Bhagavad Gita Chapter 10, Verse 39

English Translation

Moreover, O Arjuna, whatsoever is the seed of all beings, that I am. There is no thing moving or non-moving which can exist without Me.

Detailed Commentary

।।10.39।। Explanation— "Yaccāpi sarvabhūtānāṁ bījaṁ tadaham Arjuna"— Here the Lord explains that He is the fundamental cause of everything. The term 'bīja' (seed) implies that He is both the efficient and material cause of the universe. That is, He is both the creator of the universe and He Himself manifests as the universe. In the Seventh Chapter, the Lord refers to Himself as 'sanātana bīja' (eternal seed), in the Ninth Chapter as 'avyaya bīja' (imperishable seed), and here simply as 'bīja'. This means that remaining as He is, He manifests as the universe and also pervades it. "Na tadasti vinā yatsyānmayā bhūtaṁ carācaram"— Whatever exists in the world, whether inert or conscious, stationary or moving (sthāvara-jaṅgama), cannot be without the Lord. Everything originates from Him. Here the Lord has stated that there is nothing other than Him, meaning everything is He Himself. In the Eighteenth Chapter, it is said that there is nothing beyond Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas, meaning everything is a product of the Guṇas. The difference lies in the context: here, the context is Bhaktiyoga, where Arjuna has asked where he should meditate upon the Lord. In response, the Lord has said that whatever is meditated upon, that is all Me. Whereas in Sāṅkhyayoga, the prominence is on the discernment of Prakṛti and Puruṣa. Therefore, there is none devoid of the three Guṇas there. **Special Note** The vibhūtis (divine manifestations) enumerated by the Lord from "Ahamātmā Guḍākeśa" to "Bījaṁ tadaham Arjuna" are not for the purpose of describing the special qualities of any object or person, but rather to facilitate contemplation solely on the Lord. Arjuna's question was how he should meditate on the Lord, and the purpose of describing these vibhūtis is precisely this. Just as the Lord has described His vibhūtis to Arjuna in the Bhagavad Gītā, similarly, in the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, the Lord has described them to Uddhava-jī. There are some similarities between the Gītā and the Bhāgavatam, and some vibhūtis are described differently. For example, in the Gītā, Bṛhaspati is referred to as the chief priest, while in the Bhāgavatam, Vasiṣṭha is mentioned. This implies that the Lord's objective is not to highlight greatness, but to focus attention. Therefore, one should meditate on the Lord in all the places mentioned in both the Gītā and the Bhāgavatam. Connection— Now, in the next verse, the Lord concludes the description of His divine vibhūtis.