पुरोधसां च मुख्यं मां विद्धि पार्थ बृहस्पतिम् | सेनानीनामहं स्कन्दः सरसामस्मि सागरः || २४ ||
purodhasāṁ ca mukhyaṁ māṁ viddhi pārtha bṛhaspatim senānīnām ahaṁ skandaḥ sarasām asmi sāgaraḥ
purodhasām—of priests; ca—also; mukhyam—the chief; mām—Me; viddhi—know; pārtha—O son of Pṛthā; bṛhaspatim—Brihaspati; senānīnām—of commanders; aham—I; skandaḥ—Kartikeya; sarasām—of bodies of water; asmi—I am; sāgaraḥ—the ocean.
“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.”
Each example in this list of vibhūtis invites the meditator to perceive the infinite through the finite — the ocean as the supreme among waters reminds us that depth, expanse, and mysterious profundity in any domain are reflections of the infinite. Brihaspati as divine priest reminds us that true wisdom used in service is the highest human function.
The ocean is endlessly evocative as a symbol of the Divine precisely because it combines power, depth, mystery, and the capacity to receive all rivers without overflowing. When you next stand before the ocean or any vast body of water, use it as a contemplative object — let its immensity point you toward the even greater immensity of consciousness itself.