THE HOLY GITA, CHAPTER 10, VERSE 23, VIBHUTI YOGA OR THE YOGA OF DIVINE MANIFESTATIONS

THE HOLY GITA

CHAPTER NUMBER 10

VIBHUTI YOGA OR THE YOGA OF DIVINE MANIFESTATIONS:

VERSE NUMBER 23

Text in Transliteration:

rudraanaam samkaras chaa ‘smi vitteso yaksaraksasaam

vasoonaam paavakas chaa ‘smi meruh: sikharinaam aham

Sanskrit words and phrases and their meaning:

rudraanaam = among the Rudras; samkarah = Sankara; cha = and; asmi = (I) am; vittesah: = Vittesa or Kubera; yaksha rakshasaam = among Yakshas and Rakshasas; vasoonaam = among Vasus; paavakah: Pavaka; cha = and; asmi (I) am; meruh = Meru; sikharinaam = of mountains; aham = I;

Text in English:

Of the Rudras I am Sankara, of the Yakshas and Rakshasas I am Kubera. Of the Vasus I am Pavaka and of mountains I am Meru.

COMMENTARY BY SRIMAT SWAMI CHIDBHAVANANDA:

Rudras are eleven in number. Puranas are not all agreed in naming them. But their wide accepted names are Ajaikapad, Ahirbudhnya, Virabhadra, Girisa, Sankara, Aparajita, Hara, Ankaraka, Pinaki, Bhaga and Sambhu. The cosmic function of the Rudras is to make men cry, true to the etymological meaning of this word. Crying of people in particular is always for gain either in Preyas or Sreyas. The characteristic of the Rudras is to make them cry for Sreyas. Sankara among these eleven is the doer of good as his name indicates. Through distress, he makes the sadhakas or practitioner direct Godward. Spiritual anguish purifies people very quickly.

Yakshas and Rakshasas belong to the celestials. The former of these two groups are very fond of acquiring wealth and latter of hoarding it. Both of these battalions serve their king Kubera, the lord of fabulous wealth. Whoever among men, strives for, on right lines, and saves money becomes a Kubera in his own way.  Though of a transitory nature, wealth wields power in its own way and is   therefore a glory of God.

Vasus are eight in number. They are land, water, fire, air, either, moon, sun and star, constituting the gross structure of Nature. Of these, Pavaka or fire assumes various degrees of warmth and sustains life. The Lord therefore mentions it as His special manifestation.

The golden Mount Meru is believed to be the axis round which all the heavenly bodies rotate. But it is an allegorical representation of the brahma danda or the spinal cord in the human structure. The science of Yoga extols it as the golden lustrous sushumna from which all forms of sensation emanate. It is consciousness that gives it its brilliance. As the Devas resort to the Mount Meru of mythological fame, the senses and prana in the human tabernacle are all adhering to the spinal cord. The Lord therefore speaks of it as His special manifestation.

COMMENTARY BY SRIMAT SWAMI SIVANANDA:

Rudras are eleven in number. The ten vital airs (Pranas and Upa-Pranas, which are five each) and the mind are the eleven Rudras. They are so called because they produce grief when they depart from the body. They have been symbolised in the Puranas as follows: Vira-bhadra, Pinaki, Aparajita, Kapali, Sthanu and Bhaga. Among these Rudras, Sankara is regarded as the chief.

Vasus are earth, water, fire, air, ether, sun, moon and stars. They are so called because they comprehend the whole universe within them. They have been symbolised in the Puranas as follows: Apah, Dhruva, Soma, Dhara, Anila, Anala, Pratyusa and Prabhasa. Of these Anala or Pavaka (fire) is the chief.