Arjuna's Hymn of Praise
arjuna uvaca
36. sthane hrsikesa tava prakirtya
lagat prahrsyaty anurajyate ca
raksamsi bhitam diso dravanti
sarve namasyanti ca siddhasamghah
Arjuna said :
(36) 0 Hrisikega (Krsna), rightly does the world rejoice and delight in glorifying Thee. The Raksasas are fleeing in terror in all directions and all the hosts of perfected ones are bowing down before Thee (in adoration)
In an ecstasy of adoration and anguish, Arjuna praises the Supreme. He sees not only the destructive power of Time but also the spiritual presence and law governing the cosmos While the former produces terror, the latter gives rise to a sense of rapturous ecstasy and he pours forth his soul in utter adoration.
37. kasmãc ca te na numeral mahatma
garlyase brahmaio ' ph ãdikartre
asanka devesa jaganmvasa
tvam aksaram sad asat tatparam yat
(37) And why should they not do Thee homage, 0 Exalted One, who art greater than Brahma, the original creator? 0 Infinite Being, Lord of the gods, Refuge of the universe, Thou art the Imperishable, the being and the non-being and what is beyond that.
adikartr: Thou art the first creator, or Thou art the creator even of Brahma.
jagannivasa: the Refuge of the universe. The God in whom dwells the universe.
38. tvam adidevah purusah puranas
tvam asya visvasya param nidhanam
vetta 'si vedyam ea param ca
dramanovaya tat a, visvam anantarupa
(38) Thou art the First of gods, the Primal Person, the Supreme Resting Place of the world. Thou art the knower and that which is to be known and the supreme goal And by Thee is this universe pervaded, 0 Thou of infinite form!
39. vayur yamo 'gnir varunah sasankah
prajapatis tvam prapitamaha. ca
namo namas te 'stu sahasrakrtvah
punas ca bhuyo 'pi namo namas te
(39) Thou art Vayu (the wind), Yama (the destroyer), Agni (the fire), Varuna (the sea-god) and sasanka (the moon), and Prajapati, the grandsire (of all). Hail, hail to Thee, a thousand times Hail, hail to Thee again and yet again.
According to some, "Prajapati and the grandsire of all."
40. namaz puraslad atha prshatas te
namo 'stu te sarvata eva sarva
anantaviryamitavikramas tvam
sarvam samapnosl tato 'si sarvah
(40) Hail to Thee in front, (hail) to Thee behind and hail to Thee on every side, 0 All ; boundless in power and immeasurable in might, Thou dost penetrate all and therefore Thou art All The Supreme dwells everywhere, within, without, above, below and around and there is no place where He is not. See Mundaka Up., IL 2. ii; Chandogva Up., VII. 25 The truth that we are all the creatures of the One Supreme and that He is in each and every one of us is frequently repeated.
