Category Archives: asmi

Bhagavad Gita Verse 29, Chapter 10

29 Saturday Sep 2012

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anantashchaasmi naagaanaam varuno yaadasaamaham |
pitrunaamaryamaa chaasmi yamaha samyataamaham || 29 ||
 
Among the water snakes I am Ananta and among the marine beings I am Varuna. Among the Pitrs I am Aryamaa and among the controllers I am Yama.
 
anantaha : Ananta
cha : and
asmi : I am
naagaanaam : among the water snakes
varunaha : Varuna
yaadasaam : marine beings
aham : I am
pitrunaam : among the Pitrs
aryamaa : Aryamaa
cha : and
asmi : I am
yamaha : Yama
samyataamaham : among the controllers
 
In the previous shloka, Shri Krishna spoke about Ishvara’s expressions among snakes that live on land. Here, he says that among the snakes that live in water, Ishvara’s foremost expressions is Ananta. Also known as Aadishesha, he is depicted with a thousand heads, each head singing the glory of Lord Vishnu, who rests on Aadishesha’s coils. His name comes from the Sanskrit root “sis” meaning “that which remains”, because Aadishesha remains unaffected after the dissolution of the universe.
 
Next, we encounter the world of marine dwelling beings or “Yaadas”. Among these, Shri Krishna says that Ishvara is Lord Varuna, the king of the ocean. He is mentioned as part of the daily prayer ritual known as Sandhyavandanam. Symbolically, “yaadas” refers the to divinity prevalent in any seemingly inert object. Recognizing the divinity in everything, the Indian tradition encourages worship of the Tulsi leaf, of trees, of the earth and so on.
 
Pitra loka is the realm of the manes or ancestor gods. The seven primary manes are Kavyavaha, Anala, Soma, Yama, Aryama, Agnisvatta and Barhisat. Among these, Shri Krishna says that Ishvara is Aryaman, the chief of the manes. Ishvara is also Lord Yama among all the controllers. This is because he is also the lord of justice, using the ultimate punishment o death to maintain order and harmony in the universe.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 28, Chapter 10

28 Friday Sep 2012

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aayudhaanaamaham vajram dhenoonaamasmi kaamadhuk |
prajanashchaasmi kandarpaha sarpaanaamasmi vaasukihi || 28 ||
 
Among the weapons, I am Vajra and among cows I am Kaamadhenu. Among the creative powers I am Kandarpa and among the snakes I am Vaasuki.
 
aayudhaanaam : among the weapons
aham : I am
vajram : Vajra
dhenoonaam : among cows
asmi : I am
kaamadhuk : Kaamadhenu
prajanaha : among the creative powers
cha : and
asmi : I am
kandarpaha : Kandarpa
sarpaanaam : among the snakes
asmi : I am
vaasukihi : Vaasuki
 
The Srimad Bhagavatam recounts the story of the demon Vritraasura who was created to kill all the deities. When their weapons were rendered powerless, they approached sage Dadhichi for help. Dadhichi, without any hesitation, offered to give his bones to the deities so that they could create Varja, the thunderbolt weapon of Lord Indra. Shri Krishna says that Ishvara is Vajra among the weapons, because it is powered by austerity and penance.
 
In the Puraanas, Kaamadhenu is a cow that has the ability to fulfill any desire that she is approached with. Even a normal cow has the ability to provide milk to a fanily in need, Symbolically, Kaamadhenu represents our mind because it can generate all kinds of thoughts, good or bad, out of thin air. Shri Krishna says that Ishvara expresses himself as Kaamadhenu.
 
Now, our mind has the ability to generate desires that prompt us to act. Kandarpa referes to Kaama deva, the lord of desire. Desires are the seed of creativity because without desire, there will be no creation. As we have seen so far, the Gita does not condemn desire as long as it falls within the purview of dharma or righteousness. So then, Ishvara manifests through those desires that are in line with dharma or righteousness.
 
Vaasuki is the king of snakes and is seen coiled around the neck of Lord Shiva. He symbolizes our ego or ahankaara, our sense of “I”. If we are able to tame our ego, then it becomes an ornament, as in the case of Lord Shiva. If we cannot tame it, it becomes dangerous and can strike us when we least expect it, by causing strong feeling of superiority or inferiority as an example. So Shri Krishna says that Vaasuki is Ishvara’s expression among all the snakes.
 
