B.G 8.09
कविं पुराणमनुशासितारम् अणोरणीयांसमनुस्मरेद्यः। सर्वस्य धातारमचिन्त्यरूपम् आदित्यवर्णं तमसः परस्तात् ॥९॥
kaviṁ purāṇamanuśāsitāram aṇoraṇīyāṁsamanusmaredyaḥ। sarvasya dhātāramacintyarūpam ādityavarṇaṁ tamasaḥ parastāt ॥9॥
[कविम् (kavim) - the omniscient one; पुराणम् (purāṇam) - ancient; अनुशासितारम् (anuśāsitāram) - ruler; अणोः (aṇoḥ) - of the subtle; अणीयांसम् (aṇīyāṁsam) - subtler; अनुस्मरेत् (anusmaret) - should remember; यः (yaḥ) - who; सर्वस्य (sarvasya) - of all; धातारम् (dhātāram) - sustainer; अचिन्त्यरूपम् (acintyarūpam) - of inconceivable form; आदित्यवर्णम् (ādityavarṇam) - of the sun-like brilliance; तमसः (tamasaḥ) - of darkness; परस्तात् (parastāt) - beyond;]
The omniscient one, the ancient, the ruler, subtler than the subtlest, the sustainer of all, the one with an inconceivable form, of sun-like brilliance, and beyond darkness.
Gīta Bhāshya 8.09
This verse states the object of meditation. 'kavim' - the omniscient; 'dhātāram' - the sustainer of all; 'tamasaḥ' - beyond darkness, i.e. beyond the unmanifest as well. References are given from Vedic testimonial to substantiate the meaning of these words.
ध्येयम् आह - कविं इति। कविं सर्वज्ञम् -
dhyeyam āha - kaviṁ iti। kaviṁ sarvajñam
[ध्येयम् (dhyeyam) - to be meditated upon; आह (āha) - declares; कविम् (kavim) - seer; इति (iti) - thus; कविम् (kavim) - seer; सर्वज्ञम् (sarvajñam) - omniscient;]
The object of meditation is declared in the verse 'kavi', i.e. the omniscient one.
"यः सर्वज्ञः"
"yaḥ sarvajñaḥ"
[यः (yaḥ) - who; सर्वज्ञः (sarvajñaḥ) - omniscient;]
"He who is the omniscient."
-इति श्रुतिः।
iti śrutiḥ।
[इति (iti) - thus; श्रुतिः (śrutiḥ) - revealed scripture;]
- it is stated thus in the Vedic testimonials.
"त्वं कविः सर्ववेदनात्"
"tvaṁ kaviḥ sarvavedanāt"
[त्वम् (tvam) - you; कविः (kaviḥ) - are 'kavi'; सर्ववेदनात् (sarvavedanāt) - due to knowing everything;]
"You are the 'kavi' as you know everything."
इति च ब्राह्मे।
iti ca brāhme।
[इति (iti) - thus; च (ca) - and; ब्राह्मे (brāhme) - in the Brāhma Purāṇa (scriptural text);]
- stated thus in the Brāhma Purāṇa.
धातारं धारणपोषणकर्तारम्। 'डु धाञ् धारणपोषणयोः' इति धातोः।
dhātāraṁ dhāraṇapoṣaṇakartāram। 'ḍu dhāñ dhāraṇapoṣaṇayoḥ' iti dhātoḥ।
[धातारम् (dhātāram) - sustainer; धारण (dhāraṇa) - holding, supporting; पोषण (poṣaṇa) - nourishing; कर्तारम् (kartāram) - doer, agent; 'डु (ḍu) - (prefix indicating verb root class); धाञ् (dhāñ) - root verb "dhā"; धारण (dhāraṇa) - holding, supporting; पोषणयोः (poṣaṇayoḥ) - for both nourishment and sustenance; इति (iti) - thus; धातोः (dhātoḥ) - from the root verb;]
'Dhātā' means the one who sustains, supports, and nourishes. It is derived from the root verb 'dhāñ' which is declared to mean 'to support and nourish'.
"धाता विधाता परमोत सन्दृग्।"
"dhātā vidhātā paramota sandr̥g।"
[धाता (dhātā) - sustainer; विधाता (vidhātā) - ordainer; परमः (paramaḥ) - supreme; उत (uta) - also, indeed; सन्दृक् (sandṛk) - all-seeing;]
"The sustainer, the ordainer, the supreme one, and the all-seeing."
