FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

Bhagavad-gītā 7.10

బీజం మాం సర్వభూతానాం విద్ధి పార్థ సనాతనమ్ । బుద్ధిర్బుద్ధిమతామస్మి తేజస్తేజస్వినామహమ్ ॥ ౧౦ ॥
bījaṁ māṁ sarva-bhūtānāṁ
[beejam maam sarva-bhootaanaam]
viddhi pārtha sanātanam
[viddhi paartha sanaatanam]
buddhir buddhimatām asmi
[buddhir buddhimataam asmi]
tejas tejasvinām aham
[tejas tejasvinaam aham]
Word-for-word
bījam — the seed mām — Me sarva - bhūtānām — of all living entities viddhi — try to understand pārtha — O son of Pṛthā sanātanam — original, eternal buddhiḥ — intelligence buddhi - matām — of the intelligent asmi — I am tejaḥ — prowess tejasvinām — of the powerful aham — I am .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
bījaṁ māṁ sarva-bhūtānāṁ
bījam
the seed
mām
Me
sarva - bhūtānām
of all living entities
viddhi pārtha sanātanam
viddhi
try to understand
pārtha
O son of Pṛthā
sanātanam
original, eternal
buddhir buddhimatām asmi
buddhiḥ
intelligence
buddhi - matām
of the intelligent
asmi
I am
tejas tejasvinām aham
tejaḥ
prowess
tejasvinām
of the powerful
aham
I am .
Important Words
  • bījam — the seed
    Singular. Kṛṣṇa is not a seed among seeds — He is the seed. Compare with 14.4 where He is again called bīja-pradaḥ, the seed-giving father, of all life-forms.
  • sarva - bhūtānām — of all living entities
    Genitive plural. The exhaustive scope. Not 'some' or 'the noble.' Every creature in every species traces back to the same seed.
  • sanātanam — original, eternal
    From √san (eternally) + -tana (extended). 'Always-stretched.' Not 'long-lasting' but 'beginningless.' The seed has no prior cause; it is the without-prior.
  • buddhiḥ — intelligence
    The discriminative faculty. Kṛṣṇa claims it in the intelligent — meaning the very capacity to discriminate Him from non-Him is itself Him. A vertiginous teaching: the instrument of finding Him is Him.
  • tejaḥ — prowess
    From √tij (to be sharp). Brilliance, fierce capacity. In the powerful, this edge is not their own forging — it is His tejas operating through them.
O son of Pṛthā, know that I am the original seed of all existences, the intelligence of the intelligent, and the prowess of all powerful men.
Purport

Bījam means seed; Kṛṣṇa is the seed of everything. There are various living entities, movable and inert. Birds, beasts, men and many other living creatures are moving living entities; trees and plants, however, are inert – they cannot move, but only stand. Every entity is contained within the scope of 8,400,000 species of life; some of them are moving and some of them are inert. In all cases, however, the seed of their life is Kṛṣṇa. As stated in Vedic literature, Brahman, or the Supreme Absolute Truth, is that from which everything is emanating. Kṛṣṇa is Para-brahman, the Supreme Spirit. Brahman is impersonal and Para-brahman is personal. Impersonal Brahman is situated in the personal aspect – that is stated in Bhagavad-gītā . Therefore, originally, Kṛṣṇa is the source of everything. He is the root. As the root of a tree maintains the whole tree, Kṛṣṇa, being the original root of all things, maintains everything in this material manifestation. This is also confirmed in the Vedic literature ( Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13): nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām eko bahūnāṁ yo vidadhāti kāmān He is the prime eternal among all eternals. He is the supreme living entity of all living entities, and He alone is maintaining all life. One cannot do anything without intelligence, and Kṛṣṇa also says that He is the root of all intelligence. Unless a person is intelligent he cannot understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
10. I am the eternal, original cause of all entities, O son of Pṛthā. I am the intelligence of the intelligent people and the majesty of the majestic.
Commentary

Bija or seed means the cause before transformation, the pradhāna. Sanātana means eternal. Intelligence is the essence of the intelligent persons. I am that intelligence.

Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa Gauḍīya
Translation
10. I am the eternal, original cause of all entities, O son of Pṛthā. I am the factor of discrimination in the intelligent and the ability to conquer in the powerful.
Commentary

Know Me to be the one eternal seed of all moving and nonmoving beings, not a different seed in each entity, and not temporary. [Note: The Lord remains one in spite of pervading all entities.] Another meaning: know that I am the seed of all things as I alone am the form of the pradhāna (the material cause of all bodies for the jīvas). By this vibhūti I maintain all things and they are nourished by that dependence. I am intelligence, the ability to distinguish what is valuable from what is worthless—in those having intelligence. I am confidence—the ability to conquer others and not be conquered by others—in those who have power.

Bhūrijana Dāsa Gauḍīya
Commentary

Krsna is the origin of intelligence ‑ it is His external energy also. And He is the prowesss of all powerful men.

Study Notes — Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Gauranga Priya Dāsa Study
Bhakti-śāstrī Notes, ISKCON Chowpatty (2009)
Theme

COMMON THEME: Krishna is the essence and cause of everything within the modes of material nature as

follows:

1. Taste of Water – Taste is the active principle of water e.g. No-one likes seawater

Attraction of water depends on purity of water
Pure taste is one of the energies of the Lord
Impersonalists perceive the Lord as the taste; but the personalists glorify the Lord for supplying the water

2. Light of Sun and moon – Originally comes from Brahmajyoti (impersonal effulgence)

3. OM of Vedic mantras

Om is the transcendental sound in the beginning of every Vedic hymn
Addresses the Supreme Lord
Impersonalists prefer to vibrate Omkara because they are very much afraid of addressing Krishna by His innumerable names

4. Sound of Ether

5. Ability of Man

Texts 7.8 – 7.11 continued…

Focus of Learning

(c) Refutes “life comes from chemicals” – because Krishna is the source of material energy

(d) Absolute Truth is personal or impersonal – Text 7.7 helps to solves this controversy

Refutes “Brahman is superior to Krishna” – because Text 7.7 states “no truth is superior to Me”
Ref. Brahma Samhita 5.1: “ishvarah paramah Krishna...”
Impersonalists argue based on Svetasvatara Upanisad 3.10
Their argument – The Absolute Truth has no material form based on the word “arupam”
Our Response: Arupam indicates no material form but a transcendental form of eternity, bliss and knowledge as substantiated by Ref: ▪

Ref. Brahma Samhita

▪

Ref. Svetasvatara Upanisad 3.8-3.9

6. Fragrance of Earth – “Punya” refers to uncontaminated original flavor/smell/taste which permeates

everything

‘Punya’ means that which is not decomposed or that which is original

7. Heat of Fire (Vibhavasau) – Fire in factories/cooking/digestive fire

Indigestion is due to low temperature in the belly

8. Life of all living being – Duration of man’s life is also due to Krishna

By Krishna’s grace one can prolong or diminish it

9. Penance of Ascetics

10. Original seed (Bijam) of all existence (Source of everything)

Seed of all 8.4 million species
Ref. Vedic Literatures: Brahman is the source of everything
Krishna is Parabrahman – The Supreme Spirit
Impersonal Brahman is situated in the personal aspect
Krishna is the original root of all that exists and thus He is the maintainer for everything (Ref. Katha Upanisad 2.2.13)

11. Intelligence of Intelligent

12. Prowess of all Powerful men

13. Strength of Strong – Devoid of passion and desires (strength should be applied to protect the weak, not

for personal aggression)

14. Regulated Sex life of Religious Principles (Dharma) – used for propagation of Krishna conscious children

LINK BETWEEN TEXTS 7.11 & 7.12: Text 7.12 provides a summary that Krishna is the origin of all:

Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya Classical
Translation
7.10 O Partha, viddhi, know, mam, Me; to be the sanatanam, eternal; bijam, seed, the source of growth; sarva-bhutanam, of all beings. Besides, I am the buddhih, intellect, the power of discrimination of the mind; buddhimatam, of the intelligent, of people having the power of discrimination. I am the tejah, courage; tejasvinam, of the courageous, of those possessed of that.
Śrī Rāmānujācārya Classical
Translation
7.8 - 7.11 All these entities with their peculiar characteristic are born from Me alone. They depend on Me; inasmuch as they constitute My body, they exist in Me alone. Thus I alone exist while all of them are only My modes.
Śrī Abhinavagupta Classical
Translation
7.10 See Comment under 7.11
Swami Sivananda Classical
Translation
7.10 Know Me, O Arjuna, as the eternal seed of all beings; I am the intelligence of the intelligent; the splendour of the splendid objects am I.
Commentary

7.10 बीजम् seed? माम् Me? सर्वभूतानाम् of all beings? विद्धि know? पार्थ O Partha? सनातनम् eternal? बुद्धिः intelligence? बुद्धिमताम् of the intelligent? अस्मि am (I)? तेजः splendour? तेजस्विनाम् of the splendid? अहम् I.Commentary Seed means cause.Tejas also means heroism or bravery.Had Arjuna asked? Who is the seed for Thee? the Lord would have replied? There is no seed for Me. There is no cause for Me. I am the source of everything. I am the causeless Cause. I am the primeval Being.

Swami Gambhīrānanda Classical
Translation
7.10 O Partha, know Me to be the eternal Seed of all beings. I am the intellect of the intelligent, I am the courage of the courageous.
Shri Purohit Swami Classical
Translation
7.10 Know, O Arjuna, that I am the eternal Seed of being; I am the Intelligence of the intelligent, the Splendour of the resplendent.
Related values & verses
Primary values
Tejas (Inner Radiance / Vigour)
Related values
Tyaga (Renunciation / Letting Go)Karuna (Kindness / Compassion)Ahimsa (Non-violence / Compassion)Guru Bhakti (Reverence for Teacher)Atma Nigraha (Self-control)Daksya (Resourcefulness / Skill)Maitri (Friendship / Goodwill)Abhaya (Fearlessness)
Related verses
BG 10.20 BG 15.15 BG 9.18 SB 11.16.12 SB 8.3.22 SB 10.87.30 CC Madhya 24.79 CC Ādi 2.87 CC Madhya 20.119 Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 6.13
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
I am the original seed of all existences, the intelligence of the intelligent, the prowess of the powerful.
Practical Applications
  • Trace your intelligence and capabilities back to Him.
  • Don't claim authorship of capacities you didn't manufacture.
  • Honor the source by using the gift in His service.
Reflection Questions
  • What capacity am I taking credit for?
  • How does it look when I attribute it to Kṛṣṇa?
Analogy

A seed contains the whole tree, folded. Kṛṣṇa says He is that fold — the sanātana seed of all existences. Every existence is His tree, unrolling from Him. And in intelligent beings, He is the intelligence itself; in powerful ones, the prowess. Not the trunk; the seed-code that became this trunk.

Stories
Prahlāda's calm at five

Bound by serpents, dropped from cliffs, fed poison, trampled by elephants, thrown into fire — and through it all, the five-year-old Prahlāda stayed steady. His father raged: where is your strength coming from?

The boy answered: from the same source as yours, father. The Bhāgavatam records the exchange. Hiraṇyakaśipu thought himself the author of his power; Prahlāda knew Kṛṣṇa as the bījam — the seed-source — of every strength, including the father's, who was about to be killed by it.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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