Introduction a Introduction

303

My dear Lord, although it is difficult for those who are impious to understand how

You are situated in all superior and inferior creations, the brähmaëas who actually know

the Vedic conclusion worship You in all sincerity.

COMMENTARY

Uddhava said: Although You are the origin of the vińëu-tattva and You are

situated within all higher and lower species of life, ignorant and impious people cannot

appreciate Your glories. On the other hand, brähmaëas who know the Vedas as Your

sound representation faithfully engage in Your worship.

PURPORT

The word uccävaca in this verse means “superior and inferior,” “higher and lower,” or

“great and insignificant.” When one possesses material objects, they gradually transform

before one’s very eyes because they are under the control of time. Therefore, to meditate

on the objects of the senses will not yield a permanent result. Those who know the

Vedas search for the origin of material time, place, and the candidate, and thus come to

the conclusion that the devotional service of the Supreme Lord is the life’s actual goal.

TEXT 3

YaezuYaezuc>aUTaezu>a˘-yaTva&ParMazRYa> )

oPaaSaqNaa>Pa[PaŰNTaeSa&iSaiÖ&TaÜdSvMae ))3))

yeńu yeńu ca bhüteńu bhaktyä tväŕ paramarńayaů

upäsénäů prapadyante saŕsiddhiŕ tad vadasva me
Please describe to me the perfections attained by the devotees who worship you with

great and transcendental faith, and please describe the transcendental forms of Your

Lordship that they worship.

COMMENTARY

By worshiping various form of the Lord, one can achieve particular mystic perfections.

To hear about this is the request of Çré Uddhava.

TEXT 4

GaU!ęriSa>aUTaaTMaa>aUTaaNaa&>aUTa>aavNa

NaTva&PaXYaiNTa>aUTaaiNaPaXYaNTa&MaaeihTaaiNaTae

304

UDDHAVA-GÉTÄ

güňhaç carasi bhütätmä bhütänäŕ bhüta-bhävana

na tväŕ paçyanti bhütäni paçyantaŕ mohitäni te

O my Lord, maintainer of the living entities, You remain hidden within the hearts

of all living entities as the Supersoul. Being bewildered by Your energy, they cannot see

You, although You see everyone.
COMMENTARY

For those who are conditioned by the three modes of material nature, the opulence

of the Lord is incomprehensible. Uddhava said: “Despite Your presence as the Supersoul

in all living entities, the conditioned souls cannot see You. Although You are the

benefactor of everyone, You remain hidden within their hearts so that they cannot see

You.” If one reads the word bhütabhävana without the visarga, Uddhava addresses the

Lord as, “O benefactor of all living entities.”

PURPORT

The Supreme Lord is transcendentally situated, and thus beyond the reach of the

material senses. The foolish conditioned souls consider God to be their order supplier.

Materialistic men may sometimes appear to be very religious but because they consider

themselves to be the proprietors of God’s creation, their prayers are simply that their

material desires may be fulfilled. Everything within the creation is owned and controlled

by the Supreme Lord. When the Lord sometimes appears as an incarnation, such

bewildered materialists generally take Him to be just another product of the modes of

material nature, being unable to appreciate His transcendental position.

TEXT 5

Yaa>k-aę>aUMaaEidivvErSaaYaa&iv>aUTaYaaeid+auMahaiv>aUTae )

TaaMaůMaa:YaaůNau>aaivTaaSTaeNaMaaiMaTaeTaqQaRPadaiş]PaÚMa( ))5))

yäů käç ca bhümau divi vai rasäyäŕ vibhütayo dikńu mahä-vibhüte

tä mahyam äkhyähy anubhävitäs te namämi te tértha-padäěghri-padmam
O Supreme Personality of Godhead, please describe to me Your inconceivable

potencies, which You manifest on this earth, as well as all other planets throughout the

universe. I offer my obeisances at Your lotus feet, which are the shelter of all the holy

places of pilgrimage.

The Lord’s Opulence


COMMENTARY

305

Uddhava said: “Because the understanding of Your opulence is most confidential,

You Yourself must reveal this knowledge. We can know about Your opulences only by

Your grace.” For the understanding of the conditioned souls, Uddhava requests the Lord

to explain how He expands His potencies by means of His various expansions. The word

vibhüti in this regard refers to the Lord’s material and spiritual potencies, as manifested

within our universe.

PURPORT

To remove the ignorance of the foolish conditioned souls, the Supreme Lord accepts

a mood of magnanimity and acts as an instructor. The conditioned souls, driven by

the desire to cultivate knowledge of the external world, are unable to understand the

existence of the Absolute Truth.
TEXT 6

é[q>aGavaNauvac

WvMaeTadh&Pa*í>Pa[én&Pa[énivda&vr )

YauYauTSauNaaivNaXaNaeSaPaŇErJauRNaeNa vE ))6))

çré-bhagavän uväca

evam etad ahaŕ pĺńöaů praçnaŕ praçna-vidäŕ vara

yuyutsunä vinaçane sapatnair arjunena vai
The Supreme Lord said: O best among those who inquire about the truth, at

Kurukńetra, as he prepared to confront his enemies, Arjuna asked Me this very question

that you have raised.
COMMENTARY

On the battlefield of Kurukçetra, Arjuna inquired in a similar manner.

TEXT 7

jaTvajaiTavDa&GaůRMaDaMa|raJYaheTauk-Ma( )

TaTaaeiNav*taaehNTaah&hTaae_YaiMaiTal/aEik-k-> ))7))

jďätvä jďäti-vadhaŕ garhyam adharmaŕ räjya-hetukam

tato nivĺtto hantähaŕ hato ‘yam iti laukikaů

306

UDDHAVA-GÉTÄ

While seated on his chariot in the midst of the battlefield, Arjuna thought that killing

his relatives would be the sinful result of aspiring to fight for a kingdom to rule. He

wanted to leave the battlefield, thinking, “I don’t want to be the slayer of my relatives.”
COMMENTARY

Arjuna inquired about the Lord’s opulence at a time when he had refused to fight,

considering that to kill his relatives for the sake of enjoying a kingdom would be highly

irreligious. Arjuna thought of himself as the killer, and his relatives as those who would

be killed. These were his mundane conceptions.
TEXT 8

SaTadaPauĺzVYaaga]aeYau˘-yaMaePa[iTabaeiDaTa> )

A>Ya>aazTaMaaMaev&YaQaaTv&r
sa tadä puruńa-vyäghro yuktyä me pratibodhitaů

abhyabhäńata mäm evaŕ yathä tvaŕ raëa-mürdhani
I enlightened the despondent Arjuna, a tiger among men, by means of reason and

argument. In the midst of the battlefield, Arjuna questioned Me just as you are now

inquiring.
TEXT 9

AhMaaTMaaeÖvaMaqza&>aUTaaNaa&Sauôdqěr> )

Ah&SavaRiaUTaaiNaTaeza&iSQaTYauŮvaPYaYa> ))9))

aham ätmoddhaväméńäŕ bhütänäŕ suhĺd éçvaraů

ahaŕ sarväëi bhütäni teńäŕ sthity-udbhaväpyayaů
My dear Uddhava, I am the Supersoul of all living entities and so I am naturally their

benefactor. I am the supreme controller and sustainer of all living entities, and the cause

of creation, maintenance, and destruction.
COMMENTARY

Lord Çré Kĺńëa herein describes His opulence in general.

The Lord’s Opulence


TEXT 10

Ah&GaiTaGaRiTaMaTaa&k-al/>k-l/YaTaaMahMa( )

GauNaa ))10))

ahaŕ gatir gatimatäŕ kälaů kalayatäm aham

gunäëäŕ cäpy ahaŕ sämyaŕ guëiny autpattiko guëaů

307

I am the supreme destination for those who are trying to make progress, and I am

time for those who attempt to exert control over others. I am the equilibrium of the three

modes of material nature, and I am the natural ability of those who possess talent.
COMMENTARY

Theessentialnature of allmaterialandspiritualobjectsis that they aremanifestations

of the Lord’s opulence. The Supreme Lord is the actual objective for fruitive workers and

mental speculators. He is understood as time by those who delight in controlling others,

and among the qualities, He is the special quality that is exhibited by those who possess

some particular talent.

PURPORT

The Lord is the ultimate goal for all those who search after some kind of perfection

because everything is simply a manifestation of His unlimited potencies. The results

obtained by fruitive workers are awarded by the Supreme Lord through the agency of

the demigods. Mental speculators may abandon the fruits of their labor but their quest is

to realize the all-pervading aspect of the Lord known as Brahman. Materialists run after

the temporary objects displayed by the Lord’s illusory energy and thus miss the chance

for self-realization. Those who reject material variegatedness and consider the Absolute

Truth to be devoid of qualities cannot understand how the Supreme Lord possesses

transcendental qualities. In this way, it is seen that the Supreme Lord is the ultimate

goal of all kinds of people. Those who desire to enjoy the fruits of their labor, and those

who desire to become one with the Supreme are covered by the external energy of the

Lord. The actual goal of life is to engage in the Lord’s loving devotional service on the

transcendental platform

TEXT 11

Gaui

SaU+Maa ))11))

308

UDDHAVA-GÉTÄ

guëinäm apy ahaŕ sutra mahatäŕ ca mahän aham

sükńmäëäm apy ahaŕ jévo durjayänäm ahaŕ manaů

Among things that possess qualities I am the primary manifestation of nature, and

among great things I am the mahat-tattva, the total material manifestation. Among subtle

things, I am the spirit soul, and among things that are difficult to conquer, I am the

mind.

COMMENTARY

The word sütra indicates the primary manifestation of nature. Here, the Lord says,

“Among things that are difficult to control, I am the mind, and among subtle things, I

am the spirit soul.” This is also described in the Vedas:

eńo ’ëur ätmä cetasä veditavyo yasmin präëaů paďcadhä saŕviveça

präëaiç cittaŕ sarvam otaŕ prajänäŕ yasmin viçuddhe vibhavaty eńa ätmä
The soul is atomic in size and can be perceived by perfect intelligence. The

atomic soul is floating in the five kinds of air (präëa, apäna, vyäna, samäna, and

udäna), is situated within the heart, and spreads its influence all over the body

of the embodied living entities. When the soul is purified from the contamination

of the five kinds of material air, its spiritual influence is exhibited. (Muëňaka

Upanińad 3.1.9)

Elsewhere, it is stated:

bälägra-çata-bhägasya çatadhä kalpitasya ca

bhägo jévaů vijďeyaů sa cänantyäya kalpate
When the upper point of a hair is divided into one hundred parts and again

each of such parts is further divided into one hundred parts, each such part is the

measurement of the dimension of the spirit soul. (Çvetäçvatara Upanińad 5.9)
The dimension of the spirit soul is smaller than the tip of an arrow. Although the

spirit soul is minute in size, like an atom, it is spread all over the body and its energy

works throughout the body. As a precious jewel or powerful medicine, although covered

by lac, manifests its effect when touched to the head, the minute size of the spirit soul

does not hamper his display of prowess.

The Lord’s Opulence


TEXT 12

ihraaeRvedaNaa&MaN}aa

A+ara
hiraëyagarbho vedänäŕ manträëäŕ praëavas tri-vĺt

akńaräëäm a-käro ‘smi padäni cchandusäm aham

309

I am the original teacher of the Vedas, Hiraëyagarbha (Lord Brahmä), and among

mantras I am the three-lettered oŕkära. Among letters, I am the first letter “a” (a-

käraů), and among sacred hymns, I am the Gäyatri mantra.

COMMENTARY

The Lord says that among the teachers of the Vedas, He is Hiraëyagarbha Brahmä,

and among the sacred hymns of the Vedas, He is the Gäyatri mantra.

TEXT 13

wNd]ae_h&SavRdevaNaa&vSaUNaaMaiSMahVYava$( )

AaidTYaaNaaMah&ivZ ))13))

indro ‘haŕ sarva-devänäŕ vasünäm asmi havya-väö

ädityänäm ahaŕ vińëü rudräëäŕ néla-lohitaů
Among the demigods, I am Indra, and among the Vasus, I am Agni. Among the

Ädityas, I am Vińëu, and among the Rudras, I am Çiva.
TEXT 14

b]řzsa*Gaurh&raJazs )

devzs
brahmarńéëäŕ bhĺgur ahaŕ räjarńéëäm ahaŕ manuů

devarńéëäŕ närado ‘haŕ havirdhäny asmi dhenuńu
Among great sages, I am Bhĺgu, and among saintly kings, I am Manu. I am Närada

Muni among saintly demigods, and among cows, I am the Kämadhenu.
COMMENTARY

The word havirddhäni refers to the cow known as Kämadhenu, or wish-fulfilling cow.

310

UDDHAVA-GÉTÄ

TEXT 15

iSaÖeěraSauPa

Pa[JaaPaTaqNaa&d+aae_h&iPaTa›
siddheçvaräëäŕ kapilaů suparëo ‘haŕ patatriëäm

prajäpaténäŕ dakńo ‘haŕ pitčëäm aham aryamä

Among perfected beings, I am Kapila, and among birds, I am Garuňa. Among

progenitors of mankind, I am Dakńa, and among the forefathers, I am Aryamä.
TEXT 16

Maa&ivÖyuÖvdETYaaNaa&Pa[úadMaSaureěrMa( )

SaaeMa&Na+a}aaEzDaqNaa&DaNaeXa&Ya+ar+aSaaMa( ))16))

mäŕ viddhy uddhava daityänäŕ prahlädam asureçvaram

somaŕ nakńatrauńadhénäŕ dhaneçaŕ yakńa-rakńasäm
My dear Uddhava, among the Daityas, I am Prahläda Mahäräja, the king of the

demons. Among the stars and medicinal herbs, I am the moon-god, and among the Yakńas

and Räkńasas, I am the god of wealth, Kuvera.
TEXT 17

WeravTa&GaJaeNd]aauMa( )

TaPaTaa&ŰuMaTaa&SaUYa|MaNauZYaaaUPaiTaMa( ))17))

airävataŕ gajendräëäŕ yädasäŕ varuëaŕ prabhum

tapatäŕ dyumatäŕ süryaŕ manuńyäëäŕ ca bhü-patim
Among lordly elephants, I am Airävata, and among the aquatics, I am Varuëa, the

lord of the seas. Among things that heat and illuminate, I am the sun, and among human

beings, I am the king.
TEXT 18

oŔE>é[vaSTaur®a

YaMa>Sa&YaMaTaa&cahMSaPaaR ))18))

The Lord’s Opulence


uccaiůçraväs turaěgäëäŕ dhätünäm asmi käďcanam

yamaů saŕyamatäŕ cäham sarpäëäm asmi väsukiů

311

Among horses, I am Uccaiůçravä, and among the metals, I am gold. Among those

who award punishment, I am Yamaräja, and among serpents, I am Väsuki.
TEXT 19

NaaGaeNd]aXa*i®d&ií\

Aaé[Maa
nägendräëäm ananto ‘haŕ mĺgendraů çĺěgi-daŕńöriëäm

äçramäëäm ahaŕ turyo varëänäŕ prathamo ‘nagha
O sinless Uddhava, among the foremost of Nägas, I am Ananta, and among those

animals who have sharp horns and teeth, I am the lion. Among the äçramas, I am the

fourth, the sannyäsa äçrama, and among the varëas, I am first, the brähmaëas.

TEXT 20

TaqQaaRNaa&óaeTaSaa&Ga®aSaMaud]]>SarSaaMahMa( )

AaYauDaaNaa&DaNaurh&i}aPaurganaeDaNauZMaTaaMa( ))20))

térthänäŕ srotasäŕ gaěgä samudraů sarasäm aham

äyudhänäŕ dhanur ahaŕ tripura-ghno dhanuńmatäm
Among holy places and rivers, I am the Ganges, and among steady bodies of water, I am

the ocean. Among weapons, I am the bow, and among wielders of weapons, I am Lord Çiva.
TEXT 21

iDaZ )

vNaSPaTaqNaaMaěTQa AaezDaqNaaMah&Yav> ))21))

dhińëyänäm asmy ahaŕ merur gahanänäŕ himälayaů

vanaspaténäm açvattha ońadhénäm ahaŕ yavaů
Among residences, I am Mount Sumeru, and among unyielding places, I am the

Himälayas. Among trees, I am the açvattha, and among medicinal plants, I am barley.

312

UDDHAVA-GÉTÄ

TEXT 22

PauraeDaSaa&viSaďae_h&b]iřďaNaa&b*hSPaiTa> )

Sk-Ndae_h&SavRSaeNaaNYaaMaGa]aGavaNaJa> ))22))

purodhasäŕ vasińöho ‘haŕ brahmińöhänäŕ bĺhaspatiů

skando ‘haŕ sarva-senänyäm agraëyäŕ bhagavän ajaů

Among priests, I am Vaçińöha, and among those who are well-versed in the Vedas, I

am Bĺhaspati. Among military commanders, I am Käĺtikeya, and among those who are

advancing in spiritual life, I am Brahmä.
TEXT 23

YajaNaa&b]řYajae_h&v]TaaNaaMaivih&SaNaMa( )

vaYvGanykRMbuvaGaaTMaaXaucqNaaMaPYah& Xauic> ))23))

yajďänäŕ brahma-yajďo ‘haŕ vratänäm avihiŕsanam

väyv-agny-arkämbu-väg-ätmä çucénäm apy ahaŕ çuciů
Among sacrifices, I am the study of the Vedas, among vows, I am nonviolence. Among

all things that purify, I am the air, fire, the sun, water, and speech.
TEXT 24

YaaeGaaNaaMaaTMaSa&raeDaaeMaN}aae_iSMaiviJaGaqzTaaMa( )

AaNvqi+ak-Ik-aEXal/aNaa&ivk-LPa>:YaaiTavaidNaaMa( ))24))

yogänäm ätma-saŕrodho mantro ‘smi vijigéńatäm

änvékńiké kauçalänäŕ vikalpaů khyäti-vädinäm
Among the eight parts of ańöäěga-yoga, I am samädhi, whereby the soul is liberated

from illusion. Among those who desire victory, I am good moral council, among all types

of logical discrimination, I am the intelligence that allows one to discriminate between

matter and spirit, and among philosophers, I am the sense of discrimination.
TEXT 25

ńqauvaeMaNau> )

NaaraYa

The Lord’s Opulence


stréëäŕ tu çatarüpähaŕ puŕsäŕ sväyambhuvo manuů

näräyaëo munénäŕ ca kumäro brahmacäriëäm

313

Among women, I am Çatarüpa. and among men, I am Sväyambhüva Manu. Among

sages, I am Näräyaëa, and among brahmacärés, I am Sanat-kumära.
TEXT 26

DaMaaR+aeMaa )

GauůaNaa&SauNa*Ta&MaaENa&iMaQauNaaNaaMaJaSTvhMa( ))26))

dharmäëäm asmi sannyäsaů kńemäëäm abahir-matiů

guhyänäŕ su-nĺtaŕ maunaŕ mithunänäm ajas tv aham
Among all religious principles, I am the renunciation of material enjoyment, and of

all types of welfare, I am realization of the eternal soul within the material body. Among

secret things, I am silence, and among those possessing sexual prowess, I am Prajäpati

Brahmä.
COMMENTARY

In the Vedas, it is stated, arddho vä eńa ätmä yat patni, which means “the wife is the

better half of a man’s body.”
TEXT 27

Sa&vTSarae_SMYaiNaiMazaMa*TaUNaa&MaDauMaaDavaE )

MaaSaaNaa&MaaGaRXaqzaeR_h&Na+a}aaaiJaTa( ))27))

saŕvatsaro ‘smy animińäm ĺtünäŕ madhu-mädhavau

mäsänäŕ märgaçérńo ‘haŕ nakńaträëäŕ tathäbhijit
Among the cycles of time, I am the year, and among seasons, I am spring. Among

months, I am Märgaçérńa (November-December), and among the stars, I am Abhijit.
COMMENTARY

It is stated in the Vedas that Abhijét is situated between uttaräńaňhä and çravaëä.

314

UDDHAVA-GÉTÄ

TEXT 28

Ah&YauGaaNaa&ck*-Ta&Daqra )

ÜEPaaYaNaae_iSMaVYaaSaaNaa&k-vqNaa&k-aVYa AaTMavaNa( ))28))

ahaŕ yugänäŕ ca kĺtaŕ dhéräëäŕ devalo ‘sitaů

dvaipäyano ‘smi vyäsänäŕ kavénäŕ kävya ätmavän