(From the discourses of Pujya Sri Swamiji)

Compiled by Swami Dattananda

“You should indeed tell, without reserve, of your divine glories, by which you remain pervading in all these worlds”. (16-X).
“O Yogin, how shall I, ever meditating, know You? O Blessed Lord, in what several things, are you to be thought of by me?” (17-X)

“O Janardana, tell me again in detail, of your Yoga powers and attributes, for listening to your ambrosial speech, I do not find full satisfaction.” (18-X)

As the Lord spoke that out of compassion for His devotees He would dispel the darkness of their ignorance by bestowing on them the brilliant lamp of wisdom, Arjuna’s heart was moved with awe and reverence for the Lord. Arjuna now wants to know from the Lord all His divine glories. As the Lord is pervading the whole universe in what all aspects or forms He should be known and contemplated upon is the question of Arjuna.

The Lord has already given a short account of His glories. But Arjuna is not satisfied with a brief account although it was like nectar to him. As such Arjuna’s heart longs to hear more and more from the Lord.

The Blessed Lord said: “Well, I shall now tell you the prominent among My divine glories, O besto of the Kurus; there is no end to a detailed account of them all” (19-X)

“I am the Self, seated in the hearts of all beings. I am the beginning and the middle, as also the end of all beings.” (20-X)
The whole universe has come out of the Lord. Immeasurable are the objects in it. And all of them, big or small, are the glories of the Lord’s manifestation. They are all so vast and immeasurable that they outrange one’s imagination. Therefore, the Lord is going to recount to Arjuna only a few of the most important of His manifestations, because, there is no end to the vastness of His divine glory.

The Lord says that He is dwelling in the hearts of all beings in the form of the self. So He is the self of all beings, as such, the essence of everything animate and inanimate. This universe is a creation of the Lord. That means the Lord existed before the universe came into existence, He also exists today and He will exist even after the dissolution of this universe. The waves are born in the ocean, move in the ocean and finally merge in the ocean. Even so, all beings are born in the ocean of the Lord, live in the Lord and ultimately merge in the Lord. Therefore the Lord is the beginning, the middle and the end of all things.
“Among the Adityas, I am Vishnu: among the luminaries, the resplendent sun; I am Marichi among the Maruts; among the heavenly bodies, I am the Moon.” (21-X)

“Among the Vedas, I am Sama Veda. Among Gods I am Indra, and among the senses, I am t he mind and in living beings, I am consciousness. (22-X)

The Lord declares that He is Vishnu among the Adityas. The Adityas are twelve in number and they are the sons of Aditi, the wife of Kashyapa, the progenitor. Among those Aditi’s sons, he who is named as Vishnu is the most excellent, because in him the Lord’s glory is manifested more than in others.

In fact the Lord is present in everything. He is present even in a particle of sand. But when we see the gigantic burning star of the solar system, the sun, it stirs our imagination and gives an idea of the glory of the Lord. As such our hearts are filled with feelings of reverence to the Lord and we, with our whole heart, worship Him, the Omni-present Divine Spirit, who is shining through the Sun. therefore, the Lord says, among the most shining ones He is the Sun, and among the heavenly bodies he is the Moon, and among the host of Gods called Maruts, He is the most powerful Marichi.

Among Vedas, the Lord is the Sama Veda. Of the God, Rudras, Adityas, He is Indra, the king of Gods. Among the senses like eyes, ears, etc., the Lord is the mind as it has the power to think and perceive. Again the Lord is the ‘Chetana’ or consciousness in living beings. Consciousness cannot be found in matter. Our consciousness is a part of the Supreme consciousness, that is the Lord.

“Among the Rudras, I am Sankara, among the Yakshas and demons, I am Kubera, the Lord of wealth. Among Vasus, I am Pavaka and among mountains, I am Meru.” (23-X)

Among the eleven Rudras, the Lord is Sankara. Among the Yakshas and demons, He is Kubera, the God of wealth. Yakshas are demi-Gods who guard the wealth of Kubera. Among the Vasus, He is Pavaka (fire) and among the mountain peaks, He is Meru. “O Partha, know Me to be Brihaspati, the chief among the priests. Among generals, I am Skanda and among lakes I am the ocean.” (24-X)

Brihaspati is the foremost among the priests of kings and the heavenly Gods. Skanda is the commander of the armies of the Gods.

“Among the great sages, I am Bhrigu, of utterances I am the monosyllable ‘Om’, among sacrifices I am the sacrifice of Japa (repeated chantings of God’s names), and the Himalayas among immobile objects.” (25-X)

The Lord here declares that among the sacrifices He is the Japa Yajna. By repeatedly chanting God’s names a man can erase the bad and undesirable tendencies dwelling in his mind. This is the easiest of all Yajnas or sacrifices as it does not require wealth or help from others. Many are the sages who have attained God-realization merely by chanting the names of the Lord. And the Lord says that Japa Yajna is He Himself.

‘Om’ is the sound symbol of the Lord and Bhrigu is His mind-born son.