the opulences and expansions of Kṛṣṇa’s energy, then one can understand without any doubt the position of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa and can fix his mind in the worship of Kṛṣṇa without deviation.
The Lord is all-pervading by the expansion of His partial representation, the Supersoul, who enters into everything that is. Pure devotees, therefore, concentrate their minds in Kṛṣṇa consciousness in full devotional service; therefore they are always situated in the transcendental position. Devotional service and worship of Kṛṣṇa are very clearly indicated in this chapter in verses 8 through 11. That is the way of pure devotional service. How one can attain the highest devotional perfection of association with the Supreme Personality of Godhead has been thoroughly explained in this chapter. Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa, a great ācārya in disciplic succession from Kṛṣṇa, concludes his commentary on this chapter by saying,
yac-chakti-leśāt sūryādyā
bhavanty aty-ugra-tejasaḥ
yad-aṁśena dhṛtaṁ viśvaṁ
sa kṛṣṇo daśame ’rcyate
From Lord Kṛṣṇa’s potent energy even the powerful sun gets its power, and by Kṛṣṇa’s partial expansion the whole world is maintained. Therefore Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa is worshipable.
Thus end the Bhaktivedanta Purports to the Tenth Chapter of the Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā in the matter of the Opulence of the Absolute.
Chapter XI, The Universal Form
TEXT 1
अर्जुन उवाच
मदनुग्रहाय परमं गुहयमध्यात्मसंज्ञितम् ।
यत्त्वयोक्तं वचस्तेन मोहोऽयं विगतो मम ।। 1 ।।
arjuna uvāca
mad-anugrahāya paramaṁ
guhyam adhyātma-saṁjñitam
yat tvayoktaṁ vacas tena
moho ’yaṁ vigato mama
arjunaḥ uvāca – Arjuna said; mat-anugrahāya – just to show me favor; paramam – supreme; guhyam – confidential subject; adhyātma – spiritual; saṁjñitam – in the matter of; yat – what; tvayā – by You; uktam – said; vacaḥ – words; tena – by that; mohaḥ – illusion; ayam – this; vigataḥ – is removed; mama – my.
Arjuna said: By my hearing the instructions You have kindly given me about these most confidential spiritual subjects, my illusion has now been dispelled.
This chapter reveals Kṛṣṇa as the cause of all causes. He is even the cause of the Mahā-viṣṇu, from whom the material universes emanate. Kṛṣṇa is not an incarnation; He is the source of all incarnations. That has been completely explained in the last chapter.
Now, as far as Arjuna is concerned, he says that his illusion is over. This means that Arjuna no longer thinks of Kṛṣṇa as a mere human being, as a friend of his, but as the source of everything. Arjuna is very enlightened and is glad that he has such a great friend as Kṛṣṇa, but now he is thinking that although he may accept Kṛṣṇa as the source of everything, others may not. So in order to establish Kṛṣṇa’s divinity for all, he is requesting Kṛṣṇa in this chapter to show His universal form. Actually when one sees the universal form of Kṛṣṇa one becomes frightened, like Arjuna, but Kṛṣṇa is so kind that after showing it He converts Himself again into His original form. Arjuna agrees to what Kṛṣṇa has several times said: Kṛṣṇa is speaking to him just for his benefit. So Arjuna acknowledges that all this is happening to him by Kṛṣṇa’s grace. He is now convinced that Kṛṣṇa is the cause of all causes and is present in everyone’s heart as the Supersoul.
TEXT 2
भवाप्ययौ हि भूतानां श्रुतौ विस्तरशो मया ।
त्वत्तः कमलपत्राक्ष माहात्म्यमपि चाव्ययम् ।। 2 ।।
bhavāpyayau hi bhūtānāṁ
śrutau vistaraśo mayā
tvattaḥ kamala-patrākṣa
māhātmyam api cāvyayam
bhava – appearance; apyayau – disappearance; hi – certainly; bhūtānām – of all living entities; śrutau – have been heard; vistaraśaḥ – in detail; mayā – by me; tvattaḥ – from You; kamala-patra-akṣa – O lotus-eyed one; māhātmyam – glories; api – also; ca – and; avyayam – inexhaustible.
O lotus-eyed one, I have heard from You in detail about the appearance and disappearance of every living entity and have realized Your inexhaustible glories.
Arjuna addresses Lord Kṛṣṇa as “lotus-eyed” (Kṛṣṇa’s eyes appear just like the petals of a lotus flower) out of his joy, for Kṛṣṇa has assured him, in a previous chapter, ahaṁ kṛtsnasya jagataḥ prabhavaḥ pralayas tathā: “I am the source of the appearance and disappearance of this entire material manifestation.” Arjuna has heard of this from the Lord in detail. Arjuna further knows that in spite of His being the source of all appearances and disappearances, He is aloof from them. As the Lord has said in the Ninth Chapter, He is all-pervading, yet He is not personally present everywhere. That is the inconceivable opulence of Kṛṣṇa which Arjuna admits that he has thoroughly understood.
TEXT 3
एवमेतद्यथात्थ त्वमात्मानं परमेश्वर ।
द्रष्टुमिच्छामि ते रूपमैश्वरं पुरुषोत्तम ।। 3 ।।
evam etad yathāttha tvam
ātmānaṁ parameśvara
draṣṭum icchāmi te rūpam
aiśvaraṁ puruṣottama
evam – thus; etat – this; yathā – as it is; āttha – have spoken; tvam – You; ātmānam – Yourself; parama-īśvara – O Supreme Lord; draṣṭum – to see; icchāmi – I wish; te – Your; rūpam – form; aiśvaram – divine; puruṣa-uttama – O best of personalities.
O greatest of all personalities, O supreme form, though I see You here before me in Your actual position, as You have described Yourself, I wish to see how You have entered into this cosmic manifestation. I want to see that form of Yours.
The Lord said that because He entered into the material universe by His personal representation, the cosmic manifestation has been made possible and is going on. Now as far as Arjuna is concerned, he is inspired by the statements of Kṛṣṇa, but in order to convince others in the future who may think that Kṛṣṇa is an ordinary person, Arjuna desires to see Him actually in His universal form, to see how He is acting from within the universe, although He is apart from it. Arjuna’s addressing the Lord as puruṣottama is also significant.
Since the Lord is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He is present within Arjuna himself; therefore He knows the desire of Arjuna, and He can understand that Arjuna has no special desire to see Him in His universal form, for Arjuna is completely satisfied to see Him in His personal form of Kṛṣṇa. But the Lord can understand also that Arjuna wants to see the universal form to convince others. Arjuna did not have any personal desire
