Bhagavad Gita -Srila Prabhupada 448

Shrimad Bhagavad Gita As It Is -Shri Shrimad A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

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The Opulence of the Absolute
Chapter 10: Verse-17

katham vidyäm aham yogims tväm sadä paricintayan
kesu kesu ca bhävesu cintyo ’si bhagavan mayä[1]

TRANSLATION

O Krsna, O supreme mystic, how shall I constantly think of You, and how shall I know You? In what various forms are You to be remembered, O Supreme Personality of Godhead?


PURPORT

As it is stated in the previous chapter, the Supreme Personality of Godhead is covered by His yoga-mäyä. Only surrendered souls and devotees can see Him. Now Arjuna is convinced that His friend, Krsna, is the Supreme Godhead, but he wants to know the general process by which the all-pervading Lord can be understood by the common man. Common men, including the demons and atheists, cannot know Krsna, because He is guarded by His yoga-mäyä energy. Again, these questions are asked by Arjuna for their benefit. The superior devotee is concerned not only for his own understanding but for the understanding of all mankind. So Arjuna, out of his mercy, because he is a Vaisiava, a devotee, is opening for the common man the understanding of the all-pervasiveness of the Supreme Lord. He addresses krsnas pecifically as yogin because Krsna is the master of the yoga-mäyä energy, by which He is covered and uncovered to the common man. The common man who has no love for krsna cannot always think of Krsna; therefore he has to think materially. Arjuna is considering the mode of thinking of the materialistic persons of this world. The words kesu kesu ca bhävesu refer to material nature (the word bhäva means “physical things”). Because materialists cannot understand krsna spiritually, they are advised to concentrate the mind on physical things and try to see how krsna is manifested by physical representations.



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References

  1. katham=how; vidyäm aham=shall I know; yogin=O supreme mystic; väm=You; sadä=always; paricintayan=thinking of; kesu=in which; kesu=in which; ca=also; bhävesu=natures; cintyah asi=You are to be remembered; bhagavan=O Supreme; mayä=by me.

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