I AM THE BEGINNING, MIDDLE, AND END OF ALL BEINGS

Shri Krishna and Arjuna
PIC: sweetcouch.com

The Shrimadbhagwad Gita discourse between Arjuna and Shri Krishna is metaphorically considered as a divine dialogue between the seeker, the soul (Atma), and the supreme soul (Parmatma), the spirit. As the reader passes through page by page and chapter by chapter in his study of Bhagwad Gita, by the start of chapter 10, he finds that Arjuna realizes his friend and charioteer in the war of Kurukshetra, Shri Krishna is no ordinary person but the Lord of Lords, the Creator of all creations. By the start of chapter 10 of the Gita, the divine dialogue between the two characters reaches its full magnificence and the pinnacle when Arjuna accepts Krishna as the Supreme Lord and the Creator. In spite of this, Arjuna is not able to apprehend the full opulence of the Lord and request Lord Krishna through Gita verses 12 to 18, to tell him from His own lips about the phenomenal expressions and innumerable aspects & forms of the Lord. The Lord Krishna obliges his disciple, Arjuna and commits to satisfy the hunger of His true devotee through verse 19 through 42. On Arjuna’s plea, he is further lead in chapter 11 of the Gita by the Lord to manifest Himself in His glorious Vishwa Roopa, the divine form as the limitless embodiment of all universal phenomena and the universe itself.

The learnt sages may take entire life time and more to realize the Lord of Lords. By the grace of the Lord Himself, Arjuna realizes and perceives the Lord directly from none other than the lips of Krishna. The devotee like Arjuna only deserves this. However, to uplift the mankind the Lord Krishna promises everyone that they can also realize Him through the path shown by Him through the divine dialogue of Shrimadbhagwad Gita.

The soul awakening divine dialogue between Arjuna and Krishna through Gita verses 12 through 42 are given below:

अर्जुन उवाच:

परं ब्रह्म परं धाम पवित्रं परमं भवान् |

पुरुषं शाश्वतं दिव्यमादिदेवमजं विभुम् || 12||

आहुस्त्वामृषय: सर्वे देवर्षिर्नारदस्तथा |

असितो देवलो व्यास: स्वयं चैव ब्रवीषि मे || 13||

Arjuna says:

Arjuna said: O Divine Purusha, You are the Brahma, the Supreme Personality, the Supreme Abode, the Supreme Purifier, the Supreme Sustainer, the Eternal God of Gods, the Primal Being, the Divine, the Unborn, and the Greatest. The great sages, like Narad, Asit, Deval, and Vyas, proclaimed this, and now you are declaring it to me yourself.

सर्वमेतदृतं मन्ये यन्मां वदसि केशव |

न हि ते भगवन्व्यक्तिं विदुर्देवा न दानवा: || 14||

O Krishna, I totally accept everything you have told me as the eternal truth. O Lord, neither gods nor the demons can understand your true appearances and personality.

स्वयमेवात्मनात्मानं वेत्थ त्वं पुरुषोत्तम |

भूतभावन भूतेश देवदेव जगत्पते || 15||

Indeed, you alone know yourself by your inconceivable energy, O Supreme Personality, the Creator, the Sustainer and Lord of all beings, the God of gods, and the Lord of the universe!

वक्तुमर्हस्यशेषेण दिव्या ह्यात्मविभूतय: |

याभिर्विभूतिभिर्लोकानिमांस्त्वं व्याप्य तिष्ठसि || 16||

Therefore, please tell me exhaustively your divine opulences, by which you pervade and sustain all the worlds and reside in them.

कथं विद्यामहं योगिंस्त्वां सदा परिचिन्तयन् |

केषु केषु च भावेषु चिन्त्योऽसि भगवन्मया || 17||

O Great Yogi, how may I know you truly and think of you. And while meditating, in what forms can I think of you and conceive Your Supreme Divine Personality?

विस्तरेणात्मनो योगं विभूतिं च जनार्दन |

भूय: कथय तृप्तिर्हि शृण्वतो नास्ति मेऽमृतम् || 18||

Tell me again exhaustively your yoga powers, divine glories and manifestations, O Janardan. I can never tire of hearing your nectar.

श्रीभगवानुवाच;

हन्त ते कथयिष्यामि दिव्या ह्यात्मविभूतय: |

प्राधान्यत: कुरुश्रेष्ठ नास्त्यन्तो विस्तरस्य मे ||19||

Bhagwan Krishna Says:

Very well, O best of the Kurus,  I shall indeed describe my phenomenal expression and divine glories to you, , for there is no end to their detail.

अहमात्मा गुडाकेश सर्वभूताशयस्थित: |

अहमादिश्च मध्यं च भूतानामन्त एव च || 20||

O Arjun, I am seated in the heart of all living entities. I am the beginning, middle, and end of all beings.

आदित्यानामहं विष्णुर्ज्योतिषां रविरंशुमान् |

मरीचिर्मरुतामस्मि नक्षत्राणामहं शशी || 21||

Amongst the Adityas (the twelve effulgent beings of Aditi), I am Vishnu; amongst luminous objects I am the radiating sun. Among the Maruts (forty nine wind Gods), I am Marichi and I am the Moon amongst the heavenly bodies, the stars.

वेदानां सामवेदोऽस्मि देवानामस्मि वासव: |

इन्द्रियाणां मनश्चास्मि भूतानामस्मि चेतना || 22||

Among the Vedas, I am the Sama Veda, and among the celestial Gods, I am Indra. Amongst the senses I am the mind (manas); amongst the living beings I am Consciousness.

रुद्राणां शङ्करश्चास्मि वित्तेशो यक्षरक्षसाम् |

वसूनां पावकश्चास्मि मेरु: शिखरिणामहम् || 23||

Amongst the Rudras, I am the Shankara; amongst the demons I am Kuber. I am Agni amongst the Vasus and Meru amongst the mountains.

पुरोधसां च मुख्यं मां विद्धि पार्थ बृहस्पतिम् |

सेनानीनामहं स्कन्द: सरसामस्मि सागर: || 24||

And O son of Pritha, Arjuna, amongst priests I am Brihaspati; amongst warrior chiefs I am Kartikeya; and amongst reservoirs of water I am the ocean.

महर्षीणां भृगुरहं गिरामस्म्येकमक्षरम् |

यज्ञानां जपयज्ञोऽस्मि स्थावराणां हिमालय: || 25||

I am Bhrigu amongst the great seers; the transcendental syllable Om amongst words (sounds). Amongst japa-yajna, chants I am the repetition of the Holy Name; amongst stationary objects, I am the Himalayas.

अश्वत्थ: सर्ववृक्षाणां देवर्षीणां च नारद: |

गन्धर्वाणां चित्ररथ: सिद्धानां कपिलो मुनि: || 26||

Amongst all trees I am the banyan tree; of the celestial sages I am Narada. Amongst the Gandharvas, I am Chitraratha, and amongst the siddhas I am the sage Kapil.

उच्चै:श्रवसमश्वानां विद्धि माममृतोद्भवम् |

ऐरावतं गजेन्द्राणां नराणां च नराधिपम् || 27||

Amongst stallions, know me to be the nectar born Ucchaihshrava. I am Airavata, Indra’s white elephant amongst all lordly elephants, and the emperor amongst humans.

आयुधानामहं वज्रं धेनूनामस्मि कामधुक् |

प्रजनश्चास्मि कन्दर्प: सर्पाणामस्मि वासुकि: || 28||

I am the Vajra (thunderbolt) amongst weapons and Kamadhenu amongst the cows. I am Kamdhuk, the Kamdeva, the god of love, amongst all causes for procreation and Vasuki amongst serpents.

अनन्तश्चास्मि नागानां वरुणो यादसामहम् |

पितृणामर्यमा चास्मि यम: संयमतामहम् || 29||

I am Ananta amongst the snakes; amongst aquatics I am Varun. Amongst the Pitris, the departed ancestors I am Aryama; amongst all controllers, I am Yamraj, the lord of death.

प्रह्लादश्चास्मि दैत्यानां काल: कलयतामहम् |

मृगाणां च मृगेन्द्रोऽहं वैनतेयश्च पक्षिणाम् || 30||

I am Prahlad amongst the demons; amongst all the measures, I am time. Know me to be the lion amongst animals, and Garuda (Vehicle of Vishnu) amongst the birds.

पवन: पवतामस्मि राम: शस्त्रभृतामहम् |

झषाणां मकरश्चास्मि स्रोतसामस्मि जाह्नवी || 31||

Amongst purifiers I am the wind, and amongst wielders of weapons I am Lord Ram. Amonst water creatures I am the crocodile, and of flowing rivers I am Jahnavi, the River Ganges.

सर्गाणामादिरन्तश्च मध्यं चैवाहमर्जुन |

अध्यात्मविद्या विद्यानां वाद: प्रवदतामहम् || 32||

O Arjun, of all manifestations, I am the beginning, middle, and end. Amongst sciences I am all branches of knowledge I am wisdom of the self, the spirituality, and in debates I am discriminative logic.

अक्षराणामकारोऽस्मि द्वन्द्व: सामासिकस्य च |

अहमेवाक्षय: कालो धाताहं विश्वतोमुख: || 33||

I am the beginning “A” amongst all letters; I am the dvandva, connective element, dual word in grammatical compounds. I am the Immutable Time, and amongst creators I am Brahma.

मृत्यु: सर्वहरश्चाहमुद्भवश्च भविष्यताम् |

कीर्ति: श्रीर्वाक्च नारीणां स्मृतिर्मेधा धृति: क्षमा || 34||

I am the all-dissolving Death, and I am the origin of those things that are yet to be. Amongst feminine qualities I am fame, prosperity, fine speech, memory, intelligence, courage, and forgiveness.

बृहत्साम तथा साम्नां गायत्री छन्दसामहम् |

मासानां मार्गशीर्षोऽहमृतूनां कुसुमाकर: || 35||

Amongst the hymns in the Sama Veda I am the Brihatsama; amongst poetic meters I am the Gayatri. Of the twelve months of the months am Margsheersh (the Hindu month), and of seasons I am spring, which brings forth flowers.

द्यूतं छलयतामस्मि तेजस्तेजस्विनामहम् |

जयोऽस्मि व्यवसायोऽस्मि सत्वं सत्ववतामहम् || 36||

I am the gambling of the practice of frauds and the radiance of the radient. I am the victory of the victorious, the resolve of the resolute, and the satva, the virtue of the virtuous.

वृष्णीनां वासुदेवोऽस्मि पाण्डवानां धनञ्जय: |

मुनीनामप्यहं व्यास: कवीनामुशना कवि: || 37||

Amongst the descendants of Vrishni, I am Krishna, and amongst the Pandavas I am Dhanajaya, Arjuna. Know me to be Ved Vyas amongst the sages, and Shukracharya amongst the great thinkers.

दण्डो दमयतामस्मि नीतिरस्मि जिगीषताम् |

मौनं चैवास्मि गुह्यानां ज्ञानं ज्ञानवतामहम् || 38||

I am the rod of discipline amongst means of preventing lawlessness, and proper conduct amongst those who seek victory. Amongst secrets I am silence, and in the wise I am their wisdom.

यच्चापि सर्वभूतानां बीजं तदहमर्जुन |

न तदस्ति विना यत्स्यान्मया भूतं चराचरम् || 39||

I am the generating seed of all living beings, O Arjuna. No creature moving or non-moving can exist without me.

नान्तोऽस्ति मम दिव्यानां विभूतीनां परन्तप |

एष तूद्देशत: प्रोक्तो विभूतेर्विस्तरो मया || 40||

O Arjuna, the conqueror of enemies, there is no end to my divine manifestations. What I have declared to you is a mere intimation of my glorious powers.

यद्यद्विभूतिमत्सत्वं श्रीमदूर्जितमेव वा |

तत्देवावगच्छ त्वं मम तेजोंऽशसम्भवम् || 41||

Whatever you see as beautiful, glorious, or powerful, know it to spring from but a spark of my splendor.

अथवा बहुनैतेन किं ज्ञातेन तवार्जुन |

विष्टभ्याहमिदं कृत्स्नमेकांशेन स्थितो जगत् || 42||

What need is there for all this detailed knowledge, O Arjuna? Simply know that by one fraction of my being, I pervade and support this entire creation.

In next article on Shrimadbhagwad Gita, we will see the Vishroopa of Lord Krishna.

Om Shanti…..

Om Shanti…..

On Shanti……

The readers may also read my earlier blog:

http://www.indianspiritualityandpolitics.com/2017/04/open-source-code-of-hinduism.html?m=1