So whenever we see someone devote their life towards a selfless cause, when our mind generates positive thoughts, when our desires are righteous and our ego is in check, we should realize that all this is Ishvara’s expression.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 25, Chapter 10

25 Tuesday Sep 2012

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maharsheenaam bhriguraham giraamasmyekamaksharam |
yajnyaanaam japayajnyosmi sthaavaraanaam himaalayaha || 25 ||
 
Among the great sages I am Bhrigu, among spoken words I am the one letter (Om). Among the sacrificial rituals I am the ritual of japa, and among the immovable objects I am the Himalayas.
 
maharsheenaam : among the great sages
bhriguhu : Bhrigu
aham : I am
giraam : among spoken words
asmi : I am
ekam : the one
aksharam : letter
yajnyaanaam : among the sacrificial rituals
japayajnyaha : ritual of japa
asmi : I am
sthaavaraanaam : among the immovable objects
himaalayaha : Himalayas
 
Shri Krishna considers the great sage Bhrigu, the foremost among the great sages. as Ishvara’s manifestation. Bhrigu is one of the seven sages or the Sapta Rishis that were willed into existence by Lord Brahma at the beginning of creation.
 
It is said that Bhrigu wanted to test who is the most patient among the holy trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. Bhrigu tested Brahma and Shiva and was not pleased. When he went to visit Vishnu, Vishnu was taking a nap and did not notice Bhrigu enter. Angry with this, Bhrigu kicked Vishnu on the chest. Vishnu woke up from his nap and asked Bhrigu whether his foot was hurt, instead of getting angry at just been kicked. Bhrigu then decided that Vishnu was the most patient among the trinity.
 
Next, Shri Krishna says that among all the utterances or spoken words, the word Om, made up of just one letter, is the foremost. The entire Mandukya Upanishad describes the glory of the word Om in great detail, and uses Om as a method to achieve liberation.
 
In Indian culture, there are several rituals for appeasing various deities. Shri Krishna says that the act of chanting a mantra, also known as japa, is the foremost ritual possible. This is because most other rituals require wealth for procurement of materials, lot of time as well as knowledge of the right procedures and mantras. The ritual of japa is easy because it does not have such requirements. It can also be performed by someone who may not be physically fit or bedridden.
 
The Himalayas, the “abode of snow”, is the highest and most massive mountain system in the world. It comprises a 2400 km span of land with peaks ranging as high as 8000 metres. Shri Krishna says that among the immobile objects in the world, the Himalayas are the most prominent manifestation of Ishvara.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 24, Chapter 10

24 Monday Sep 2012

Posted by in 10.24, aham, asmi, brihaspatim, cha, maam, mukhyam, paartha, purodhasaam, saagaraha, sarasaam, senaaneenaam, skandaha, viddhi

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purodhasaam cha mukhyam maam viddhi paartha brihaspatim |
senaaneenaamaham skandaha sarasaamasmi saagaraha || 24 ||
 
Among the spiritual teachers, know me as Brihaspati the foremost, O Paartha. Among the military commanders I am Skanda, and among water bodies I am the ocean.
 
purodhasaam : among the spiritual teachers
cha : and
mukhyam : foremost
maam : me
viddhi : know
paartha : O Paartha
brihaspatim : Brihaspati
senaaneenaam : among the military commanders
aham : I am
skandaha : Skanda
sarasaam : among water bodies
asmi : I am
saagaraha : the ocean
 
Further enumerating Ishvara’s expressions, Shri Krishna says that Ishvara is expressed as Brihaspati, who is the foremost among the spiritual teachers and the priests of the deities. Brihaspati is described in the Puraanaas as the “purodha” or guru of Indra, who is the king of all the deities. He was the son of Sage Angiras, one of the seven original rishis or Sapta-Rishis. His counterpart in the world of the demons or Asuras was Sage Shukrachaarya.
 
Next, Shri Krishna says that Isvara is expressed through Skanda, the most powerful army commander in the world. Skanda, also known as Kaartikeya, is the son of Lord Shiva. He is described as having six faces and twelve arms. When the army of the deities began the war to kill the asura named Taraka, a celestial voice proclaimed that victory could be possible only if Skanda was made army commander.
 
The earth is filled with several water bodies, ranging from tiny rain puddles to lakes that are visible from outer space. But the most expansive body of water is the ocean. Some estimates suggest that there is 1260 million trillion litres of water on planet earth. On average, the ocean is around 1 kilometer deep and can go to 11 kilometers in some places. The ocean sustains life on this earth and is home to thousands of species. This vast and awe-inspiring ocean is one of the most powerful expressions of Ishvara.
 
