B.G 4.05 and 06
श्रीभगवानुवाच
बहूनि मे व्यतीतानि जन्मानि तव चार्जुन। तान्यहं वेद सर्वाणि न त्वं वेत्थ परन्तप ॥५॥
śrībhagavānuvāca
bahūni mē vyatītāni janmāni tava cārjuna। tānyahaṁ vēda sarvāṇi na tvaṁ vēttha parantapa ॥5॥
[श्रीभगवानुवाच बहूनि मे व्यतीतानि जन्मानि तव चार्जुन। तानि अहं वेद सर्वाणि न त्वं वेत्थ परन्तप॥
śrībhagavānuvāca = the supreme lord said; bahūni = many; mē = of mine; vyatītāni = have passed; janmāni = births; tava = yours; cārjuna = as well, O Arjuna;। tāni = them; ahaṁ = I; vēda = know; sarvāṇi = all; na = not; tvaṁ = you; vēttha = recollect; parantapa = O subduer of enemies॥]
The Supreme Lord said:
O Arjuna, you and I have passed through many lives. I know all of them, but you, O Subduer of enemies, are not acquainted with them.
अजोऽपि सन्नव्ययात्मा भूतानामीश्वरोऽपि सन्। प्रकृतिं स्वामधिष्ठाय सम्भवाम्यात्ममायया ॥६॥
ajō'pi sannavyayātmā bhūtānāmīśvarō'pi san। prakr̥tiṁ svāmadhiṣṭhāya sambhavāmyātmamāyayā ॥6॥
[अजः अपि सन् अव्यय आत्मा भूतानाम् ईश्वरः अपि सन्। प्रकृतिं स्वाम् अधिष्ठाय सम्भवामि आत्म मायया॥
ajaḥ = unborn; api = also; san = being so; avyayātmā = the imperishable body; bhūtānām = of all the beings; īśvaraḥ = the supreme lord; api = also; san = being so;। prakr̥tiṁ = the nature; svām = own; adhiṣṭhāya = having established; sambhavāmi = I re-manifest; ātma-māyayā = knowledge of the 'ātman' / delutional power I possess;]
Though my body is imperishable and I am the supreme lord of all the beings, I re-manifest and seem to be born, having established myself in my own inherent nature with the delusional power I possess.
Gīta Tātparya 4.06
'ātmamāyayā' - on His own interest. 'prakr̥tiṁ svāmadhiṣṭhāya' - by His inherent nature He established Himself. Unlike verses 7.5 and 9.10, here word 'Prakrti' is used with word 'sva', and thus needs to be interpreted as 'inherent nature', and not as 'insentient'.
आत्ममायया आत्मेच्छया। प्रकृतिं स्वामधिष्ठाय स्वभावम्।
ātmamāyayā ātmēcchayā। prakr̥tiṁ svāmadhiṣṭhāya svabhāvam।
[ātmamāyayā = the word 'ātmamāyayā' means; ātmēcchayā = by his own interest;। prakr̥tiṁ svāmadhiṣṭhāya = 'prakr̥tiṁ svāmadhiṣṭhāya' means; svabhāvam = inherent nature;।]
The word 'ātmamāyayā' means on His own interest. The usage 'prakr̥tiṁ svāmadhiṣṭhāya', means by His inherent nature he established Himself.
"देवस्यैष स्वभावोऽयम्"
"dēvasyaiṣa svabhāvō'yam"
["dēvasyaiṣa = It is Lord's only; svabhāvō'yam" = this inherent nature;]
"This inherent nature is that of the Lord only."
इत्यादिश्रुतेश्च। अत एव स्वशब्देन विशेषणं
ityādiśrutēśca। ata ēva svaśabdēna viśēṣaṇaṁ
[ityādiśrutēśca = there are such Vedic testimonials as well;। ata ēva = for this reason, only; svaśabdēna = the word 'sva'; viśēṣaṇaṁ = is the speciality of;]
- there are such Vedic testimonials as well. For this reason only, the word 'sva' has special meaning:
"प्रकृतिं स्वामवष्टभ्य"
"prakr̥tiṁ svāmavaṣṭabhya"
[prakr̥tiṁ = the prakrti; svāmavaṣṭabhya = He Himself, having entered;]
"He Himself, having entered the 'Prakrti', i.e. governing deity of the insentient".
इत्यादिषु।
ityādiṣu।
[ityādiṣu = there are such testimonials as well.]
-there are such testimonials as well.
"मयाध्यक्षेण प्रकृतिः"
"mayādhyakṣēṇa prakr̥tiḥ"
["mayādhyakṣēṇa = supervised by Me; prakr̥tiḥ = the 'Prakrti', i.e. governing diety of insentient;]
"The 'Prakrti', i.e. governing deity of insentient is supervised by Me." (Bhagavad Gita 9.10)
इत्यादिषु तु न स्वशब्दः।
ityādiṣu tu na svaśabdaḥ।
[ityādiṣu = in this place; tu = but; na = not; svaśabdaḥ = 'sva' word;।]
At verse 9.10 of Bhagavad Gita, 'sva' word is not used, (hence, here the usage does not mean 'My own inherent nature').
"प्रकृतिं विद्धि मे पराम्"
"prakr̥tiṁ viddhi mē parām"
[prakr̥tiṁ = the prakrti; viddhi = understand; mē = mine; parām = superior;"]
"Understand Prakrti to be superior energy of mine."(Bhagavad Gita 7.5)
इत्यादिषु सम्बन्धित्वेन प्रतीतेरन्या।
ityādiṣu sambandhitvēna pratītēranyā।
[ityādiṣu = in such places; sambandhitvēna = by association; pratītēranyā = it is interpreted differently.।]
In such cases, due to asociation, the word ('Prakrti') needs to be interpreted differently.
अत्र तु स्वशब्दः स्वरूपवाची। स्वभाव इत्यत्रापि स्वाख्यो भावः स्वभावः। भावशब्दस्तु सम्बन्ध्याशङ्कानिवृत्तये। स्वस्वभाव इति तु स्वस्वरूपमितिवदुपचारत्वाशङ्कां निवर्तयति।
atra tu svaśabdaḥ svarūpavācī। svabhāva ityatrāpi svākhyō bhāvaḥ svabhāvaḥ। bhāvaśabdastu sambandhyāśaṅkānivr̥ttayē। svasvabhāva iti tu svasvarūpamitivadupacāratvāśaṅkāṁ nivartayati।
[atra = in the current context; tu = indeed; svaśabdaḥ = the word 'sva'; svarūpavācī = conveys 'inherent nature';। svabhāva = the word 'svabhāva'; ityatrāpi = even here, in this context; svākhyō = identifying the self; bhāvaḥ = becoming; svabhāvaḥ = 'inherent nature';। bhāvaśabdastu = indeed, the word 'bhāva'; sambandhyāśaṅkānivr̥ttayē = is used to remove the doubt regarding its reference;। svasvabhāva = One's own inherent nature; iti = thus; tu = indeed; svasvarūpamitivadupacāratvāśaṅkāṁ = One's own form, in this way, the doubt regarding the appropriateness; nivartayati = dispels;।]
In the current context, the word 'sva' conveys 'inherent nature'. In the usage of word 'svabhava' in the current context, it is identified with 'self becoming' and thus means 'inherent nature'. Indeed, the word 'bhāva', i.e. becoming, is used to remove any doubt regarding its reference. The usage "One's own inherent nature", is similar to the usage "One's own form". This way, it dispels the doubt regarding its appropriateness.
"स्रष्टृत्वादिस्वभावत्वात् स्वेच्छया विष्णुरव्ययः। सृष्ट्यादिकं करोत्यद्धा स्वयं च बहुधा भवेत्॥"
"sraṣṭr̥tvādisvabhāvatvāt svēcchayā viṣṇuravyayaḥ। sr̥ṣṭyādikaṁ karōtyaddhā svayaṁ ca bahudhā bhavēt॥"
[sraṣṭr̥tvādisvabhāvatvāt = by the nature of being the creator, etc.; svēcchayā = as per His independent will; viṣṇuravyayaḥ = imperishable lord Vishnu;। sr̥ṣṭyādikaṁ = creation and such activities; karōtyaddhā = certainly performs; svayaṁ = Himself; ca = and; bahudhā = multiplicity; bhavēt = becomes;]
"The imperishable lord Vishnu, as per His independent will, by his inherent nature ('svabhāva'), undertakes creation and such activities. By such creation activities, He Himself becomes many."
इति नारायणश्रुतिः ॥६,७॥
iti nārāyaṇaśrutiḥ ॥6,7॥
[iti nārāyaṇaśrutiḥ = thus states Narayana Vedic testimonial.॥6,7॥]
- thus states Narayana Vedic testimonial.
Note:For grammatical clarification, it is necessary to refer to Gita Vivrutti of Sri Raghavendra Theertha, which is beyond the scope of current translation.
