Sri Krishna’s “Aham(s)” from Gita

bhaktajan · November 27, 2007

Sri Krishna’s “Aham(s)” from the Bhagavad-gita:

Bhagavan uvacha:

7.6—Of all that is material and all that is spiritual in this world, know for certain that I am both the origin and the dissolution.

7.7—There is no truth superior to Me. Everything rests upon Me, as pearls are strung on a thread.

7.8—I am the taste of water, the light of the sun and the moon, the syllable <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:place w:st="on">Om</st1:place> in the Vedic mantras; I am the sound in ether and Ability in man.

7.9—I am the original fragrance of the earth and I am the heat in fire. I am the life of all that lives,and I am the penances of all ascetics.

7.10—Know that I am the original seed of all existences, the intelligence of the intelligent, and the prowess of all powerful men.

7.11—I am the strength of the strong, devoid of passion and desire. I am sex life which is not contrary to religious principles.

7.12—Know that all states of being--be they of goodness, passion or ignorance--are manifested by My energy. I am, in one sense, everything, but I am independent. I am not under the modes of material nature, for they, on the contrary, are within Me.

7.13—Deluded by the three modes [goodness, passion and ignorance], the whole world does not know Me, who am above the modes and inexhaustible.

7.14—This divine energy of Mine, consisting of the three modes of material nature, is difficult to overcome. But those who have surrendered unto Me can easily cross beyond it.

7.15—Those miscreants who are grossly foolish, who are lowest among mankind, whose knowledge is stolen by illusion, and who partake of the atheistic nature of demons do not surrender unto Me.

7.16-17—Four kinds of pious men begin to render devotional service unto Me--the distressed, the desirer of wealth, the inquisitive, and he who is searching for knowledge of the Absolute. Of these, the one who is in full knowledge and who is always engaged in pure devotional service is the best. For I am very dear to him, and he is dear to Me.

7.18-19—All these devotees are undoubtedly magnanimous souls, but he who is situated in knowledge of Me I consider to be just like My own self. Being engaged in My transcendental service, he is sure to attain Me, the highest and most perfect goal. After many births and deaths, he who is actually in knowledge surrenders unto Me, knowing Me to be the cause of all causes and all that is. Such a great soul is very rare.

7.21-22—I am in everyone's heart as the Supersoul. As soon as one

desires to worship some demigod, I make his faith steady so that he can devote himself to that particular deity. Endowed with such a faith, he endeavors to worship a particular demigod and obtains his desires. But in actuality these benefits are bestowed by Me alone.

7.23—Men of small intelligence worship the demigods, and their fruits are limited and temporary. Those who worship the demigods go to the planets of the demigods, but My devotees ultimately reach My supreme planet.

7.24-25—Unintelligent men, who do not know Me perfectly, think that I, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna, was impersonal before and have now assumed this personality. Due to their small knowledge, they do not know My higher nature, which is imperishable and supreme. I am never manifest to the foolish and unintelligent. For them I am covered by My internal potency, and therefore they do not know that I am unborn and infallible.

7.26—As the Supreme Personality of Godhead, I know everything that has happened in the past, all that is happening in the present, and all things that are yet to come. I also know all living entities; but Me no one knows.

7.30—Those in full consciousness of Me, who know Me, the Supreme Lord, to be the governing principle of the material manifestation, of the demigods, and of all methods of sacrifice, can understand and know Me, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, even at the time of death.

8.4-5—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]. And whoever, at the end of his life, quits his body, remembering Me alone, at once attains My nature. Of this there is no doubt.

9.4—By Me, in My unmanifested form, this entire universe is pervaded. All beings are in Me, but I am not in them.

9.5—And yet everything that is created does not rest in Me. Behold My Mystic opulence! Although I am the maintainer of all living entities. I am everywhere. I am not part of this cosmic manifestation. My ‘Self’ is the very source of creation.

9.6-11—Understand that as the mighty wind, blowing everywhere, rests always in the sky, all created beings rest in Me. At the end of the

millennium all material manifestations enter into My nature, and at the beginning of another millennium, by My potency, I create them

again. The whole cosmic order is under Me. Under My will it is automatically manifested again and again, and under My will it is

annihilated at the end. All this work cannot bind Me. I am ever detached from all these material activities, seated as though neutral. This

material nature, which is one of My energies, is working under My direction, producing all moving and nonmoving beings. Under its rule

this manifestation is created and annihilated again and again. Fools deride Me when I descend in the human form. They do not know My

transcendental nature as the Supreme Lord of all that be.

9.16—I am the ritual. I am the sacrifice. I am the offering to the ancestors. I am the healing herb. I am the transcendental chant. I am the Butter and the Fire and the Offering.

9.17—I am the father of this universe. I am the mother. I am the support and the grandsire. I am the object of knowledge. I am the purifier and the syllable ‘<st1:place w:st="on">Om</st1:place>’. I am also the Rg, the Sama and the Yajur Vedas.

9.18—I am the goal. I am the sustainer. I am the master, the witness, the abode, the refuge, and the most dear friend. I am the creation and the annihilation. I am the basis of everything, the resting place and the eternal seed.

9.19—I give heat. I withhold and send forth the rain. I am immor-tality. I am also death personified. Both spirit and matter are in Me.

9.22—Those who always worship Me with exclusive devotion,

meditating on My transcendental form--to them I carry what they lack, and I preserve what they have.

9.24—I am the only enjoyer and master of all sacrifices.I am equal to all.

9.29—Whoever renders service unto Me in devotion is a friend, is in Me, and I am also a friend to him.

10.2—Neither the hosts of demigods nor the great sages know My origin or opulences, for, in every respect, I am the source of the demigods and sages.

10.4-5—Intelligence, knowledge, freedom from doubt and delusion, forgiveness, truthfulness, control of the senses, control of the mind, happiness and distress, birth, death, fear, fearlessness, nonviolence, equanimity, satisfaction, austerity, charity, fame and infamy--all these various qualities of living beings are created by Me alone.

10.6—The seven great sages and before them the four other great sages and the Manus [progenitors of mankind] come from Me, born from My mind, and all the living beings populating the various planets descend from them.

10.7—One who is factually convinced of this opulence and Mystic power of Mine engages in unalloyed devotional service; of this there is no doubt.

10.8—I am the source of all spiritual and material worlds. Everything emanates from Me.

10.9—The thoughts of My pure devotees dwell in Me, their lives are fully devoted to My service, and they derive great satisfaction and bliss from always enlightening one another and conversing about Me.

10.10—To those who are constantly devoted to serving Me with love, I give the understanding by which they can come to Me.

10.11—To show them special mercy, I, dwelling in their hearts, destroy with the shining lamp of knowledge the darkness born of ignorance.

10.19—My opulence is limitless.

10.20—I am the Supersoul seated in the hearts of all living entities. I am the beginning, the middle and the end of all beings.

10.21—Of the Adityas I am Visnu. Of lights I am the radiant sun. Of the Maruts I am Marici. Among the stars I am the moon.

10.22—Of the Vedas I am the Sama Veda. Of the demigods I am Indra, the king of heaven. Of the senses I am the mind. In living beings I am the living force [consciousness].

10.23—Of all the Rudras I am Lord Siva. Of the Yaksas and Raksasas I am the Lord of wealth [Kuvera]. Of the Vasus I am fire [Agni]. Of mountains I am Meru.

10.24—Of priests know Me to be the chief, Brhaspati. Of generals I am Kartikeya. Of bodies of water I am the ocean.

10.25—Of the great sages I am Bhrgu. Of vibrations I am the transcendental “<st1:place w:st="on">Om</st1:place>”. Of sacrifices I am the chanting of the holy names [japa]. Of immovable things I am the <st1:place w:st="on">Himalayas</st1:place>.

10.26—Of all trees I am the banyan tree. Of the sages among the demigods I am Narada. Of the Gandharvas I am Citraratha. Among perfected beings I am the sage Kapila.

10.27—Of horses know Me to be Uccaihsrava, produced during the churning of the ocean for nectar. Of lordly elephants I am

Airavata. Among men I am the monarch.

