BHAGAVAD-GITA 10:20

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BHAGAVAD-GITA 10:20

 

aham atma gudakesa

sarva-bhutasaya-sthitah

aham adis ca madhyam ca

bhutanam anta eva ca

 

WORD FOR WORD

 

aham--I; atma--the soul; gudakesa--O Arjuna; sarva-bhuta--of all

living entities; asaya-sthitah--situated within the heart; aham--I am;

adih--the origin; ca--also; madhyam--middle; ca--also; bhutanam--of

all living entities; antah--end; eva--certainly; ca--and.

 

TRANSLATION

 

I am the Supersoul, O Arjuna, seated in the hearts of all living

entities. I am the beginning, the middle and the end of all beings.

 

PURPORT

 

In this verse Arjuna is addressed as Gudakesa, which means "one who

has conquered the darkness of sleep." For those who are sleeping in

the darkness of ignorance, it is not possible to understand how the

Supreme Personality of Godhead manifests Himself in various ways in

the material and spiritual worlds. Thus this address by Krsna to

Arjuna is significant. Because Arjuna is above such darkness, the

Personality of Godhead agrees to describe His various opulences.

 

Krsna first informs Arjuna that He is the soul of the entire cosmic

manifestation by dint of His primary expansion. Before the material

creation, the Supreme Lord, by His plenary expansion, accepts the

purusa incarnations, and from Him everything begins. Therefore He is

atma, the soul of the mahat-tattva, the universal elements. The total

material energy is not the cause of the creation; actually the

Maha-Visnu enters into the mahat-tattva, the total material energy. He

is the soul. When Maha-Visnu enters into the manifested universes, He

again manifests Himself as the Supersoul in each and every entity. We

have experience that the personal body of the living entity exists due

to the presence of the spiritual spark. Without the existence of the

spiritual spark, the body cannot develop. Similarly, the material

manifestation cannot develop unless the Supreme Soul, Krsna, enters.

As stated in the Subala Upanisad, prakrty-adi-sarva-bhutantar-yami

sarva-sesi ca narayanah: "The Supreme Personality of Godhead is

existing as the Supersoul in all manifested universes."

 

The three purusa-avataras are described in Srimad-Bhagavatam. They are

also described in the Satvata-tantra. Visnos tu trini rupani

purusakhyany atho viduh: the Supreme Personality of Godhead manifests

three features--as Karanodakasayi Visnu, Garbhodakasayi Visnu and

Ksirodakasayi Visnu--in this material manifestation. The Maha-Visnu,

or Karanodakasayi Visnu, is described in the Brahma-samhita (5.47).

Yah karanarnava-jale bhajati sma yoga-nidram: the Supreme Lord, Krsna,

the cause of all causes, lies down in the cosmic ocean as Maha-Visnu.

Therefore the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the beginning of this

universe, the maintainer of the universal manifestations, and the end

of all energy.

 

Copyright 1983 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International. Used with

permission.