BHAGAVAD-GITA 8:4

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BHAGAVAD-GITA 8:4

 

adhibhutam ksaro bhavah

purusas cadhidaivatam

adhiyajno 'ham evatra

dehe deha-bhrtam vara

 

WORD FOR WORD

 

adhibhutam--the physical manifestation; ksarah--constantly changing;

bhavah--nature; purusah--the universal form, including all the

demigods, like the sun and moon; ca--and; adhidaivatam--called

adhidaiva; adhiyajnah--the Supersoul; aham--I (Krsna); eva--certainly;

atra--in this; dehe--body; deha-bhrtam--of the embodied; vara--O best.

 

TRANSLATION

 

O best of the embodied beings, the physical nature, which is

constantly changing, is called adhibhuta [the material manifestation].

The universal form of the Lord, which includes all the demigods, like

those of the sun and moon, is called adhidaiva. And I, the Supreme

Lord, represented as the Supersoul in the heart of every embodied

being, am called adhiyajna [the Lord of sacrifice].

 

PURPORT

 

The physical nature is constantly changing. Material bodies generally

pass through six stages: they are born, they grow, they remain for

some duration, they produce some by-products, they dwindle, and then

they vanish. This physical nature is called adhibhuta. It is created

at a certain point and will be annihilated at a certain point. The

conception of the universal form of the Supreme Lord, which includes

all the demigods and their different planets, is called adhidaivata.

And present in the body along with the individual soul is the

Supersoul, a plenary representation of Lord Krsna. The Supersoul is

called the Paramatma or adhiyajna and is situated in the heart. The

word eva is particularly important in the context of this verse

because by this word the Lord stresses that the Paramatma is not

different from Him. The Supersoul, the Supreme Personality of Godhead,

seated beside the individual soul, is the witness of the individual

soul's activities and is the source of the soul's various types of

consciousness. The Supersoul gives the individual soul an opportunity

to act freely and witnesses his activities. The functions of all these

different manifestations of the Supreme Lord automatically become

clarified for the pure Krsna conscious devotee engaged in

transcendental service to the Lord. The gigantic universal form of the

Lord called adhidaivata is contemplated by the neophyte who cannot

approach the Supreme Lord in His manifestation as Supersoul. The

neophyte is advised to contemplate the universal form, or

virat-purusa, whose legs are considered the lower planets, whose eyes

are considered the sun and moon, and whose head is considered the

upper planetary system.

 

Copyright 1983 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International. Used with

permission.