10.28—Of weapons I am the thunderbolt. Among cows I am the surabhi. Of causes for procreation I am Kandarpa, the god of love. Of serpents I am Vasuki.

10.29—Of the many-hooded Nagas I am Ananta. Among the aquatics I am the demigod Varuna. Of departed ancestors I am Aryama. Among the dispensers of law I am Yama, the lord of death.

10.30—Among the Daitya demons I am the devoted Prahlada. Among subduers I am time. Among beasts I am the lion. Among birds I am Garuda.

10.31—Of purifiers I am the wind. Of the wielders of weapons I am Rama. Of fishes I am the shark. Of flowing rivers I am the <st1:place w:st="on">Ganges</st1:place>.

10.32—Of all creations I am the beginning and the end and also the middle. Of all sciences I am the spiritual science of the self. Among logicians I am the conclusive truth.

10.33—Of letters I am the letter A. Among compound words I am the dual compound. I am also inexhaustible time. Of creators I am Brahma.

10.34—I am all-devouring death. I am the generating principle of all that is yet to be. Among women I am fame, fortune, fine speech, memory, intelligence, steadfastness and patience.

10.35—Of the hymns in the Sama Veda I am the Brhat-sama. Of poetry I am the Gayatri. Of months I am Margasirsa [November-December]. Of seasons I am flower-bearing spring.

10.36—I am also the gambling of cheats. Of the splendid I am the splendor. I am victory. I am adventure. I am the strength of the strong.

10.37—Of the descendants of Vrsni I am Vasudeva. Of the Pandavas I am Arjuna. Of the sages I am Vyasa. Among great thinkers I am Usana.

10.38—Among all means of suppressing lawlessness I am punishment. Of those who seek victory I am morality. Of secret things I am silence. Of the wise I am the wisdom.

10.39—I am the generating seed of all existences. There is no being--moving or non-moving--that can exist without Me.

10.40—There is no end to My divine manifestations.

10.41—Know that all opulent, beautiful and glorious creations spring from but a spark of My splendor.

10.42—With a single fragment of Myself I pervade and support this entire universe.

11.32—Time I am, the great destroyer of the worlds.

12.6-8—I am the swift deliverer from the ocean of birth and death. Just fix your mind upon Me, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and engage all your intelligence in Me. Thus you will live in Me always, without a doubt.

14.3-4—The total material substance, called Brahman, is the source of birth, and it is that Brahman that I impregnate, making possible the births of all living beings. It should be understood that all species of life are made possible by birth in this material nature, and that I am the seed-giving father.

14.27—I am the basis of the impersonal Brahman, which is immortal, imperishable and eternal and is the constitutional position of ultimate happiness.

15.12—The splendor of the sun, which dissipates the darkness of this whole world, comes from Me. And the splendor of the moon and the splendor of fire are also from Me.

15.13—I enter into each planet, and by My energy they stay in orbit. I become the moon and thereby supply the juice of life to all vegetables.

15.14—I am the fire of digestion in the bodies of all living entities, and I join with the air of life, outgoing and incoming, to digest the four kinds of foodstuff.

15.15—I am seated in everyone's heart, and from Me come remembrance, knowledge and forgetfulness. By all the Vedas, I am to be known. Indeed, I am the compiler of Vedanta, and I am the knower of the Vedas.

15.18—I am transcendental, beyond both the fallible and the infallible, and because I am the greatest, I am celebrated both in the world and in the Vedas as that Supreme Person.

15.19—Whoever knows Me as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, without doubting, is the knower of everything. He therefore engages himself in full devotional service to Me, O son of Bharata.

18.19—According to the three different modes of material nature, there are three kinds of knowledge, action and performer of action. Now hear of them from Me.

18.29—O winner of wealth, now please listen as I tell you in detail of the different kinds of understanding and determination, according to the three modes of material nature.

18.63—Thus I have explained to you knowledge still more Confidential. Deliberate on this fully, and then do what you wish to do.

18.64—I am speaking to you My supreme instruction, the most confidential knowledge of all.

ys,

Bhaktajan