FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

Bhagavad-gītā 10.12-13

अर्जुन उवाच परं ब्रह्म परं धाम पवित्रं परमं भवान् । पुरुषं शाश्वतं दिव्यमादिदेवमजं विभुम् ॥ १२ ॥ आहुस्त्वामृषय: सर्वे देवर्षिर्नारदस्तथा । असितो देवलो व्यास: स्वयं चैव ब्रवीषि मे ॥ १३ ॥
arjuna uvāca
[arjuna uvaacha]
paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma
[param brahma param dhaama]
pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān
[pavitram paramam bhavaan]
puruṣaṁ śāśvataṁ divyam
[purusham shaashvatam divyam]
ādi-devam ajaṁ vibhum
[aadi-devam ajam vibhum]
āhus tvām ṛṣayaḥ sarve
[aahus tvaam rishayah sarve]
devarṣir nāradas tathā
[devarshir naaradas tathaa]
asito devalo vyāsaḥ
[asito devalo vyaasah]
svayaṁ caiva bravīṣi me
[svayam chaiva braveeshi me]
Word-for-word
arjunaḥ uvāca — Arjuna said param — supreme brahma — truth param — supreme dhāma — sustenance pavitram — pure paramam — supreme bhavān — You puruṣam — personality śāśvatam — eternal divyam — transcendental ādi - devam — the original Lord ajam — unborn vibhum — greatest āhuḥ — say tvām — of You ṛṣayaḥ — sages sarve — all deva - ṛṣiḥ — the sage among the demigods nāradaḥ — Nārada tathā — also asitaḥ — Asita devalaḥ — Devala vyāsaḥ — Vyāsa svayam — personally ca — also eva — certainly bravīṣi — You are explaining me — unto me .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
arjuna uvāca
arjunaḥ uvāca
Arjuna said
paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma
param
supreme
brahma
truth
param
supreme
dhāma
sustenance
pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān
pavitram
pure
paramam
supreme
bhavān
You
puruṣaṁ śāśvataṁ divyam
puruṣam
personality
śāśvatam
eternal
divyam
transcendental
ādi-devam ajaṁ vibhum
ādi - devam
the original Lord
ajam
unborn
vibhum
greatest
āhus tvām ṛṣayaḥ sarve
āhuḥ
say
tvām
of You
ṛṣayaḥ
sages
sarve
all
devarṣir nāradas tathā
deva - ṛṣiḥ
the sage among the demigods
nāradaḥ
Nārada
tathā
also
asito devalo vyāsaḥ
asitaḥ
Asita
devalaḥ
Devala
vyāsaḥ
Vyāsa
svayaṁ caiva bravīṣi me
svayam
personally
ca
also
eva
certainly
bravīṣi
You are explaining
me
unto me .
Important Words
  • brahma — truth
    Arjuna addresses Kṛṣṇa not as 'a manifestation of Brahman' but as param brahma — the supreme Brahman itself. The personalist reading is asserted by Arjuna, and Kṛṣṇa receives it without correction. Implicit endorsement that Brahman is, at its highest, a Person.
  • dhāma — sustenance
    Dhāma means both 'abode' and 'glory, refulgence.' Kṛṣṇa is the place all rest in and the light by which they exist. The double sense is a feature, not a problem — both meanings apply at once.
  • pavitram — pure
    From the root pū, 'to purify.' Not 'unpolluted by anything' but actively 'that which purifies.' Kṛṣṇa is the cleansing agent of the universe — contact with Him cleans whatever it touches.
  • puruṣam — personality
    The technical term for the Supreme Person. Arjuna rejects any impersonal reading: Kṛṣṇa is puruṣa, a Person, eternal (śāśvatam) and transcendental (divyam). The whole sweep of the chapter's opulence-vision presupposes this personhood.
  • ādi - devam — the original Lord
    Compound: ādi (first) + devam (Lord). Not the first among gods but the original from whom the category 'god' descends. Reinforces verse 2's claim that He is the source of demigods themselves.
  • vibhum — greatest, all-pervading
    From vi-bhū, 'to extend widely.' The same root as vibhūti — the chapter's title. Arjuna catches the keyword and applies it back to the speaker: You are the source of every vibhūti because You are vibhu.
Arjuna said: You are the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the ultimate abode, the purest, the Absolute Truth. You are the eternal, transcendental, original person, the unborn, the greatest. All the great sages such as Nārada, Asita, Devala and Vyāsa confirm this truth about You, and now You Yourself are declaring it to me.
Classical Sanskrit analysis शास्त्रीय विश्लेषण
How Sanskrit scholars read this verse — split, rearranged, grammar-tagged. For the plain English distilled meaning, jump to Plain meaning below.
Auto-generated study layers — original analysis of the public-domain śloka. Review against a published edition for academic work.
Plain meaning (तात्पर्य · Tātparya)
Arjuna's first confessional acclamation in Chapter 10: he ratifies Kṛṣṇa with the full vocabulary of Vedānta and Itihāsa-Purāṇa — Brahman, dhāma, pavitra, Puruṣa, ādi-deva, aja, vibhu — and underlines that the same truth is corroborated by Nārada, Asita, Devala, Vyāsa, and now Kṛṣṇa Himself.
Further notes (विवरण · Vivaraṇa)
Arjuna stacks three sources of authority: śruti vocabulary (brahma, dhāma), smṛti tradition (the named ṛṣis), and direct personal revelation (svayaṁ ca eva bravīṣi). Notice the rhetorical climax: tradition and śāstra converge, and now the speaker Himself confirms. The doublet anticipates Arjuna's explicit prayer in 10.14–18 for further disclosure. The Gītā's epistemic argument — śabda + sādhu + svayaṁ-bhagavān — is encapsulated here in two ślokas.
Prose order (अन्वय · Anvaya)
भवान् परं ब्रह्म, परं धाम, परमं पवित्रम् (इति), तथा सर्वे ऋषयः देवर्षिः नारदः असितः देवलः व्यासः च त्वां शाश्वतं दिव्यं पुरुषम् आदि-देवम् अजं विभुम् आहुः; स्वयम् एव च (त्वं) मे ब्रवीषि ।
bhavān paraṃ brahma, paraṃ dhāma, paramaṃ pavitram (iti), tathā sarve ṛṣayaḥ devarṣiḥ nāradaḥ asitaḥ devalaḥ vyāsaḥ ca tvāṃ śāśvataṃ divyaṃ puruṣam ādi-devam ajaṃ vibhum āhuḥ; svayam eva ca (tvaṃ) me bravīṣi |
You are the supreme Brahman, the supreme abode, the supreme purifier; and all the sages, as well as the divine sage Nārada, and Asita, Devala, and Vyāsa, declare You to be the eternal, divine, primal-divine, unborn, all-pervading Person — and You Yourself are now telling this to me.
Word split (पदच्छेद · Padaccheda)
अर्जुनः उवाच
arjunaḥ uvāca
परं ब्रह्म परं धाम पवित्रं परमं भवान् । पुरुषं शाश्वतं दिव्यम् आदि-देवम् अजं विभुम् ॥
paraṃ brahma paraṃ dhāma pavitraṃ paramaṃ bhavān | puruṣaṃ śāśvataṃ divyam ādi-devam ajaṃ vibhum ||
आहुः त्वाम् ऋषयः सर्वे देवर्षिः नारदः तथा । असितः देवलः व्यासः स्वयं च एव ब्रवीषि मे ॥
āhuḥ tvām ṛṣayaḥ sarve devarṣiḥ nāradaḥ tathā | asitaḥ devalaḥ vyāsaḥ svayaṃ ca eva bravīṣi me ||
Grammar (व्याकरण · Vyākaraṇa)
SanskritIASTGrammarMeaning
परम् ब्रह्म param brahma परम (adj.) + ब्रह्मन् (n.) nom./acc.sg. (accusative singular), karmadhāraya supreme Brahman
परम् धाम param dhāma परम + धामन् (n.) nom./acc.sg. (accusative singular) supreme abode
पवित्रम् परमम् pavitram paramam पवित्र (adj.) + परम (adj.) nom./acc.sg. (accusative singular)n. the supreme purifier
भवान् bhavān भवत् (pron. (pronoun), honorific) nom.sg. (nominative singular)m. Your Honour, You
पुरुषम् शाश्वतम् दिव्यम् puruṣam śāśvatam divyam पुरुष (m.) + शाश्वत + दिव्य (adj.) acc.sg. (accusative singular) the eternal, divine Person
आदि-देवम् ādi-devam आदि + देव (m.) acc.sg. (accusative singular), karmadhāraya the primal Deity
अजम् ajam अ + ज (adj.) acc.sg. (accusative singular)m. unborn
विभुम् vibhum विभु (adj.) acc.sg. (accusative singular)m. all-pervading
आहुः āhuḥ √अह् perf. (perfect) 3pl.par. (with present sense) they say, they call
त्वाम् tvām युष्मद् acc.sg. (accusative singular) You
ऋषयः सर्वे ṛṣayaḥ sarve ऋषि (m.) + सर्व (adj.) nom.pl. (nominative plural) all the sages
देवर्षिः नारदः devarṣiḥ nāradaḥ देव + ऋषि (m.) nom.sg. (nominative singular) + नारद nom.sg. (nominative singular) the divine sage Nārada
तथा tathā ind. (indeclinable) likewise
असितः देवलः व्यासः asitaḥ devalaḥ vyāsaḥ proper names, nom.sg. (nominative singular)m. Asita, Devala, Vyāsa
स्वयम् एव svayam eva ind. (indeclinable) + ind. (indeclinable) Your very Self
ब्रवीषि bravīṣi √ब्रू pres. (present) 2sg.par. (parasmaipada / active voice) You are saying
मे me अस्मद् dat.sg. (dative singular) to me
Purport

In these two verses the Supreme Lord gives a chance to the Māyāvādī philosopher, for here it is clear that the Supreme is different from the individual soul. Arjuna, after hearing the essential four verses of Bhagavad-gītā in this chapter, became completely free from all doubts and accepted Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He at once boldly declares, “You are paraṁ brahma, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.” And previously Kṛṣṇa stated that He is the originator of everything and everyone. Every demigod and every human being is dependent on Him. Men and demigods, out of ignorance, think that they are absolute and independent of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That ignorance is removed perfectly by the discharge of devotional service. This has already been explained in the previous verse by the Lord. Now, by His grace, Arjuna is accepting Him as the Supreme Truth, in concordance with the Vedic injunction. It is not that because Kṛṣṇa is Arjuna’s intimate friend Arjuna is flattering Him by calling Him the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Absolute Truth. Whatever Arjuna says in these two verses is confirmed by Vedic truth. Vedic injunctions affirm that only one who takes to devotional service to the Supreme Lord can understand Him, whereas others cannot. Each and every word of this verse spoken by Arjuna is confirmed by Vedic injunction. In the Kena Upaniṣad it is stated that the Supreme Brahman is the rest for everything, and Kṛṣṇa has already explained that everything is resting on Him. The Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad confirms that the Supreme Lord, in whom everything is resting, can be realized only by those who engage constantly in thinking of Him. This constant thinking of Kṛṣṇa is smaraṇam, one of the methods of devotional service. It is only by devotional service to Kṛṣṇa that one can understand his position and get rid of this material body. In the Vedas the Supreme Lord is accepted as the purest of the pure. One who understands that Kṛṣṇa is the purest of the pure can become purified from all sinful activities. One cannot be disinfected from sinful activities unless he surrenders unto the Supreme Lord. Arjuna’s acceptance of Kṛṣṇa as the supreme pure complies with the injunctions of Vedic literature. This is also confirmed by great personalities, of whom Nārada is the chief. Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and one should always meditate upon Him and enjoy one’s transcendental relationship with Him. He is the supreme existence. He is free from bodily needs, birth and death. Not only does Arjuna confirm this, but all the Vedic literatures, the Purāṇas and histories. In all Vedic literatures Kṛṣṇa is thus described, and the Supreme Lord Himself also says in the Fourth Chapter, “Although I am unborn, I appear on this earth to establish religious principles.” He is the supreme origin; He has no cause, for He is the cause of all causes, and everything is emanating from Him. This perfect knowledge can be had by the grace of the Supreme Lord. Here Arjuna expresses himself through the grace of Kṛṣṇa. If we want to understand Bhagavad-gītā, we should accept the statements in these two verses. This is called the paramparā system, acceptance of the disciplic succession. Unless one is in the disciplic succession, he cannot understand Bhagavad-gītā. It is not possible by so-called academic education. Unfortunately those proud of their academic education, despite so much evidence in Vedic literatures, stick to their obstinate conviction that Kṛṣṇa is an ordinary person.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Bhūrijana Dāsa Gauḍīya
Translation
Arjuna said: You are the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the ultimate abode, the purest, the Absolute Truth. You are the eternal, transcendental, original person, the unborn, the greatest. All the great sages such as Narada, Asita, Devala and Vyasa confirm this truth about You, and now You Yourself are declaring it to me. (com) Arjuna speaks after long time. Arjuna becomes happy and understood Lord's position but he still wanted to know more. After hearing Lord's opulence in brief, he wanted to hear it in more detail and thus started glorifying param dhama ‑ supreme form (of Shyam) is param brahma (house, body, birth) You Yourself become Your abode. Krsna's body is also Krsna. There is no difference between You and body. What kind of body. pavitram pavaman ‑ pure supreme. Whoever sees it all dirt or ignorance removed, therefore all sages say You are supreme. Gita Bhushan: After hearing Krsna's glories in brief, You Yourself are param brahma. Veda say same. All living entities take shelter of You. You are param dhama (abode, shelter). It is mentioned in smriti, Lord is m ost pure, and anyone who knows Him as such becomes free from sins. All great sages (Narada chief) say Krsna is Supreme, and should be meditated upon and worshiped. Om tat sat. Srutis say You are divya, transcendental, beyond birth and death, as You previously ‑ ajo pi sam ‑ kaham prabasya ‑ You said, sastra says, sages say, and I also understand in this way.
Study Notes — Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Gauranga Priya Dāsa Study
Bhakti-śāstrī Notes, ISKCON Chowpatty (2009)
Theme

COMMON THEME: Arjuna accepts Krishna as The Supreme Personality of Godhead and great sages confirm it

Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya Classical
Translation
10.12 Bhavan, You; are the param brahma, supreme Brahman, the supreme Self; the param dhama, supreme Light; the paramam pavitram, supreme Sanctifier. Sarve, all; rsayah, the sages-Vasistha and others; tatha, as also; the devarisih, divine sage; naradah, Narada; Asita and Devala ahuh, call; tvam, You; thus: Sasvatam, the eternal; divyam, divine; purusam, Person; adi-devam, the Primal God, the God who preceded all the gods; ajam, the birthless; vibhum, the Omnipresent-capable of assuming diverse forms. And even Vyasa also speaks in this very way. Ca, and; svayam, You Yourself; eva, verily; bravisi, tell; me, me (so).
Śrī Rāmānujācārya Classical
Translation
10.12 - 10.13 Arjuna said You are He whom the Srutis proclaim as the Supreme Brahman, the Supreme Light, the Supreme Sanctifier. Thus the Srutis assert: 'From whom all these beings are born, by whom, when born, they live and unto whom they go when they perish - desire to know that well. This is Brahman' (Tai. U., 3.1.1); 'He who knows Brahman attains the Highest' (Ibid., 2.1.1); and 'He who knows the Supreme Brahman becomes the Brahman' (Mun. U., 3.2.9). Likewise He is the Supreme Light. The term 'Dhaman' connotes light. He is the Supreme Light as taught (in the Upanisads): 'Now, the light which shines higher than this heaven ৷৷.' (Cha. U., 3.13. 7); 'Attaining the Supreme Light. He appears with His own form' (Ibid., 8.12.2); 'The gods worship Him as the Light of lights' (Br. U., 4.4.16). So also He is the Supreme Sanctifier: He makes the meditator bereft of all the impurities, and also destroyes them without any trace. The Srutis declares: 'As water clings not to the leaf of a lotus-flower, so evil deeds cling not to him who knows thus' (Cha. U., 4.14.3): 'Just as the fibre of Isika reed (reed-cotton) laid on a fire is burnt up, so also all his sins are burnt up' (Ibid., 5.24.3); and 'Narayana is Supreme Brahman, Narayana is Supreme Light, Narayana is Supreme Self' (Ma. Na., 9.4). Sages are those who know in reality the higher truth (the Supreme Brahman), and the lower truth (individual selves); they speak of You as the eternal Divine Person, Primal Lord, the unborn and all-pervading. So also divine sage Narada, Asita, Devala and Vyasa declare: 'This Narayana, Lord of Sri, the resident of the Milk Ocean, has come to the city of Mathura abandoning his Serpent-couch.' 'Where Madhusudana is, there is the blessed Dvaravati. He is the Lord Himself, the ancient One and Eternal Dharma (Ma. Bh. Vana. 88. 24-25). Those who know the Vedas and those who know the self declare the great-minded Krsna to be the eternal Dharma. Of all sanctifiers, Govinda is said to be the most sanctifying, the most auspicious among the auspicious. The lotus-eyed God of gods, the eternal, abides as the three worlds ৷৷. Hari who is beyond thought, abides thus. Madhusudana is there alone' (Ma. Bha. Vana., 88.24-28). Similarly it is stated: 'O Arjuna, where the divine, the eternal Narayana the Supreme Self is, there the entire universe, the sacred water and the holy shrines are to be found. That is sacred, that is Supreme Brahman, that is sacred waters, that is the austerity grove ৷৷. there dwell the divine sages, the Siddhas and all those rich in austerities where the Primal Lord, the agent Yogin Madhusudana dwells. It is the most sacred among the sacred. For you, let there be no doubt about this' (Ibid., 90.28-32); 'Krsna Himself is the origin and dissolution of all beings. For, this universe, consisting of sentient and non-sentient entities, was generated for the sake of Krsna' (Ma. Bha. Sabha., 38.23). And you yourself say so in the passage beginning with 'Earth, water, fire, ether, mind, intellect and Ahankara - this Prakrti, which is divided eightfold, is Mine' (7.4) and ending with 'I am the origin of all; from Me proceed everything' (10.8).
Śrī Abhinavagupta Classical
Translation
10.12 Sri Abhinavagupta did not comment upon this sloka.
Swami Sivananda Classical
Translation
10.12 Arjuna said Thou art the Supreme Brahman, the supreme abode (or the supreme light), the supreme purifier, eternal, divine Person, the primeval God, unborn andn omnipresent.
Commentary

10.12 परम् supreme? ब्रह्म Brahman? परम् supreme? धाम abode? पवित्रम् purifier? परमम् supreme? भवान् Thou? पुरुषम् Purusha? शाश्वतम् eternal? दिव्यम् divine? आदिदेवम् primeval God? अजम् unborn? विभुम् omnipresent.Commentary Param Brahma The highest Self. The word Param indicates the pure and attributeless Absolute? free from the limiting adjuncts. It is Satchidananda Brahman. The inferior Brahman is the Brahman with alities (Saguna) or Isvara? Brahman with the limiting adjuncts or the chosen object of meditation by the devotees.Param Dhama means Param Tejah or the supreme light. From the Creator down to the blade of grass the Supreme Being is the support or substratum. Therefore He is known as the supreme abode.Adideva The primeval God or the original God Who existed before all other gods. This God is Para Brahman Itself. It is selfluminous.Pavitram Paramam Supreme purifier. The sacred rivers and holy places of pilgrimage can remove only the sins but Para Brahman can destroy all sins and ignorance? the root cause of all sins. Therefore Para Brahman or the Supreme Self is the supreme purifier.

Swami Gambhīrānanda Classical
Translation
10.12-10.13 Arjuna said You are the supreme Brahman, the supreme Light, the supreme Sanctifier. All the sages as also the divine sage Narada, Asita, Devala and Vyasa [Although Narada and the other sages are already mentioned by the words 'all the sages', still they are named separately because of their eminence. Asita is the father of Devala.] call You the eternal divine Person, the Primal God, the Birthless, the Omnipresent; and You Yourself verily tell me (so).
Shri Purohit Swami Classical
Translation
10.12 Arjuna asked: Thou art the Supreme Spirit, the Eternal Home, the Holiest of the Holy, the Eternal Divine Self, the Primal God, the Unborn and the Omnipresent.
Related values & verses
Related values
Tyaga (Renunciation / Letting Go)Karuna (Kindness / Compassion)Ahimsa (Non-violence / Compassion)Tapas (Austerity / Discipline)Guru Bhakti (Reverence for Teacher)Atma Nigraha (Self-control)Daksya (Resourcefulness / Skill)Maitri (Friendship / Goodwill)Abhaya (Fearlessness)
Related verses
BG 7.7 BG 15.17 BG 11.37 SB 1.3.28 SB 8.3.2 SB 10.14.22 CC Ādi 2.65 CC Madhya 6.147 CC Madhya 20.149 Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 3.8Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 6.7
Study Q&A referencing this verse
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Arjuna says: You are the Supreme Brahman, the supreme abode, the supreme purifier, the eternal divine person, the original god, unborn — all the great sages confirm it.
Practical Applications
  • Cultivate explicit articulation of Kṛṣṇa's identity.
  • Speak it aloud in prayer — don't keep it implicit.
  • Trust the testimony of great souls who have said the same.
Reflection Questions
  • When did I last articulate Kṛṣṇa's identity in my own words?
  • What did doing so reveal?
Analogy

When a long line of cartographers, each working independently, draws the same hidden river at the same coordinates, their agreement carries weight that no single map could supply. Arjuna invokes that congruence: Nārada, Asita, Devala, Vyāsa — and now Kṛṣṇa Himself — all witness the same Supreme Person. The doctrine stands on stacked testimony.

Stories
Nārada confirming Vyāsa

When Vyāsa felt incomplete after composing the Vedas and Mahābhārata, it was Nārada who came to him on the bank of the Sarasvatī and confirmed: glorify the Supreme Person directly. Nārada was not speculating — he had had direct vision of the Lord in his previous life as a maidservant's son.

Vyāsa accepted Nārada's testimony as authoritative and composed the Bhāgavatam. Arjuna's roll-call in this verse — 'sages such as Nārada and Vyāsa say so' — is not abstract appeal. It is the actual textual lineage by which the Vaiṣṇava tradition received its highest scripture, and Arjuna, schooled by Vyāsa his grandfather, knew that lineage personally.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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