The Yoga of Divine Manifestations (Vibhuti Yoga)

श्री भगवानुवाच |...

The Supreme Lord said: O mighty-armed Arjuna, listen once more to My supreme word, which I shall speak to you for your benefit, because you are dear to Me.

न मे विदुः सुरगणाः प्रभवं न महर्षयः |...

Neither the gods nor the great sages know My origin, for I am the source of the gods and the great sages in every way.

यो मामजमनादिं च वेत्ति लोकमहेश्वरम् |...

One who knows Me as unborn, without beginning, and as the supreme Lord of all the worlds — that undeluded person among mortals is freed from all sins.

बुद्धिर्ज्ञानमसम्मोहः क्षमा सत्यं दमः शमः |...

Intelligence, knowledge, freedom from doubt and delusion, forgiveness, truthfulness, self-control of the senses and of the mind, happiness and distress, birth and death, fear and fearlessness —

अहिंसा समता तुष्टिस्तपो दानं यशोऽयशः |...

Nonviolence, equanimity, contentment, austerity, charity, fame and infamy — all these various qualities of living beings arise from Me alone.

महर्षयः सप्त पूर्वे चत्वारो मनवस्तथा |...

The seven great sages and before them the four great sages, and also the Manus, are born of My mind and all the living beings in the world have descended from them.

एतां विभूतिं योगं च मम यो वेत्ति तत्त्वतः |...

One who truly knows My divine manifestations and My yogic power is united with Me through unwavering yoga. Of this there is no doubt.

अहं सर्वस्य प्रभवो मत्तः सर्वं प्रवर्तते |...

I am the source of all creation; everything proceeds from Me. Knowing this, the wise worship Me with great devotion and feeling.

मच्चित्ता मद्गतप्राणा बोधयन्तः परस्परम् |...

With their minds fixed on Me, with their lives given to Me, enlightening one another and always speaking of Me, they are ever content and take delight in Me.

तेषां सततयुक्तानां भजतां प्रीतिपूर्वकम् |...

To those who are constantly devoted and who worship Me with love, I give the yoga of understanding by which they come to Me.

तेषामेवानुकम्पार्थमहमज्ञानजं तमः |...

Out of compassion for them, dwelling in their hearts, I destroy the darkness born of ignorance with the blazing lamp of knowledge.

अर्जुन उवाच |...

Arjuna said: You are the Supreme Brahman, the supreme abode, the supreme purifier. You are the eternal, divine person — the primordial God, unborn and all-pervading.

आहुस्त्वामृषयः सर्वे देवर्षिर्नारदस्तथा |...

All the great sages — the divine sage Narada, Asita, Devala, and Vyasa — have declared this about You, and now You Yourself are telling me the same.

सर्वमेतदृतं मन्ये यन्मां वदसि केशव |...

O Keshava, I accept as truth everything You have told me. Neither the gods nor the demons, O Blessed Lord, can understand Your manifestation.

स्वयमेवात्मनात्मानं वेत्थ त्वं पुरुषोत्तम |...

Indeed, You alone know Yourself by Yourself, O Supreme Person, O source of all beings, O Lord of all, O God of gods, O Lord of the universe!

वक्तुमर्हस्यशेषेण दिव्या ह्यात्मविभूतयः |...

Please tell me in detail of Your divine manifestations by which You pervade and sustain all these worlds.

कथं विद्यामहं योगिंस्त्वां सदा परिचिन्तयन् |...

O supreme mystic, how shall I always contemplate You? In which forms and modes of being are You to be thought of by me?

विस्तरेणात्मनो योगं विभूतिं च जनार्दन |...

Tell me again in detail, O Janardana, of Your yogic power and manifestations. I am never satiated hearing Your nectar-like words.

श्री भगवानुवाच |...

The Supreme Lord said: Yes, I shall tell you of My divine manifestations — but only the principal ones, O best of the Kurus, for there is no end to My extent.

अहमात्मा गुडाकेश सर्वभूताशयस्थितः |...

I am the Self, O Gudakesha, dwelling in the heart of all beings. I am the beginning, the middle, and the end of all beings.

आदित्यानामहं विष्णुर्ज्योतिषां रविरंशुमान् |...

Of the Adityas I am Vishnu; of lights I am the radiant sun; of the Maruts I am Marichi; among the stars I am the moon.

वेदानां सामवेदोऽस्मि देवानामस्मि वासवः |...

Of the Vedas I am the Sama Veda; of the gods I am Indra; of the senses I am the mind; in living beings I am consciousness.