With this in mind, we should be able to see Ishvara in our teachers, in military prowess used for just means, and when we drink water.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 23, Chapter 10

23 Sunday Sep 2012

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rudraanaam shankaraashchaasmi vittesho yaksharakshasaam |
vasoonaam paavakaashchaasmi meruhu shikharnaamaham || 23 ||
 
Among the Rudras I am Shankara and among the Yakshas and Raakshasaas I am Vittesha. Among the Vasus I am the purifying fire and among the mountain peaks I am Meru.
 
rudraanaam : among the Rudas
shankaraha : Shankara
cha : and
asmi : I am
vitteshaha : Vittesha
yaksha : Yakshas
rakshasaam : among Raakshasaas
vasoonaam : among Vasus
paavakaha : purifying fire
cha : and
asmi : I am
meruhu : Meru
shikharnaam : among mountain peaks
aham : I am
 
Shri Krishna goes on to describe Ishvara’s expressions. He says that among the deities known as Rudras, he is Lord Shiva, the foremost among them. Rudras are deities that have been mentioned since Vedic times. Their name is derived from the rood “rud” which means to cry or howl. They symbolically represent the vital life energies, and therefore make people cry when they leave the body.
 
It is said that there are eleven Rudras: Hara, Bahuroopa, Trayambaka, Aparaajita, Vrishaakapi, Shambhu (Lord Shiva), Kapardin, Raivata, Mrigavyaadha, Shaarva and Kapaalin. Shri Krishna says that Lord Shiva is Ishvara’s expression because he is the calmest among them, and brings joy to his devotees.
 
Among the demigods known as the Yakshas and Rakshasaas, Ishvara is Vittesha who is also known as Kubera. Vitta means wealth, so Kubera is considered the lord of wealth. He is worshipped during the Lakshmi Pooja festival. Among the eight Vasus, deities who represent the elemental forces, Ishvara’s expression is fire because it is the greatest purifier.
 
Next, Shri Krishna says that among the mountain peaks, Ishvara is the mountain known as Meru. It is considered the most prominent mountain and the centre of the universe in the Srimad Bhaagavatam, hence it is Ishvara’s expression. The human spinal column is also known as “Meru danda” or the Meru rod, and the primary bead in a rosary is known as the Meru bead.
 
Whenever we see fire, mountains, wealth, or someone in sorrow due to punishment, we should remember Ishvara through his expressions of fire, Kubera, mount Meru and Lord Shiva.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 22, Chapter 10

22 Saturday Sep 2012

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vedaanaam saamavedosmi devaanaamasmi vaasavaha |
indriyaanaam manaschaasmi bhootaanaamasmi chetanaa || 22 ||
 
Among the Vedaas I am the Saama Veda, among the deities I am Vaasava, among the senses I am the mind and among the beings, I am the intellect.
 
vedaanaam : among the Vedas
saamavedaha : Saama Veda
asmi : I am
devaanaam : among the deities
asmi : I am
vaasavaha : Vaasava
indriyaanaam : among the senses
manaha : mind
cha : and
asmi : I am
bhootaanaam : among the beings
asmi : I am
chetanaa : intellect
 
Shri Krishna, elaborating on Ishvara’s expressions, says that Ishvara is the Saama Veda among all the Vedas. Each Veda has a unique characteristic. The Yajur Veda contains prose, the Rig Veda contains metric hymns, the Saama Veda contains songs and the Atharva Veda contains incantations. Of these, the Saama Veda is Ishvara’s expression, indicating his preference for music.
 
Among all the deities, Ishvara is the king of all deities known as Vaasava, also known as Indra. While our attention usually falls on the excesses of wealth and power that kings demonstrate, this was not the case traditionally. A king is supposed to spend every minute of his life serving his subjects, sacrificing everything. Such a rules of deities is a true expressions of Ishvara.
 
As we have seen earlier, we transact or interact with the world with our body, our senses, our organs of action, our mind and our intellect. The five senses and the five organs of action would be useless if not for the mind, that collects information from the senses and pulls together a complete picture of the world for us. It also instructs our organs to move, based on the inputs it receives. Shri Krishna says that this mind is an expression of Ishvara.
 
If we were to be born as a plant, animal or human, we would undoubtedly prefer to be born as a human. The key difference between a human and a plant or animal is the capacity of intelligence that lets us think logically, display compassion towards others, plan for the future and most importantly, pursue the path of the higher self. This wonderful intelligence in is is also Ishvara’s expression.
 
So therefore, if our mind generates thoughts of compassion or service, if our intellect makes us acts upon these thoughts so that we can serve others, we should remember that it is not the “I” in us that is causing everything to happen. It is all happening through Ishvara and his expressions.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 21, Chapter 10

21 Friday Sep 2012

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aadityaanaamaham vishnurjyotishaam raviranshumaan |
mareechirmarutaamasmi nakshatraanaamaham shashee || 21 ||
 
Among the Aadityaas I am Vishnu, among the bright objects I am the radiant sun, among the Marutas I am Mareechi, among the stars I am the moon.
 
aadityaanaam : among the Aaadityaas
aham : I
vishnuhu : Vishnu
jyotishaam : among the bright objects
ravihi : sun
anshumaan : radiant
mareechihi : Mareechi
marutaam : among the Marutas
asmi : am
nakshatraanaam : among the stars
aham : I
shashee : moon
 
Shri Krishna begins enumerating Ishvara’s expressions in this shloka. He begins by saying that among the Aadityaas or the sons of Aditi, he is Vishnu. The twelve sons of Aditi were Dhaataa, Mitra, Aryamaa, Rudra, Varuna, Soorya, Bhaga, Vivasvaan, Poosha, Savitaa, Tvashtaa and Vishnu. Vishnu also refers to the Vaamana avatar.
 
Next, Shri Krishna says that Ishvara is “Ravi”, the sun, among all the bright objects in the universe. He uses the word “anshumaan” meaning radiant to describe the sun. So whenever we see the brilliance of the sun, our mind should immediately go towards the might of Ishvara that is shining through the sun. And just like Ishvara’s luminosity is present in the sun during the day, it is present in the moon during the night.
 
There is an episode in the Sunder Kand of the Tulsi Ramayana where Lord Hanumaan was captured bound with ropes in Lanka. It is said that there are forty nine types of wind deities known as Marutas. Hanumaan was the son of the lord of wind, Vayu. When all forty nine types of winds began to blow, he untied himself of all the ropes and flew from building to building, burning each one with his flaming tail. Shri Krishna says that Mareechi, the prominent among the Marutas, is Ishvara’s expression.
 
With these expressions in our mind, we will never be disconnected from Ishvara. In the day, we can look at the sun – it is Ishvara. When the winds blow, it is Ishvara. In the night, the moon is Ishvara.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 11, Chapter 7

07 Thursday Jun 2012

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balam baalvataam chaaham kaamaraagaavivarjitam |
dharmaaviruddho bhooteshu kaamosmi bharatarshabha || 11 ||
 
I am strength in the strong that is free from desire and attachment, and I am desire in beings that is consistent with duty, O scion of the Bharataas.
 
balam : strength
baalvataam : in the strong
cha : and
aham : I am
kaama : desire
raaga : attachment
vivarjitam : free from
dharma : duty
aviruddhaha : consistent with
bhooteshu : beings
kaamaha : desire
asmi : I am
bharatarshabha : O scion of the Bharatas
 
Shri Krishna further adds to the list of Ishvara’s vibhootis in this shloka. He says that Ishvara is the strength that is free of selfishness and attachment, and the desire that is selfless.
 
What exactly are desire and attachment? Desire is craving for something that we do not have, and attachment is holding on to something that we already have. Selfish actions generate attachment which binds us to the material world. The more selfishly we act, the further we move away from Ishvara acting through us. Only when we act selflessly does Ishvara act through us. Shri Krishna says that Ishvara is that desire which is not selfish, or which is consistent with one’s duty.
 
Now, when we begin to act in a selfless manner, we develop an inner strength. Conversely, whenever we act out of selfish desire and attachment, we become weak. In the Mahabharata, the Pandavaas knew that they could not target Drona directly because he was too powerful. Instead, they targeted someone whom he was deeply attached to – his son Ashwaththaamaa. The more we turn towards Ishvara, the less we get attached to people and worldly objects.
 
It is our choice whether we act selfishly for our personal gains, or selflessly with a view to benefit a higher ideal. Any action that harmonizes or integrates brings with it the power of the entire universe. Therefore, Shri Krishna says that he is the strength that is free from selfish desire and attachment.
 
Shri Krishna concludes the topic of his vibhootis with this shloka. A much more in-depth discussion on this topic is found in chapter ten of the Gita.
 

Bhagavad Gita Verse 10, Chapter 7

06 Wednesday Jun 2012

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beejam maam sarvabhootaanaam viddhi paartha sanaatanam |
buddhirbuddhimataamasmi tejastejasvinaamaham || 10 ||
 
Know me as the eternal seed of all beings, O Paartha. I am the intellect of the intelligent, the radiance of the illustrious.
 
beejam : seed
maam : me
sarvabhootaanaam : of all beings
viddhi : know
paartha : O Paartha
sanaatanam : eternal
buddhihi : intellect
buddhimataam : of the intelligent
asmi : I am
tejas : radiance
tejasvinaam: of the illustrious
aham : I am
 
Previously, Shri Krishna spoke about seeing Ishvara as earthly fragrance, brilliance in fire, life in beings and austerity in the austere. He continues to give a list of his glories in this shloka, beginning with the statement that he is the eternal seed of all beings. He also addresses Arjuna as Paartha, descendent of King Prithu.
 
Earlier, Shri Krishna asserted that Ishvara is the cause of everything in the universe. So then, why is he seemingly repeating himself by the statement “I am the eternal seed”? It is to ensure that we gain the correct understanding.
 
Normally, when any tree grows out of a seed, the seed ceases to exist. In the case of Ishvara, however, the seed is eternal. In other words, the seed is changeless, but the entire content of the universe lies in an unmanifest form in this seed. It manifests itself at various points in the universe’s life span, not just at the beginning. So therefore, we need to learn to recognize the eternal seed and not get carried away or stuck in the level of names and forms.
 
Next, Shri Krishna urges us to recognize Ishvara in intelligence. We admire intelligent people for their ability to think clearly about complex issues without getting swayed by noise. How is their way of thinking different? A glass of clear water lets through more light than a glass of water that is agitated or clouded by dirt. Similarly, an intelligent person‘s mind is less dominated by the sway of emotion, and therefore enables the brilliance of Ishvara to shine through the intellect unhindered. In this manner, Ishvara becomes the intelligence of the intelligent.
 
Finally, Shri Krishna adds tejas or radiance to his list of vibhootis. This radiance manifests in us when when we are in good physical and mental health, when we have slept well, when we are fit. Also, when someone had earned a lot of wealth through self effort, or has performed selfless service, they also have a certain kind of glow. Shri Krishna says that it is Ishvara manifesting in these illustrious individuals in the form of tejas or radiance.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 9, Chapter 7

05 Tuesday Jun 2012

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punyo gandhaha prithvyaam cha tejashchaasmi vibhaavasau |
jeevanam sarvabhooteshu tapashchaasmi tapasvishu || 9 ||
 
I am the pleasant fragrance in earth and the brightness in fire. I am the life-force in all beings, and the austerity in the austere.
 
punyaha : pleasant
gandhaha : fragrance
prithvyaam : in the earth
cha : and
tejaha : brightness
cha : and
asmi : I am
vibhaavasau : in fire
jeevanam : life force
sarva : all
bhooteshu : in beings
tapaha : austerity
cha : and
asmi : I am
tapasvishu : austere
 
Earlier, Shri Krishna said that he is the taste in water, the light in the sun and moon, Om in the Vedas, sound in space, and valour in men. He now continues to list his glories or vibhootis in this shloka.
 
No fragrance can be compared to that which arises from the earth after the first shower in the monsoon season in India. You have to experience it yourself. Shri Krishna says that whenever we smell that pleasant fragrance, we should know that it is Ishvara in the form of that fragrance. Furthermore, Shri Shankaraachaarya in his commentary goes on to say that any fragrance is a product of prakriti or nature, and any odour is a product of ignorance or avidya.
 
Next, if we are asked to imagine that entity which contains the hottest fire, we immediately think of the sun. Even if we intellectually know that there are other stars that are much larger than the sun, we still think of the sun as the brightest and the hottest entity. Shri Krishna says that Ishvara is the heat or brilliance in fire everywhere, including the sun and the stars. In other words, the brilliance of the sun is darkness compared to the brilliance of Ishvara.
 
We intuitively know that there is a life force or life principle that distinguishes inert objects from plants, animals and humans. Our heart becomes joyful when we see an abundance of this life force, especially in children. Shri Krishna says that it is Ishvara that is the life force or life principle present in all plants, animals and human beings.
 
Finally, Shri Krishna brings up the topic of tapas or austerity. What is tapas? It is the energy that builds up in our body when we check the movement of our senses and our mind. We notice that whenever we over-indulge in eating, drinking, watching too much TV or partying, we feel drained of all our energy. Conversely, when we control our senses and our mind, we will find an increase in our energy levels. This energy is tapas, and Shri Krishna says that this tapas is Ishvara.