Chapter 10: The Opulence of the Absolute

Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Bhagavad-gītā As It Is 10.32

sargānām ādir antaś ca

madhyam caivāham arjuna

adhyātma-vidyā vidyānām

vādah pravadatām aham

SYNONYMS

sargānām — of all creations; ādih — the beginning; antah — end; ca — and; madhyam — middle; ca — also; eva — certainly; ahamI am; arjunaO Arjuna; adhyātma-vidyā — spiritual knowledge; vidyānām — of all education; vādah — the natural conclusion; pravadatām — of arguments; ahamI am.

TRANSLATION

Of all creations I am the beginning and the end and also the middle, O Arjuna. Of all sciences I am the spiritual science of the self, and among logicians I am the conclusive truth.

PURPORT

Among the created manifestations, the first is the creation of the total material elements. As explained before, the cosmic manifestation is created and conducted by Mahā-Vishnu, Garbhodakaśāyī Vishnu and Kshīrodakaśāyī Vishnu, and then again it is annihilated by Lord Śiva. Brahmā is a secondary creator. All these agents of creation, maintenance and annihilation are incarnations of the material qualities of the Supreme Lord. Therefore He is the beginning, the middle and the end of all creation.

For advanced education there are various kinds of books of knowledge, such as the four Vedas, their six supplements, the Vedānta-sūtra, books of logic, books of religiosity and the Purānas. So all together there are fourteen divisions of books of education. Of these, the book which presents adhyātma-vidyā, spiritual knowledge — in particular, the Vedānta-sūtra — represents Krishna.

Among logicians there are different kinds of argument. Supporting one's argument with evidence that also supports the opposing side is called jalpa. Merely trying to defeat one's opponent is called vitandā. But the actual conclusion is called vāda. This conclusive truth is a representation of Krishna.

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His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Founder Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness