Bhagavad-gītā 10.26
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
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aśvatthaḥ
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the banyan tree
The pippala / aśvattha — sacred to many traditions, central to chapter 15's metaphor of the cosmic tree. Long-lived, multi-trunked, shading. Kṛṣṇa picks the tree whose form will recur as scripture's most extended metaphor.
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nāradaḥ
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Nārada
The devarṣi — sage among the demigods. Wanderer, vīṇā-player, kīrtana-maker. Kṛṣṇa picks the sage who never sits still, the one whose whole mode of existence is glorification.
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citrarathaḥ
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Citraratha
Chief of the Gandharvas — celestial musicians. His name means 'one of the wonderful chariot.' Music and motion combined. Kṛṣṇa picks the foremost singer of the heavenly realms.
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kapilaḥ muniḥ
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Kapila Muni
The avatāra-form of Viṣṇu who taught Sāṅkhya to his mother Devahūti. Note: the Vaiṣṇava Kapila of the Bhāgavatam, not the later atheistic compiler. Kṛṣṇa identifies with the original, devotional Sāṅkhya teacher.
Plain meaning (तात्पर्य · Tātparya)
Further notes (विवरण · Vivaraṇa)
Prose order (अन्वय · Anvaya)
Word split (पदच्छेद · Padaccheda)
Grammar (व्याकरण · Vyākaraṇa)
| Sanskrit | IAST | Grammar | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| अश्वत्थः | aśvatthaḥ | अश्वत्थ (m.) nom.sg. (nominative singular) | the aśvattha tree |
| सर्व-वृक्षाणाम् | sarva-vṛkṣāṇām | सर्व + वृक्ष (m.) gen.pl. (genitive plural), karmadhāraya | among all trees |
| देवर्षीणाम् | devarṣīṇām | देव + ऋषि (m.) gen.pl. (genitive plural), karmadhāraya | among divine sages |
| च | ca | ind. (indeclinable) | and |
| नारदः | nāradaḥ | नारद (m.) nom.sg. (nominative singular) | Nārada |
| गन्धर्वाणाम् | gandharvāṇām | गन्धर्व (m.) gen.pl. (genitive plural) | among Gandharvas |
| चित्ररथः | citrarathaḥ | चित्ररथ (m.) nom.sg. (nominative singular) | Citraratha |
| सिद्धानाम् | siddhānām | सिद्ध (adj./m.) gen.pl. (genitive plural) | among the perfected |
| कपिलः मुनिः | kapilaḥ muniḥ | कपिल (m.) + मुनि (m.) nom.sg. (nominative singular) | the sage Kapila |
The banyan tree ( aśvattha ) is one of the highest and most beautiful trees, and people in India often worship it as one of their daily morning rituals. Amongst the demigods they also worship Nārada, who is considered the greatest devotee in the universe. Thus he is the representation of Kṛṣṇa as a devotee. The Gandharva planet is filled with entities who sing beautifully, and among them the best singer is Citraratha. Amongst the perfect living entities, Kapila, the son of Devahūti, is a representative of Kṛṣṇa. He is considered an incarnation of Kṛṣṇa, and His philosophy is mentioned in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Later on another Kapila became famous, but his philosophy was atheistic. Thus there is a gulf of difference between them.
Among all trees worthy of worship, I am the excellent pippala tree. Among divine sages, I am Narada, outstanding because of his outstanding level of bhakti. Among Gandharvas, I am Citraratha, outstanding because of his excellent singing ability. Among the Siddhas, who have natural mystic powers like becoming small, I am the muni Kapila, son of Kardama.
'Nara' means God and 'ada' means 'giver'. Narada is called like that because he gives God to everyone.
Nāra means “mankind” or “spiritual.” Da means “giving or granting.” Nārada, who has disciples all
over the universe, gives God to everyone.
Citraratha was Arjuna’s friend, and he taught Arjuna the art of singing.
10.26 अश्वत्थः Asvattha? सर्ववृक्षाणाम् among all trees? देवर्षीणाम् among Divine Rishis? च and? नारदः Narada? गन्धर्वाणाम् among Gandharvas? चित्ररथः Chitraratha? सिद्धानाम् among the Siddhas or the perfected? कपिलः Kapila? मुनिः sage.Commentary Devarshis are gods and at the same time Rishis or seers of Mantras.Siddhas are the perfected ones those who at their very birth attained without any effort Dharma (virtue)? Jnana (knowledge of the Self)? Vairagya (dispassion) and Aisvarya (lordship).Muni is one who does Manana or reflection one who meditates.
- BG 10 26 - Danavir Goswami - Amsterdam 1990-02-17
- BG 10 26 - Srinama - ISKCON Radhadesh 2012-10-17
- Priya Valabha Mataji BG 10-26-27 Hindi
- Ujjvala Rasajna Mataji BG 10-26
- Balaram Shakti Pr BG 10-26-32
- Hari Lila Pr BG 10-26 Tamil
- Jitamitra Pr Hindi BG 10-26
- Prema Rasa Pr BG 10-26-42 - 2019-01-16
- Rasika Govinda Pr BG 10-26 - 2017-10-15
- Rasika Govinda Pr BG 10-26 Tamil - 2017-10-15
- DGS BG 10-26 - Vedas Perfect Knowledge - 1990-02-17 Amsterdam
- PrahladAnS BG 10-26-27 Slovenian Translation - Ni lahko imeti lekcije na ta verz - 2021-07-23 ISKCON Slovenia
- PrahladAnS BG 10-26-27 - %20It%27s not easy to have a lecture on these Verses - 2021-07-23 ISKCON Slovenia
- 2017-04-06 BG 10-26-27 - Kesidaman Pr ISKCON Vrindavan
- Honor Nārada Muni as the model of the wandering devotee.
- Read Nārada's pastimes regularly.
- Receive Bhakti-sūtra-style teachings as Kṛṣṇa-direct.
- What model of devotee-life calls me?
- Whose example am I underusing?
Among trees, the long-lived banyan whose aerial roots become new trunks; among devarṣis, the wandering Nārada who carries Kṛṣṇa's name from world to world; among Gandharvas, the celestial musician; among the perfected, the sage who taught his own mother. Kṛṣṇa picks the spreaders — those who do not stay in one shape or one place.
In a previous life Nārada was the son of a maidservant who served visiting Vaiṣṇavas. Eating their remnants, hearing their kīrtana, he received a single seed of bhakti. When his mother died, he wandered into the forest and there had direct darśana of the Lord — once, briefly.
From that single touch he became the wandering preacher of three worlds, named here as the chief among devarṣis. The Bhāgavatam (canto 1) records the story so the reader understands why Kṛṣṇa names Nārada — not for cosmic status but for the constancy of his mission of spreading Hari-kathā.
Kapila Muni, named here as the chief of the perfected (siddhas), was born to Devahūti as her son. When Devahūti at the right age asked for spiritual instruction, Kapila — though her son — became her guru. The Bhāgavatam preserves the entire transmission.
Kṛṣṇa picks Kapila as His siddha-vibhūti because the perfection here is not magical power but the perfection of teaching one's own kin into liberation. The choice tells us what siddhi truly means in Kṛṣṇa's reckoning.
My note
Source: vedabase.io