Copyright © r The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International, Inc.His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Founder Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness
| Chapter 10: The Opulence of the Absolute |
Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Bhagavad-gītā As It Is 10.17
SYNONYMS
katham — how; vidyām aham — shall I know; yogin — O supreme mystic; tvām — You; sadā — always; paricintayan — thinking of; keshu — in which; keshu — in which; ca — also; bhāveshu — natures; cintyah asi — You are to be remembered; bhagavan — O Supreme; mayā — by me.
TRANSLATION
O Krishna, O supreme mystic, how shall I constantly think of You, and how shall I know You? In what various forms are You to be remembered, O Supreme Personality of Godhead?
PURPORT
As it is stated in the previous chapter, the Supreme Personality of Godhead is covered by His yoga-māyā. Only surrendered souls and devotees can see Him. Now Arjuna is convinced that His friend, Krishna, is the Supreme Godhead, but he wants to know the general process by which the all-pervading Lord can be understood by the common man. Common men, including the demons and atheists, cannot know Krishna, because He is guarded by His yoga-māyā energy. Again, these questions are asked by Arjuna for their benefit. The superior devotee is concerned not only for his own understanding but for the understanding of all mankind. So Arjuna, out of his mercy, because he is a Vaishnava, a devotee, is opening for the common man the understanding of the all-pervasiveness of the Supreme Lord. He addresses Krishna specifically as yogin because Śrī Krishna is the master of the yoga-māyā energy, by which He is covered and uncovered to the common man. The common man who has no love for Krishna cannot always think of Krishna; therefore he has to think materially. Arjuna is considering the mode of thinking of the materialistic persons of this world. The words keshu keshu ca bhāveshu refer to material nature (the word bhāva means "physical things"). Because materialists cannot understand Krishna spiritually, they are advised to concentrate the mind on physical things and try to see how Krishna is manifested by physical representations.
Copyright © r The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International, Inc.
His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Founder Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness