Chapter 10 Shloka 18

विस्तरेणात्मनो योगं विभूतिं च जनार्दन।

भूय: कथय तृप्तिर्हि श्रृण्वतो नास्ति मेऽमृतम्।।१८।।

O Janardhana! Pray tell me in detail about

Thy power of yoga and Thy divine energy,

because I cannot hear enough

of Thy words which are like nectar.

Chapter 10 Shloka 18

विस्तरेणात्मनो योगं विभूतिं च जनार्दन।

भूय: कथय तृप्तिर्हि श्रृण्वतो नास्ति मेऽमृतम्।।१८।।

Seeking to hear more of the Lord’s power of yoga and His divine manifestations, Arjuna prays to the Lord,

O Janardhana! Pray tell me in detail about Thy power of yoga and Thy divine energy, because I cannot hear enough of Thy words which are like nectar.

Arjuna says, “O Lord! Tell me once again!

1. Elaborate on Your yoga and Your divine potency so that I may perhaps be able to understand.

2. You are so magnificent – how can I fathom Your magnificence?

3. How shall I know and believe that You are all?

4. You are standing before me as a single individual – I find it difficult to understand how You abide in all.

5. Please tell me, how shall I practice and how shall I meditate upon You?

6. Who are the ones, seeing whom I should remember Your divine Name?

Tell me more about Yourself. I have not been satiated by the brief description You have given me. If You explain it again in detail, maybe my practice will also occur simultaneously and, hearing Your nectar-like words, I might be able to attain freedom.

Therefore, in Thy compassion, pray describe again at length Your divine power and Your yoga.”

The significance of the Vibhuti Paad and the vision of the Lord’s universal manifestation

First understand why the Lord has described His universal form and the Vibhuti Paad in such great detail. The Lord is pointing out to Arjuna:

a) the extremely limited stature of the individual being;

b) the immense dependency of the individual on the Supreme Lord;

c) the Lord’s universal manifestation;

d) that the Lord abides in all beings – ‘Vaasudevam idam sarvam’;

e) the indivisible nature of the Supreme Atma – the Lord is giving Arjuna an opportunity to practice this belief in life;

f) that this entire creation is dependent on the Lord;

g) that the actions of this entire creation and all qualities are dependent on the Supreme Lord;

h) that all aspects of this entire creation – inert and conscious, are all parts of the Supreme Atma.

­­–  The Lord is thus trying to eradicate the delusion in the individual’s mind.

­­–  He is trying to annihilate the idea of individualism in the mortal being.

­­–  He is endeavouring to eliminate the futile ego of the individual.

­­–  He is trying to eliminate the idea of doership from the individual’s mind.

­­–  He is trying to destroy the ignorance and ‘I’ thought that plagues an individual.

He is trying to explain to Arjuna that even if one eliminates pride in one’s own qualities, it is not right to blame others for any qualities they may possess. Thus the Lord is endeavouring to eliminate all thoughts of criticism from the practicant’s heart. ‘Life and death are in the hands of the Supreme’ – by saying this, the Lord is eradicating the attachment of the individual from his body. The life of the individual is in the Lord’s hands – through this statement, the Lord is attempting to equip the individual with an impartial and detached attitude to life. By stating that all qualities are endowed by the Lord, He is helping the individual to transcend all qualities and become a gunatit. The creation of the human body is also the Lord’s handiwork – knowing this, the individual’s attachment with name and form should cease. The mind and the intellect of the individual are also the Lord’s handiwork – by explaining this, He is annihilating the individual’s attachment with the mind and intellect.

Little one, those who have unquestioning faith in the Lord, and those who accept the Lord’s words with an attitude devoid of criticism,

a) are emancipated from attachment and hatred;

b) will never utter a bad word against anybody;

c) will never try to seek revenge from anyone;

d) will renounce pride, conceit and arrogance in a moment;

e) will eliminate all sharpness, hardness and rancour from within themselves;

f) will forsake anger forever upon hearing these words of the Lord.

Thus all ego-ridden practices will cease because the individual will know that all attributes belong to the Lord. Such believers will no longer be able to lay any blame on this body – a mere idol of clay. Their carping nature will thus cease to exist. Their fault finding tendencies will be laid to rest and they will no longer deride or defame others. No longer will venomous, inimical or hatred-ridden tendencies be able to infest their minds. Greed, desire and avarice will also beat a hasty retreat. Thus shall they become devoid of all evil and harmful tendencies. As a result, all dualities shall be transcended and within them there will be:

a) a pure and blemishless mind;

b) a mind free of enmity;

c) the birth of an attitude free of the concept of ‘I’ and ‘mine’;

d) the birth of detachment;

e) the birth of peace.

Thereafter, divine qualities will emanate from within those beings. Thus their lives will be pervaded by:

a) endurance;

b) forbearance and fortitude;

c) forgiveness and compassion;

d) magnanimity and the desire to work for the welfare of others;

e) humility as an inevitable consequence.

The mind of such a one shall be freed of anger and the tendency to criticise. Detached from himself, he will progress towards friendship with others.

Knowing all to be manifestations of the Lord, he will work for the welfare of all. The mind of such a one will no longer rebel – it will instead become cooperative and helpful.

Little one, justice, truth, love and detachment will take birth in the life of that devotee imbued with faith. He will become devoid of all aberrations and ever detached towards himself. Thus ever satiated, transcending duality, blemishless and devoid of moha, that one will become a gunatit. He will inhere all the attributes of divinity and inevitably ascend to the state of a Sthit Pragya or one whose intellect is established in the Truth.