Vibuthi refers to God’s qualities and bounties. In this chapter there is a detailed discussion of Parmatma’s powers, qualities, gifts, glories etc. There are many who worship God as power and wish to attain power. They worship God for material gains. But there are a very few who worship God as the ultimate truth responsible for all material and immaterial manifestations. They consider God as consciousness, the owner and the controller of all powers. This is the right concept of spirituality. However God reposes the beliefs of all types of worshippers. We shall not fall victim of mundane pleasures for that keep us away from the Devine light.
Arjuna, hear from Me carefully the Supreme word that is for your welfare, what I tell you lovingly.
The secret of My birth is not known even to the Gods or the sages because I am the ultimate cause of all the Gods and great seers. The term Deva refers to those enlightened souls and Maharshi refers to the great seers. It is a fact that many of the great seers or devotees of God do not know His origin. The secret is that he is beginning less, imperishable, infinite and the Supreme consciousness.
He who knows Me as birthless, beginningless and the Supreme Lord of the universe will be relieved from all sins. 166 Those who know the truth of God as beginningless, imperishable etc. shall not be deluded by Prakriti.
Reason, right knowledge, understanding, patience, veracity, control of mind and senses, joy and sorrow, evolution and dissolution, fear and fearlessness, nonviolence, equanimity, contentment, austerity (penance), charity, fame and ignominy etc. are originated from Me. Ideation (Bhava) is originated when the operative principles of Prakriti act on Purusa (consciousness). There will not be any idea in the cosmic psyche unless there is a union of consciousness with the operative principles of Prakriti ;Sattva guna, Rajoguna and Tamoguna. Where one’s mind is predominant with Sattvaguna, the thoughts emanating there from will be pure and soothing. In short every idea or matter comes forth due to the interactions of Purusa and Prakriti.
The seven great seers (Saptarshi) and the earlier four great men (Sanakas), the fourteen Manus (the progenitors of men) devoted to Me were born at My will. The people of the world are the descendants of the above.
There is no doubt that he who knows Me and My supreme glory and supernatural powers, gets established in Me with unshaking devotion.
The wise who knows that I am the source of all creations and that everything moves according to My will; worships Me with full devotion. Those who really know the power, the wonderful glory and the greatness of the Supreme consciousness worship Him with extreme devotion and faithfulness.
My devotes even surrendering their life (Prana) to Me, speak about My greatness among them enthusiastically. They remain satisfied and joyful in their talks about Me. The true devotees of God find pleasure in talking among themselves about the glory and greatness of Him.
Those who worship Me happily with determinate mind, love and devotion; will be conferred with the yoga of wisdom by which they shall attain Me ultimately. Jnana yoga i.e. yoga of knowledge, is to develop ones wisdom. By developing real knowledge the devotees of God eventually reach the state of Supreme peace and tranquility.
I, remaining in the hearts of My devotees, give them the light of real knowledge. The particle of the Supreme is the soul existing in everybody.
Arjuna said, everybody says that you are the eternal, the Supreme abode, the purifier, the Divine, the unborn and the all pervading. The celestial sages like Narada, Asita, Devala and even Vedavyasa uphold this view and You too. Krisna is considered as the incarnation of the Supreme. Those who know this say it, but those who say, need not know Him.
Krisna, I believe what all you tell are true. However, Devas (Gods) and Asuras (demons) do not know about your manifestation due to Maya (illusion). It is very difficult to know the great Sadgurus. They may even lead a common life while their mind will be shining with the Divine light. They can be recognized and identified only by true devotion and surrender.
You know that You are the source and cause of all creations and the Lord of all Gods. Your glory is spread all over the world. Be kindful to tell me of your glories if you find that I am eligible to hear it from you. Only great Gurus can explain the powers and glories of the Supreme Purusa.
Arjuna asked: How can I meditate on you to know you, the great Lord? And in what form should I meditate upon?
Krisna, kindly explain Me in detail of your power, yoga and glory. I am very eager to hear again and again your nectar like words.
Krisna said: Arjuna, I shall explain some of My conspicuous divine glories. But there is no limit to My glories.
Arjuna, I am the soul residing in the heart of all beings. I am the beginning, the middle and the end of them.
I am Vishnu among the twelve sons of Aditi and I am the Sun among the luminaries. I am Mareechi among various Maruths (airs). I am the Moon among stars. It shows that all the glories or greatness are the attributes of the Pursa (the Supreme consciousness).
I am Sama Veda among Vedas, Indra among Gods, mind among senses and I am consciousness in livingbeings. Every divine thing is originated from Paramatma.
I am Siva among Rudras (God of destruction) and among Yaksas and Rakshasas I am Kubera (the lord of riches) and fire among eight Vasus, and Meru among mountains.
Arjuna, I am the great priest Brahspati among priests and Skanda (Subrahmanaya) among warrior- chiefs and ocean among streams. That is everything is originated from the Supreme.
I am Bhrgu among the great seers and the sacred syllable Om among words. I am Japa among offerings and Himalaya among immovables.
I am Asvattha (the holly fig tree) among all trees and Narada among the celestial sages. I am Citraratha among Gandharvas (divine singers) and Kapila among Siddhas (who has attained supernatural powers).
I am Ucchaihsrava, among the horses that came out while churning the sea along with nectar and the powerful Iravatha among elephants and king among men.
I am Vijra among weapons and the celestial cow, Kamadenu among cows. I am the sexual urge leading to reproduction and Vasuki among the serpents.
I am the serpent God Ananda among Nagas and Varuna, the lord of aquatic creatures and Yema (the god of death) among rulers.
I am Prahalada among the Asuras and time among reckoners of time; lion among animals and Garuda among birds.
I am wind among purifiers and Sri Rama among the wielders of weapons, shark among fishes and Ganges among streams of water.
Arjuna, I am the beginning, the middle and the end of the created beings and the science of spirituality among sciences and the right reasoning in arguments.
I am the first alphabet A among letters and the joining component Samasa in grammar. I am the endless time and the sustainer of all, having faces on all sides. Joining component means the principle of combining two words together (Samasa).
I am the death of all and the beginning of those taking birth. I am Kirti, Sri, Vak, Smriti, Medha, Dhrti and Kshama among women. Kriti refers to glory; Sri, prosperity; Smriti, memory; Meda, intelligence; Dhrti, steadfastness and kshama, forbearance.
I am Brhatsama among the scared Samaveda mantras. I am the chandus of Gayatri among the Vedic hymns and Margasirsa among the twelve calendar months of the Hindus and the Vasanda season among the seasons of the year. Chandus refers to the mode of singing a hymn.
Among the deceitful practice I am gambling and the glory among the glorious and victory of the victorious and the goodness of the good.
I am Sri Krisna among the Vrsni clan and Arjuna among Pandavas and Vyasa among the great sages and Sukracharya among the wise.
I am the subduing power of the rulers and the justice to win over the enemies and the silence in secrets and the wisdom of the wise.
Arjuna, I am the seed of all living beings. There is no being moving or static exists outside me.
Arjuna, there is no limit for the glory of My divine manifestations. It is only a short account of My glory.
You should note that every being is glorious, brilliant and powerful due to the manifestation of My glory.
Arjuna, there is no use to know in detail of the numerous glory of Me in the world. I stand holding the entire world by the part of My yogic power. There shall not be any glory or power without the grace of Lord. Sri Krisna tries to reduce the intensity of arrogance, on the part of a great warrior like Arjuna, throughout this chapter. Arrogance is an expression of egoism generated out of ignorance. The arrogant is irrational.