रुद्राणां शंकरश्चास्मि वित्तेशो यक्षरक्षसाम् |...

Of the Rudras I am Shankara (Shiva); of the Yakshas and Rakshasas I am the lord of wealth (Kubera); of the Vasus I am fire; of the mountains I am Meru.

पुरोधसां च मुख्यं मां विद्धि पार्थ बृहस्पतिम् |...

Of priests, know Me to be the chief priest Brihaspati, O Partha. Of commanders I am Skanda; of bodies of water I am the ocean.

महर्षीणां भृगुरहं गिरामस्म्येकमक्षरम् |...

Of great sages I am Bhrigu; of vibrations I am the transcendental Om; of sacrifices I am japa (repetition of sacred names); of immovable things I am the Himalayas.

अश्वत्थः सर्ववृक्षाणां देवर्षीणां च नारदः |...

Of all trees I am the Ashvattha (sacred fig); of divine sages I am Narada; of the Gandharvas I am Chitraratha; of perfected beings I am Kapila Muni.

उच्चैःश्रवसमश्वानां विद्धि माममृतोद्भवम् |...

Of horses know Me as Ucchaihshrava, born from the churning of the ocean of milk; of lordly elephants I am Airavata; among men I am the king.

आयुधानामहं वज्रं धेनूनामस्मि कामधुक् |...

Of weapons I am the thunderbolt; of cows I am the wish-fulfilling Kamadhenu; of causes for procreation I am Kandarpa (the god of love); of serpents I am Vasuki.

अनन्तश्चास्मि नागानां वरुणो यादसामहम् |...

Of the Nagas I am Ananta; of aquatic beings I am Varuna; of ancestral spirits I am Aryama; of those who maintain law and order I am Yama, the lord of death.

प्रह्लादश्चास्मि दैत्यानां कालः कलयतामहम् |...

Of the Daityas I am the devoted Prahlada; of reckoners I am Time; of beasts I am the lion; of birds I am the eagle Garuda.

पवनः पवतामस्मि रामः शस्त्रभृतामहम् |...

Of purifiers I am the wind; of warriors I am Rama; of fish I am the shark; of rivers I am the Ganges.

सर्गाणामादिरन्तश्च मध्यं चैवाहमर्जुन |...

Of all creations I am the beginning, the middle, and the end, O Arjuna. Of all knowledge I am the science of the Self; of argumentation I am the conclusive truth.

अक्षराणामकारोऽस्मि द्वन्द्वः सामासिकस्य च |...

Of letters I am the letter A; of compound words I am the dual. I am also inexhaustible time, and of creators I am Brahma, whose faces look in all directions.

मृत्युः सर्वहरश्चाहमुद्भवश्च भविष्यताम् |...

I am all-devouring death, and I am also the origin of all that is yet to be. Among feminine qualities I am fame, beauty, speech, memory, intelligence, steadfastness, and patience.

बृहत्साम तथा साम्नां गायत्री छन्दसामहम् |...

Of the Sama Veda hymns I am the Brihatsama; of poetic meters I am the Gayatri. Of months I am Margashirsha; of seasons I am spring.

द्यूतं छलयतामस्मि तेजस्तेजस्विनामहम् |...

Of deceivers I am gambling; of the splendid I am splendor itself. I am victory; I am enterprise; I am the goodness of the good.

वृष्णीनां वासुदेवोऽस्मि पाण्डवानां धनञ्जयः |...

Of the Vrishnis I am Vasudeva (Krishna); of the Pandavas I am Arjuna; of sages I am Vyasa; of great thinkers I am Ushanas.

दण्डो दमयतामस्मि नीतिरस्मि जिगीषताम् |...

Of all means of suppression I am just punishment; of those seeking victory I am morality. Of secrets I am silence; of the wise I am wisdom itself.

यच्चापि सर्वभूतानां बीजं तदहमर्जुन |...

And whatever is the seed of all beings, that also am I, O Arjuna. There is no being, moving or unmoving, that can exist without Me.

नान्तोऽस्ति मम दिव्यानां विभूतीनां परन्तप |...

There is no end to My divine manifestations, O Parantapa. What I have spoken to you is merely illustrative of My limitless glory.

यद्यद्विभूतिमत्सत्त्वं श्रीमदूर्जितमेव वा |...

Whatever being possesses power, beauty, or glory — know that to be born of a spark of My splendor.

अथवा बहुनैतेन किं ज्ञातेन तवार्जुन |...

But what need is there for all this detailed knowledge, O Arjuna? I sustain this entire universe with but a single fragment of Myself.