BHAGAVAD-GITA 10:37

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BHAGAVAD-GITA 10:37

 

vrsninam vasudevo 'smi

pandavanam dhananjayah

muninam apy aham vyasah

kavinam usana kavih

 

WORD FOR WORD

 

vrsninam--of the descendants of Vrsni; vasudevah--Krsna in Dvaraka;

asmi--I am; pandavanam--of the Pandavas; dhananjayah--Arjuna;

muninam--of the sages; api--also; aham--I am; vyasah--Vyasa, the

compiler of all Vedic literature; kavinam--of all great thinkers;

usana--Usana; kavih--the thinker.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Of the descendants of Vrsni I am Vasudeva, and of the Pandavas I am

Arjuna. Of the sages I am Vyasa, and among great thinkers I am Usana.

 

PURPORT

 

Krsna is the original Supreme Personality of Godhead, and Baladeva is

Krsna's immediate expansion. Both Lord Krsna and Baladeva appeared as

sons of Vasudeva, so both of Them may be called Vasudeva. From another

point of view, because Krsna never leaves Vrndavana, all the forms of

Krsna that appear elsewhere are His expansions. Vasudeva is Krsna's

immediate expansion, so Vasudeva is not different from Krsna. It is to

be understood that the Vasudeva referred to in this verse of

Bhagavad-gita is Baladeva, or Balarama, because He is the original

source of all incarnations and thus He is the sole source of Vasudeva.

The immediate expansions of the Lord are called svamsa (personal

expansions), and there are also expansions called vibhinnamsa

(separated expansions).

 

Amongst the sons of Pandu, Arjuna is famous as Dhananjaya. He is the

best of men and therefore represents Krsna. Among the munis, or

learned men conversant in Vedic knowledge, Vyasa is the greatest

because he explained Vedic knowledge in many different ways for the

understanding of the common mass of people in this Age of Kali. And

Vyasa is also known as an incarnation of Krsna; therefore Vyasa also

represents Krsna. Kavis are those who are capable of thinking

thoroughly on any subject matter. Among the kavis, Usana, Sukracarya,

was the spiritual master of the demons; he was an extremely

intelligent and far-seeing politician. Thus Sukracarya is another

representative of the opulence of Krsna.

 

Copyright 1983 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International. Used with

permission.