TENTH CHAPTER

The Blessed Lord said:

1. Again, O mighty-armed, do thou listen to My supreme word, which I, wishing thy welfare, will tell thee who art delighted (to hear Me).

2. Neither the hosts of Devas, nor the great Rishis, know My origin, for in every way I am the source of all the Devas and the great Rishis.

3. He who knows Me, birthless and beginningless, the great Lord of worlds--he, among mortals, is undeluded, he is freed from all sins.

4-5. Intellect, knowledge, non-delusion, forbearance, truth, restraint of the external senses, calmness of heart, happiness, misery, birth, death, fear, as well as fearlessness, non-injury, evenness, contentment, austerity, benevolence, good name, (as well as) ill-fame;--(these) different kinds of qualities of beings arise from Me alone.

6. The seven great Rishis as well as the four ancient Manus, possessed of powers like Me (due to their thoughts being fixed on Me), were born of (My) mind; from them are these creatures in the world.

7. He who in reality knows these manifold manifestations of My being and (this) Yoga power of Mine, becomes established in the unshakable Yoga; there is no doubt about it.

8. l am the origin of all, from Me everything evolves;--thus thinking the wise worship Me with loving consciousness.

9. With their minds wholly in Me, with their senses absorbed in Me, enlightening one another, and always speaking of Me, they are satisfied and delighted.

10. To them, ever steadfast and serving Me with affection, I give that Buddhi Yoga by which they come unto Me.

11. Out of mere compassion for them,

[paragraph continues] I, abiding in their hearts, destroy the darkness (in them) born of ignorance, by the luminous lamp of knowledge.

Arjuna said:

12-13. The Supreme Brahman, the Supreme Abode, the Supreme Purifier, art Thou. All the Rishis, the Deva-Rishi Narada as well as Asita, Devala and Vyasa have declared Thee as the Eternal, the Self-luminous Purusha, the first Deva, Birth-less and All-pervading. So also Thou Thyself sayest to me.

14. I regard all this that Thou sayest to me as true, O Keshava. Verily, O Bhagavan, neither the Devas nor the Danavas know Thy manifestation.

15. Verily, Thou Thyself knowest Thyself by Thyself, O Purusha Supreme, O Source of beings, O Lord of beings, O Deva of Devas, O Ruler of the world.

16. Thou shouldst indeed speak, without reserve, of Thy divine attributes by which, filling all these worlds, Thou existest.

17. How shall I, O Yogin, meditate ever to know Thee? In what things, Bhagavan, art Thou to be thought of by me?

18. Speak to me again in detail, Jnanardana, of Thy Yoga-powers and attributes; for I am never satiated in hearing the ambrosia (of Thy speech).

The Blessed Lord said: