Verse 1
The Lord said, "Further, O Arjuna, listen to My Supreme word. Desiring your good, I shall speak to you who loves Me."
Verse 2
Neither the host of gods nor the great sages know My power; for I am indeed the source of the gods and the great sages.
Verse 3
He who knows Me as unborn, without a beginning, and the great Lord of the worlds—he among mortals is undeluded and is released from all sin.
Verse 4
Intelligence, knowledge, non-delusion, forbearance, truth, restraint, self-control, pleasure, pain, exaltation, and depression, fear, and fearlessness;
Verse 5
Non-violence, reality, cheerfulness, austerity, beneficence, fame, and infamy—these different qualities of beings arise from Me alone.
Verse 6
The seven great seers of yore, as well as the four Manus, all possessing My mental disposition, were born from My mind. All these creatures of the world are descended from them.
Verse 7
He who truly knows this supreme manifestation and splendor of My auspicious attributes, becomes united with the unshakeable Yoga of Bhakti—there is no doubt of this.
Verse 8
I am the origin of all; from me everything proceeds. Thinking thus, the wise worship me with all devotion (Bhava).
Verse 9
With their minds focused on Me, their pranas centered in Me, inspiring one another and always speaking of Me, they live in contentment and bliss at all times.
Verse 10
To those who are ceaselessly united with Me and who worship Me with immense love, I lovingly grant that mental disposition (Buddhi-yoga) which leads them to Me.
Verse 11
Out of compassion for them alone, I, abiding in their mental activity as its object, dispel the darkness born of ignorance with the brilliant lamp of knowledge.
Verse 12
Arjuna said, "You are the Supreme Brahman, the Supreme Light, and the Supreme Sanctifier. All the seers proclaim You as the eternal, divine Person, the Primal Lord, the unborn, and all-pervading. So too do the divine sages Narada, Asita, Devala, and Vyasa proclaim. You Yourself also proclaim this."
Verse 13
Arjuna said, "You are the Supreme Brahman, the Supreme Light, and the Supreme Sanctifier. All the seers proclaim You as the eternal, divine Person, the Primal Lord, the unborn, and all-pervading. So too do the divine sages Narada, Asita, Devala, and Vyasa proclaim. You Yourself also proclaim this."
Verse 14
I deem as true all that you have said to me, O Krishna. Truly, O Lord, neither the gods nor the demons know your manifestation.
Verse 15
O Supreme Person, O Creator of beings, O Lord of beings, O God of gods, O Ruler of the universe, You Yourself know Yourself alone.
Verse 16
You should tell Me without reserve Your divine manifestations where You abide, pervading all these worlds.
Verse 17
How can I, Your devotee, know You by constantly meditating on You? And in what ways, O Lord, should I meditate on You?
Verse 18
Speak to me again in full, O Krishna, about Your attributes and glories. For I am not sated by hearing Your ambrosial words.
Verse 19
The Lord said, "Indeed, I shall tell you, O Arjuna, My auspicious manifestations—those that are most prominent among them. There is no end to their extent."
Verse 20
I am the Self, O Arjuna, dwelling in the hearts of all beings; I am the beginning, the middle, and the end of all beings.
Verse 21
Of the Adityas, I am Vishnu; of luminous bodies, I am the radiant sun. Of the Maruts, I am Marici, and among the constellations, I am the moon.
Verse 22
Of the Vedas, I am the Samaveda; of gods, I am Indra; of sense-organs, I am the mind; and of living beings, I am consciousness.
Verse 23
Of the Rudras, I am Sankara. Of the Yaksas and Raksasas, I am the Lord of Wealth (Kubera). Of the Vasus, I am Agni; of the mountains, I am Meru.
Verse 24
Among family priests, O Arjuna, know Me to be the chief Brhaspati; of generals, I am Skanda; of reservoirs of water, I am the ocean.
Verse 25
Of the great seers, I am Bhrgu; of words, I am the single-lettered word Om; of sacrifices, I am the sacrifice of Japa; of immovable things, I am the Himalayas.
Verse 26
Of trees I am the Asvattha; of celestial seers, I am Narada; of the Gandharvas, I am Citraratha; of the perfected, I am Kapila.
Verse 27
Of horses, know Me to be Uccaihsravas, the nectar-born. Of lordly elephants, I am Airavata, and of men, I am the monarch.
Verse 28
Of weapons, I am the Vajra (thunderbolt); of cows, I am Kamadhuk; I am Kandarpa, the cause of progeny; of serpents, I am Vasuki.
Verse 29
Of snakes, I am Ananta; of aquatic beings, I am Varuna; of manes, I am Aryama; of subduers, I am Yama.
Verse 30
Of Daityas, I am Prahlada; of reckoners, I am Death; of beasts, I am the lion; and of birds, I am Garuda, the son of Vinata.
Verse 31
Of moving things, I am the wind; of those who bear weapons, I am Rama; of fishers, I am Makara; and of rivers, I am the Ganga.
Verse 32
Of creatures, I am the beginning, the middle, and the end, O Arjuna. Of sciences, I am the science of the Self (of the individual and Universal Self). Of those who argue, I am the fair reasoning.
Verse 33
Of letters, I am the alphabet 'A'; of compound words, I am the dvandva (copulative); I am myself imperishable time; I am the creator, facing all sides.
Verse 34
I am also death, which snatches away all. I am the origin of all that will be born. Among women, I am fame, prosperity, speech, memory, intelligence, endurance, and forgiveness.
Verse 35
Of Saman hymns, I am the Brhatsaman; of meters, I am the Gayatri; of months, I am Margasira (Nov-Dec); and of seasons, I am the season of flowers.
Verse 36
Of the fraudulent, I am gambling; I am the brilliance of the brilliant; I am victory, I am effort; I am the magnanimity of the magnanimous.
Verse 37
Of the Vrsnis, I am Vasudeva; of the Pandavas, I am Arjuna; of sages, I am Vyasa; and of seers, I am Usana (Sukra).
Verse 38
Of those who punish, I am the principle of punishment. Of those who seek victory, I am policy. Of secrets, I am also silence. And of the wise, I am wisdom.
Verse 39
I am also that which is the seed of all beings, O Arjuna. Nothing that moves or does not move exists without Me.
Verse 40
There is no limit to My divine manifestations. Here, I have briefly described the extent of such manifestations.
Verse 41
Whatever being is possessed of power, or splendour, or energy, know that as coming from a fragment of My power.
Verse 42
But of what use is all this extensive knowledge to you, O Arjuna? I sustain this whole universe with only a fragment of My power.