Verse 10.1

Hark, Arjuna, thou mighty-armed and brave of heart,

My supreme word I shall again impart.

For to My soul art thou exceeding dear,

And for thy welfare, this truth I speak, without a fear.

Verse 10.2

Nor godly hosts, nor sages great and old,

My true beginning can they e'er behold.

For I am verily the fount of all,

Of gods and great sages, answering My call.

Verse 10.3

He who doth know Me, unborn, without beginning's trace,

The great Lord of all worlds, in time and boundless space,

Undeluded 'mongst frail mortals, shall he be,

From all his grievous sins completely set quite free;

This grand achievement, know, My precious gift, so true.

Verse 10.4

From Me alone, diverse virtues find their rise,

Within all beings, 'neath the watchful, guiding skies.

These qualities of divine contemplation fair,

Their absence doth a demon's trait declare.

Verse 10.5

Decisive Intellect, keen and bright,

Knowledge by Realisation blessed,

Freedom from delusion, prudently addressed towards the goal,

Forgiveness, gentle, meek, and mild,

Eternal Truth, eternal, undefiled.

Control of senses, held in tranquil sway,

Pacification of the mind, for inner day,

Inner contentment, pleasure's gleam,

And troubles on contemplation's path, a sorrow's dream.

Awakening of the Supreme Self, a realization grand,

Dissolution in Time, non-existence at hand,

Disciplinary fear towards the deity's sway,

And fearlessness from nature, come what may.

Non-violence, to prevent the soul's descent,

Equanimity, perfect and unbent,

Contentment, with mind and senses aligned,

Austerity, for a spirit intertwined.

Charity, a surrender of your all,

Enduring honor and dishonor, at My call.

Verse 10.6

The seven great sages of ancient lore,

And four Manus, seen in ages gone before,

From My own mind, by My resolve they came to be,

Born of My nature, by My inspiration free;

Both are complementary, to attain and thrive.

Verse 10.7

My divine glory, and My yogic power,

Who truly knows with direct realisation's light,

Becomes endowed with unwavering yoga, fixed and pure,

No doubt remains, forever standing sure;

As lamp's flame steady, in windless air, so Yogi's mind is there.

Verse 10.8

I am the origin of all, the primal cause,

From Me all worlds proceed, without a moment's pause.

Knowing this truth, the wise, with faith and love entwined,

Constantly worship Me, their hearts to Me resigned.

Verse 10.9

With minds on Me, their lives to Me consigned,

Enlightening each other, with Me enshrined.

Constantly speaking, of My praise, My name,

They find contentment and rejoice in spirit's flame.

No other place they give, their life's breath fixed on Me, they grow.

Verse 10.10

To those devoted, full of love's pure ray,

Who worship Me, throughout each passing day,

I grant the understanding that guides to yoga's light,

That intelligence which guides to yoga's light,

By which they truly come to Me, and end their plight.

Verse 10.11

To show them grace, in every yearning soul,

I dwell within, to make them truly whole.

The darkness born of ignorance, vast and deep,

I banish with a lamp, its radiance steep,

Of shining knowledge, luminous and clear;

As charioteer, I'm ever near, to quell their fear.

Arjuna said:

Verse 10.12

Thou art the Brahman, Supreme and Pure,

The Highest Abode, forever to endure;

Eternal Divine Person, the Primeval God,

Unborn and All-pervading, wisely trod.

Verse 10.13

All sages speak of Thee in this grand way,

Narada, Asita, Devala, Vyasa, say;

And Thou Thyself, to me dost now declare,

This truth, beyond all mortal worldly care.

"Supreme Person" and "Supreme Abode" are one,

"Divine Person, Unborn, and Primeval Word," by them, are also spun.

Verse 10.14

What Thou hast spoken, Kesava, my dear Lord,

I deem as truth, with perfect, sure accord.

For neither gods nor demons, understand,

Thy manifestation, throughout all the land.

Verse 10.15

Thou knowest Thyself, by Thine own grace, alone,

O Supreme Person, on every living throne.

Creator of beings, Lord of all that live,

God of all gods, all Thou canst truly give.

Lord of the universe, so grand, so vast,

Whom Thou awakenest, knows Thee, by Thy own hand cast.

Verse 10.16

Please tell me now, in full and grand detail,

Thy divine glories, which shall never fail,

By which Thou dost permeate and steadfast stand,

Pervading all this world, throughout the land.

Verse 10.17

How may I know Thee, Yogi, wise and deep?

With constant thought, while waking or in sleep.

In what specific forms, O Blessed Lord,

Should I contemplate Thee, with one accord?

Verse 10.18

Thy yogic power, and Thy glory's might,

Again recount, with all Thy radiant light.

For listening to Thy nectar speech, so rare,

Of immortality, I'll never reach

Satiety, though briefly told before, I yearn for more.

The Blessed Lord said:

Verse 10.19

Yes, best of Kurus, harken to My plea,

My divine glories, I avow to thee.

The prominent ones, I shall now impart,

For endless are My forms, from the very start.

Verse 10.20

I am the Self, O Gudakesha (Arjuna), in every heart concealed,

Of all beings, a vital part revealed.

I am their beginning, middle, and their end,

Their birth, life, and death—on Me they all depend.

Verse 10.21

Of Adityas, Vishnu am I truly seen,

Of luminaries, the radiant sun serene.

Among the Maruts, Marichi stands full fair,

Of constellations, moon commands the air.

Verse 10.22

Of Vedas, Sama Veda's grace I hold,

Which equanimity grants, as truths unfold.

Of gods, Indra, their majestic Lord,

Of senses, mind, with one complete accord.

Of beings all, consciousness I am, the core,

Their very being, blessed evermore.

Verse 10.23

Of Rudras, Shiva, divine and grand,

Of Yakshas and Rakshasas, Kubera, wealth's command.

Of Vasus, fire, the bright and sacred gleam,

Of mountains, Sumeru, a glorious, lofty dream.

Verse 10.24

Of priests, know Me as Brihaspati, wise and old,

Who transmits divine wealth, as sacred truths unfold.

Of generals, Kartikeya, great in might,

Of lakes, the ocean, shining ever bright.

Verse 10.25

Of great sages, Bhrigu, profound and vast,

Of words, the single syllable, Om, truly cast,

The indicative of Brahman, grand and true.

Of sacrifices, sacrifice of silent repetition too.

Of moveless things, Himalaya's towering height.

Verse 10.26

Of trees, the peepal tree, ancient, broad, and old,

Of divine sages, Narada, pure and bold.

Of Gandharvas, Chitraratha, with graceful flair,

Of Siddhas, Kapila, beyond all compare.

Verse 10.27

Of horses, Uchchaihshravas, from nectar born,

Of elephants, Airavata, by gods adorned.

And among men, the king, regal and grand,

My essence shines throughout the vast and varied land.

Verse 10.28

Of weapons, thunderbolt, with thunder's mighty roar,

Of cows, wish-fulfilling cow, forevermore.

Of procreators, god of love, everywhere,

Manifesting new situations, beyond compare.

Of serpents, Vasuki, in every hidden part.

Verse 10.29

Of Nagas, Ananta, vast and deep, unknown,

Of water beings, Varuna, upon his watery throne.

Of ancestors, Aryama, the peace they bring,

Of controllers, Yama, the death god's regulating wing;

Regulator of the restraints, through the land's deep spring.

Verse 10.30

Of Daityas (demons), Prahlada, pure in heart and true,

Of reckoners, Time, ever fleeting, ever new.

Of beasts, the lion, king of the wild domain,

Of birds, Garuda, Vinata's son, without a stain.

Verse 10.31

Of purifiers, wind, that breathes so free,

Of weapon wielders, Rama, is verily Me.

Of fishes, crocodile, with powerful might,

Of rivers, Ganga, sacred, pure, and bright.

Verse 10.32

Of all creations, I'm the start, the end, the middle too,

O Arjuna, know this truth, profound and new.

Of sciences, the science of the Self, so clear,

Of debaters, the logical argument, without a fear;

Decisive in discussions about Brahman, keen and bright, so I appear.

Verse 10.33

Of letters, 'A', the primal sacred sound,

Om, indicative of Brahman, all around.

Of compounds, dual compound, paired and strong,

I am unending Time, lifelong.

The sustainer, with faces everywhere, behold,

Omnipresent preserver and nourisher, stories told.

Verse 10.34

Death, the all-devouring, I am called, in solemn truth,

And future's origin, from earliest youth.

Among women, fame and prosperity, grace divine,

Speech, memory, intelligence, softly shine.

Steadfastness, and forgiveness, too,

These noble qualities from Me accrue.

Verse 10.35

Of melodies, Brihat-Saman's grandest song,

Of meters, Gayatri, sweet and ever strong.

Of months, Margashirsha (November-December), foremost of the year,

Of seasons, flowery spring, serene and clear;

And heart's state blooming, ever green, so dear.

Verse 10.36

I am the gambling of deceit, concealed and sly,

The splendor of the splendid, reaching to the sky.

I am victory, true and bold, in valiant strife,

Determination (practical intelligence), guiding life;

The goodness and vitality of the good, their essence rife.

Verse 10.37

Of Vrishnis, Vasudeva (Krishna), My own name,

Of Pandavas, Arjuna (also known as Dhananjaya), known to fame.

Of sages, Vyasa, wise and deep, profound,

Of poets, Ushana, who grants poetic entry, well-renowned.

Verse 10.38

The scepter of punishers, I am beheld,

The power of policy, in justice sealed.

The silence of secrets, hidden from the gaze,

The knowledge of the knowing, complete in all its ways;

Direct realization, through its brilliant haze.

Verse 10.39

Whatever is the seed, of every living thing,

That I am, Arjuna, life's source, from Me they spring.

No moving, nor unmoving being can arise,

Without My presence, 'neath the watchful skies;

Omnipresent, by My grace alone, all beings thrive.

Verse 10.40

My divine glories, truly have no end,

This brief account, to you I gently send.

My glories are infinite, beyond all measure, vast and wide.

Verse 10.41

Whatever glorious, prosperous, or strong, you find,

Know that from My splendor's spark, its source is signed.

Verse 10.42

What use is much detail, for thee to know?

By but one fraction, I bestow,

My presence, holding all this vast domain,

The universe, where I forever reign.