Bhagavad Gita · 10.20 · Yoga through Appreciating the Infinite Opulences of God·20 of 42
अहमात्मा गुडाकेश सर्वभूताशयस्थितः।अहमादिश्च मध्यं च भूतानामन्त एव च ॥
aham ātmā guḍākeśha sarva-bhūtāśhaya-sthitaḥ
aham ādiśh cha madhyaṁ cha bhūtānām anta eva cha
Sanskrit recitation
Glory in the world you already know · 10.19–10.42 · Teaching
Translation
I am the Self, O Gudakesa, seated in the hearts of all beings; I am the beginning, the middle, and the end of all beings.
Meaning
O Gudakesa I am the soul (Pratyagatma) which exists in the hearts of all beings and I am also the source or origin, the middle or stay, and the end of all created beings. I am the birth, the life and the death of all beings. Meditate on Me as the innermost Self.Gudakesa means either coneror of sleep or thickhaired.He who is able to meditate on the Self with Abheda Bhavana (attitude of nonduality), is a qualified aspirant (Adhikari) of the first class. He who is not able to meditate on the Self should think of the Lord in those things which are mentioned below. This type of meditation is for the aspirants of the middle class.
After Swami Sivananda
Glory in the world you already know· 10.19–10.42→
Teachers usually read this idea across several verses together, one shared reflection covers the whole unit.
- 10.19The Blessed Lord said, "Very well! Now I will declare to you My divine glories in their prominence, O Arjuna; there is no end to their detailed description."
10.20I am the Self, O Gudakesa, seated in the hearts of all beings; I am the beginning, the middle, and the end of all beings.
- 10.21Among the twelve Adityas, I am Vishnu; among luminaries, the radiant sun; among the seven or forty-nine Maruts, I am Marichi; among stars, I am the moon.
- 10.22Among the Vedas, I am the Sama-Veda; among the gods, I am Vasava; among the senses, I am the mind; and among living beings, I am intelligence.
- 10.23And among the Rudras, I am Sankara; among the Yakshas and Rakshasas, the Lord of Wealth (Kubera); among the Vasus, I am Pavaka (Fire); and among the seven mountains, I am Meru.
- 10.24And, among the household priests of kings, O Arjuna, know Me to be the chief, Brihaspati; among the army generals, I am Skanda; among lakes, I am the ocean.
- 10.25Among the great sages, I am Bhrigu; among words, I am the one syllable (Om); among sacrifices, I am the sacrifice of silent repetition; among the immovable things, I am the Himalayas.
- 10.26Among all the trees, I am the Peepul; among the divine sages, I am Narada; among the Gandharvas, I am Chitraratha; among the perfected, I am the sage Kapila.
- 10.27Know Me as Ucchaisravas, born of nectar, among horses; Airavata among lordly elephants; and the king among men.
- 10.28Among weapons, I am the thunderbolt; among cows, I am the wish-fulfilling cow called Kamadhenu; I am the progenitor, the god of love; among serpents, I am Vasuki.
- 10.29I am Ananta among the Nagas; I am Varuna among water-deities; Aryaman among the Manes; I am Yama among the governors.
- 10.30And I am Prahlada among the demons, I am Time among reckoners, I am the lion among beasts, and Vainateya (Garuda) among birds.
- 10.31Among the purifiers, I am the wind; among the warriors, I am Rama; among the fishes, I am the shark; among the streams, I am the Ganga.
- 10.32Among creations I am the beginning, the middle, and the end, O Arjuna; among the sciences, I am the science of the Self; and I am the logic among controversialists.
- 10.33Among the letters of the alphabet, I am the letter 'A' and the dual among compounds. I am verily the inexhaustible and everlasting time; I am the dispenser of the fruits of actions, having faces in all directions.
- 10.34And I am the all-devouring Death, and the source of prosperity for those who are to be prosperous; among the feminine qualities, I am fame, prosperity, speech, memory, intelligence, firmness, and forgiveness.
- 10.35Among the hymns, I am the Brihatsaman; among meters, I am Gayatri; among months, I am Margasirsha; among seasons, I am the flowery season.
- 10.36I am the gambling of the deceitful; I am the splendor of the splendid; I am victory; I am the resolve of the resolute; I am the goodness of the good.
- 10.37Among the Vrishnis, I am Vaasudeva; among the Pandavas, I am Arjuna; among the sages, I am Vyasa; among the poets, I am Usanas, the poet.
- 10.38Of those who punish, I am the scepter; among those who seek victory, I am statesmanship; and among secrets, I am silence; I am knowledge among knowers.
- 10.39And whatever is the seed of all beings, that too am I, O Arjuna; there is no being, be it moving or unmoving, that can exist without Me.
- 10.40There is no end to My divine glories, O Arjuna, but this is a brief statement by Me of the particulars of My divine glory.
- 10.41Whatever being there is glorious, prosperous, or powerful, know that to be a manifestation of a part of My splendor.
- 10.42But, of what avail is the knowledge of all these details to you, O Arjuna? I exist, supporting this whole world with one part of Myself.
Word-by-word→
- cha
- also
- eva
- even
- aham
- I
- ātmā
- soul
- antaḥ
- end
- madhyam
- middle
- ādiḥ
- the beginning
- bhūtānām
- of all beings
- sarva-bhūta
- of all living entities
- guḍākeśha
- Arjun, the conqueror of sleep
- āśhaya-sthitaḥ
- seated in the heart
Themes
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