इति च श्रुतिः।
iti ca śrutiḥ।
[इति (iti) - thus; च (ca) - and; श्रुतिः (śrutiḥ) - revealed scripture;]
- stated thus in the Vedic testimonial.
'ब्रह्मा स्थाणुः' इत्यारभ्य 'तस्य प्रसादादिच्छन्ति तदादिष्ट फलां गतिम्'
'brahmā sthāṇuḥ' ityārabhya 'tasya prasādādicchanti tadādiṣṭa phalāṁ gatim'
[ब्रह्मा (brahmā) - Brahmā (the creator); स्थाणुः (sthāṇuḥ) - the immovable (Śiva); इति (iti) - thus; आरभ्य (ārabhya) - beginning from; तस्य (tasya) - of him; प्रसादात् (prasādāt) - from the grace; इच्छन्ति (icchanti) - they desire; तत् (tat) - that; आदिष्ट (ādiṣṭa) - instructed, ordained; फलाम् (phalām) - result, fruit; गतिम् (gatim) - end;]
The statement begins with 'Brahmā and Śiva' and ends stating 'by his grace they desire and as He ordains, they get the end results'.
इति च मोक्षधर्मे।
iti ca mokṣadharme।
[इति (iti) - thus; च (ca) - and; मोक्षधर्मे (mokṣadharme) - in the Mokṣa-dharma section;]
- it is stated thus in the Mokṣa-dharma (section of the Mahabharata).
तमसः अव्यक्तात् परतः स्थितम् -
tamasaḥ avyaktāt parataḥ sthitam
[तमसः (tamasah) - of darkness; अव्यक्तात् (avyaktāt) - from the unmanifest; परतः (parataḥ) - beyond; स्थितम् (sthitam) - situated;]
He is called 'tamasa' as he is situated beyond the unmanifest -
"तमसः परस्तादिति। अव्यक्तं वै तमः। परस्ताद्धि स ततः॥"
"tamasaḥ parastāditi। avyaktaṁ vai tamaḥ। parastāddhi sa tataḥ॥"
[तमसः (tamasah) - of darkness; परस्तात् (parastāt) - beyond; इति (iti) - thus; अव्यक्तम् (avyaktam) - the unmanifest; वै (vai) - indeed; तमः (tamaḥ) - darkness; परस्तात् (parastāt) - beyond; हि (hi) - indeed; सः (saḥ) - he; ततः (tataḥ) - from that;]
"He is said 'tamasa', of darkness, as he is beyond. Indeed, the unmanifest is 'tamasa', the darkness. He is indeed beyond that."
इति पिप्पलादशाखायाम्।
iti pippalādaśākhāyām।
[इति (iti) - thus; पिप्पलादशाखायाम् (pippalāda-śākhāyām) - in the Pippalāda branch (of the Veda);]
- it is stated in the Pippalāda branch of the Veda.
"मृत्युर्वा व तमः। मृत्युर्वै तमो ज्योतिरमृतम्॥"
"mr̥tyurvā va tamaḥ। mr̥tyurvai tamo jyotiramr̥tam॥"
[मृत्युः (mṛtyuḥ) - death; वा (vā) - or; तमः (tamaḥ) - darkness; मृत्युः (mṛtyuḥ) - death; वै (vai) - indeed; तमः (tamaḥ) - darkness; ज्योतिः (jyotiḥ) - light; अमृतम् (amṛtam) - immortality;]
"Death is indeed 'tamasa', the darkness. While Death is darkness, light is indeed immortality."
इति श्रुतेः ॥९॥
iti śrutiḥ।
[इति (iti) - thus; श्रुतिः (śrutiḥ) - revealed scripture;]
- stated thus in the Vedic testimonial.
Gīta Tātparya 8.09
'tamasaḥ parastāt' - indicates a non-material body.
तमसः परस्तात् अप्राकृतदेहम् ॥९॥
tamasaḥ parastāt aprākr̥tadeham ॥9॥
[तमसः (tamasah) - of darkness/ignorance; परस्तात् (parastāt) - beyond; अप्राकृतदेहम् (aprākṛta-deham) - having a non-material, transcendental body;]
The phrase 'tamasaḥ parastāt' indicates (the Lord) possessing a non-material body.
