THE BHAGAVAD GITA Chapter 10

Excerpts from God Talks with Arjuna: The Bhagavad Gita
by Paramahansa Yogananda

"From Me all Creation Emerges"

X:7-11

He who realizes by yoga the truth of My prolific manifestations and the creative and dissolving power of My Divine Yoga is unshakably united to Me. This is beyond doubt. (7)

I am the Source of everything; from Me all creation emerges. With this realization the wise, awestricken, adore Me. (8)

Ekam sat
— only One exists.*

* Ekam sat vipra bahudha vadanti —"that which exists is One: sages call it by various names." — Rig Veda

Their thoughts fully on Me, their beings surrendered to Me, enlightening one another, proclaiming Me always, My devotees are contented and joyful. (9)

To those thus ever attached to Me, and who worship Me with love, I impart that discriminative wisdom (buddhi yoga) by which they attain Me utterly. (10)

From sheer compassion I, the Divine Indweller; set alight in them the radiant lamp of wisdom which banishes the darkness that is bom of ignorance. (11)

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The Infinite Manifestation of the Unmanifest Spirit

X:22

Among the Vedas, I am the Sama Veda*; among the gods, I am Vasava (Indra); among the senses, I am mind (manas); in creatures, I am the intelligence.

* Sama means "calm" or "tranquil"; veda - " true knowledge", truth realization

[—Commentary]

X:25

Of the Maharishis (mighty sages), I am Bhrigu; among words, I am the one syllable Aum; among yajnas (holy ceremonies), I am japa-yajna (silent, superconscious chanting); among stationary objects, I am the Himalaya.

I am the one syllable Aum

X:29

I am Ananta ("the eternal" one) among the Naga serpents; I am Varuna (god of the ocean) among water creatures; I am Aryama among Pitris (ancestral parents); I am Yama (god of death) among all controllers.

X:30

Among the Daily as (demons and giants), I am Prahlada; among measurers, I am time; among the animals, I am the king of beasts (the lion); and among birds, I am Garuda ("lord of the skies," vehicle of Vishnu). [—Commentary]

Among measurers, I am time

X:33

Among all letters, I am the letter A; of all compounds, I am the dvandva (connective element). I am Immutable Time; and I am the Omnipresent Creator (the all-pervading Dispenser of Destiny) whose face is turned on all sides. [—Commentary]

X:34

I am all-dissolving Death; and I am Birth, the origin of all that will be. Among feminine manifestations (qualities of Prakriti), I am fame, success, the illumining power of speech, memory, discriminative intelligence, the grasping faculty of intuition, and the steadfastness of divine forbearance.

X:35

Among Samas (hymns), I am Brihat-Saman; among poetic meters, I am Gayatri*; among the months, I am Margasirsha (an auspicious winter month); among seasons, I am Kusumakara, the flower-bearer (Spring).

* the Gayatri deals with the salvation of man. Brihat-Saman and Gayatri, respectively, refer to two classes of sacred verses, each with its own distinct formula; and they are also the names of two chief hymns representative of these categories.

X:39

I am, furthermore, whatsoever constitutes the reproductive seed of all beings. There is nothing, O Arjuna, moving or motionless, that can abide without Me.

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